Black Appalachian Coalition

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
831904410
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Ottawa Hills, OH, USA
Phone
9176002747
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,350,453
Expenses
$1,233,924
Assets
$943,678
Liabilities
$24,822

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kevin R Harris (President)

People named in this filing

  • Marcia Dinkins (Executive Dir.)
  • Kevin R Harris (President)
  • Patricia DeMarco (Secretary)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC), a multi-state organization working across Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley and Basin, is centered on story-based approaches that amplify Black voices, fights for environmental justice and strengthens community power. BLAC is leading a bold movement beyond equity toward true justice and equality, rooted in reclamation, resistance, and the power of our narratives.

What it reported doing in 2024

Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC), a multi-state organization working across Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley and Basin, is centered on story-based approaches that amplify Black voices, fights for environmental justice and strengthens community power. BLAC's accomplishments span from organizing and training community leaders to hosting lunch and learn series focused on the harms of the petrochemical industry. The series has had attendees from 28 states and three countries.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 54
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 65.6%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 71.8%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

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

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8.6%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.76; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 55% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 45.1% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 38% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 65.6% of revenue deployed · 71.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $886K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.