Ascension Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
862197504
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
St Louis, MO, USA
Phone
3147338000
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,031,580
Expenses
$7,403,072
Assets
$97,062,518
Liabilities
$938,075

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBYN BRENZA KRESS (DIRECTOR/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • PETER M LEIBOLD (DIRECTOR): $2,693,006 total reported compensation
  • STACY GARRETT-RAY MD (DIRECTOR): $1,582,119 total reported compensation
  • ROBYN BRENZA KRESS (DIRECTOR/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT): $1,385,984 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Rooted in the loving ministry of jesus as healer, we commit ourselves to serving all persons with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. Our catholic health ministry is dedicated to spiritually centered, holistic care, which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities. We are advocates for a compassionate and just society through our actions and our words.

What it reported doing in 2024

THE FILING ORGANIZATION IS A PART OF THE ASCENSION CATHOLIC HEALTH MINISTRY. ASCENSION IS A FAITH-BASED HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION THAT DELIVERS PERSONALIZED, COMPASSIONATE CARE TO ALL, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST. Addressing the root causes of health disparities requires disrupting entrenched systems for good. We partner with community-based organizations that deeply understand where the needs are greatest and which solutions are poised for success. With a commitment to listening, learning and looking for answers together, we invest in innovative efforts that are bringing about a more enduring and just future of health for all.

Operating model

Revenue model
Affiliate-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions from related organizations.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 74% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 73
  • Accountability: 28
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 93%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 37.9%; rating input score 38
  • Fundraising efficiency: $0.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 7th 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: 98.9%; rating input score 99; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 18%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 13.11; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.7% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -96.7% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 93% of revenue deployed · 37.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 4 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $2.7M · 4 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $1.9M reported
  • Consistency: 20 of 21 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 17 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 394 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 38/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 2/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.