Basic Assistance to Students in the Community

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
330631683
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2017, Form 990-N 2014
Location
Borrego Springs, CA, USA
Phone
6195185283
Rating
53
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Utilities

Reported finances

Revenue
$596,289
Expenses
$451,408
Assets
$1,298,642
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Angela Cassidy (President)
  • Barbara Coates (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Nidia Meza (Managing Director): $103,578 total reported compensation
  • Kenneth Collard (Secretary): $16,006 total reported compensation
  • Heidi Schlofeldt (Director): $9,555 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

BASIC supports education in Borrego Springs via scholarship programs, a learning academy, and participation in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

What it reported doing in 2025

BASIC sponsors a learning academy for 2nd/3rd grade students, a Middle school summer math program, and a High School English language development program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 65% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 37
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 10
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 39.1%; rating input score 39
  • Program expense ratio: 46%; rating input score 46
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.3%; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.88; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 29.2%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.6% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 39.1% of revenue deployed · 46% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 11 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $208K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $104K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 20 of 20 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2018 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 39/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.