Bellwether Education Partners

What it reported doing in 2024

Since our founding in 2010, we have worked to develop and amplify the insights, innovations, and ideas necessary to advance educational options in this country by:1. Supporting mission-driven clients from school systems and public agencies to nonprofits and philanthropies as they navigate tough decisions2. Informing the sector with clear insights and bold idea3. Bringing leaders together to learn, connect, and drive changeour work spans early childhood education through postsecondary and career pathways. Our team of nearly 100 experts pairs deep knowledge across all these areas with experience on the ground as educators, school leaders, policymakers, and executives in the public and private sectors allowing us to offer unparalleled insights for our clients and the sector.we have worked with more than 800 clients nationwide in some of the nation's largest cities and most remote rural areas supporting them with strategy, continuous improvement, and analysis of how the education ecosystem shapes their work. Our partners include individual schools, charter networks, traditional school districts, state education leaders, region-based intermediaries, philanthropic funders, advocacy organizations, place-based partnerships, and nonprofits, among others.we have also shaped critical conversations across the sector through hundreds of publications, resources, events, and commentary pieces. Our external work delivers timely insights on the most pressing issues of the day and helps leaders, practitioners, policymakers, news media reporters, and funders understand emerging issues and challenges around the corner. This work both informs and is informed by our work on the ground with partners work that dramatically expands our reach and sets bellwether apart.in the years ahead, we will continue to help mission-driven partners accelerate their impact, inform and influence policy and program design, and bring leaders together to drive change on education's most pressing challenges.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 95.5%; rating input score 95
• Program expense ratio: 82.9%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.76 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• 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: 9 of 9 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: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -15%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.61; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 18.6%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 12.3% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings