California Poets in the Schools

What it reported doing in 2024

California Poets in the Schools currently serves an active network of 100+ California poets and writers, who live and work in nearly all regions of the state. Poet-Teachers teach poetry at institutions of all types including elementary, middle and high schools, as well as state prisons, juvenile jails and universities. These poets have chosen to give back to their local communities as professionally-trained Poet-Teachers with California Poets in the Schools.In addition to active Poet-Teachers, our network includes over 500 California poets and writers who engage as participants in the various networking, professional development and creative opportunities that CalPoets offers throughout the year.Calpoets offers a professional network for poets and writers that is open, inclusive and approachable. We provide a wide variety of events annually, including professional development, networking and creative opportunities. We host a beloved and well-attended poetry symposium each year where we engage our network in over 20 hours of skill-building and creative poetry-related workshops led by California poets.We hosted over 20 free, virtual monthly gatherings in 2022. Specifically, each 2nd Tuesday we offer relevant professional development, roundtable discussions and panels on Zoom. We host quarterly regional coordinator networking opportunities, a weekly free-write group, and our quarterly Open Mic Series - where we spotlight two featured readers from our network to launch the event.Fifteen "regional coordinators" take on leadership of the CalPoets' program at the local level. CalPoets offers unrestricted grants to regional coordinators up to $2,000 annually. In addition, we offer technology grants to regional coordinators in order to offset costs of bringing local programs online.All new Poet-Teachers are paired with a seasoned mentor for at least a year as they participate in a training to officially become a CalPoets' Poet-Teacher. The mentorship consists of 365 degree observations, lesson planning and one-on-one consultations. These mentorships often extend organically into ongoing professional relationships that span decades. We offer "special projects" grants to up to 15 Poet-Teachers annually, in order to foster innovation in local programs. In addition Poet-Teachers can apply for "insurance grants" in order to cover the costs of professional liability insurance.CalPoets cultivates relationships with school districts, foundations and arts organizations which can fund and support our members professional practices. Annually, our nonprofit achieves an estimated $150,000 in grants that directly fund up to 40 Poet-Teachers' artistic, school-based residencies at the local level. Dozens more rely upon their professional affiliation with CalPoets' to secure their own funding from local schools and institutions.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $9.59 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • 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: -32.6%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.13; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 25%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings