Aiken Performing Arts Academy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
331033564
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2018
Forms available
Form 990 2018
Location
Aiken, SC, USA
Phone
8036444824
Rating
59
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$515,624
Expenses
$594,510
Assets
$1,651,449
Liabilities
$2,091,162

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2018. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DANIEL LLOYD (PRESIDENT)
  • KEISHA KENNEDY (VICE-PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • KEISHA KENNEDY (VICE-PRESIDENT): $153,000 total reported compensation
  • CANDI CREECH (BOARD DESIGNEE): $78,469 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTEN HUGHES (TREASURER): $54,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2018. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The apaa created to provide 9th thru 12th grade high school students with unique learning opportunities in the performing and visual arts.

What it reported doing in 2018

Apaa is a public, non-profit, charter high school which services any 9th-12th grade students residing in aiken county. Apaa offers a traditional college prep curriculum and ap classes, along with classes in the arts. Sc state standards: students are required to take and pass the hsap exam for a state diploma.all 9th-12th grade students with an interest in the performing arts are welcome to apply for enrollment at apaa.there were 57 students enrolled during the 2016-17 school year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 97% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

MIXED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 32
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.1%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 72.9%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 40%; rating input score 40; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -15.3%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.78; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.27; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.2%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.4% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84.1% of revenue deployed · 72.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $433K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $153K · 5 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2011 to 2018
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 40/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 7 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 10/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 4/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Automatic revocation: this organization had its federal tax-exempt status automatically revoked.