Alternative Schools Network

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237375976
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
7737284030
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$22,308,810
Expenses
$23,018,669
Assets
$5,710,679
Liabilities
$5,911,716

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • OYE KALE (PRESIDENT)
  • JACK WUEST (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • MATRICE MANUEL (ASISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JACK WUEST (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $305,382 total reported compensation
  • MATRICE MANUEL (ASISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $156,045 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Asn is committed to the development of quality educational programs that engage urban children, youths, and adults with well-rounded academic programs leading to college entrance and/or career paths, which foster economic independence and social responsibility in the 21st century.

What it reported doing in 2024

Asn, in collaboration with the Illinois department of children and family services ("idcfs"), has developed a program with 15 community-based alternative high schools to provide opportunities for youths who are out of school and do not have a high school diploma or general educational development ("ged") equivalent. The youth scholars, skills, and service program ("ys3") directory has been developed for professionals who work with youths from ages 16 through 21 in the care of the idcfs, residing in such placements as traditional foster care, home of a relative, independent living, or group home. See schedule o for additional information.this program provides chicago-area youths who are in the care of the idcfs, are not enrolled in an educational or vocational program, and do not have a high school diploma or ged with the opportunity and resources to attain their educational goals and become independent and productive adults. Integral components of ys3 are student mentoring, college placement, and support.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 99% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94.4%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 91.5%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1,251.12 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings

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: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.2%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.25; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.04; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.3% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 94.4% of revenue deployed · 91.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $21.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $305K · 7 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $135K reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 20/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 5/100.