Central Institute for the Deaf

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
430662456
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Saint Louis, MO, USA
Phone
3149770132
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Specialized Education Institutions

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$21,688,545
Expenses
$9,147,343
Assets
$128,609,759
Liabilities
$7,268,534

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

Leadership & pay

60 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • HEATHER GRANTHAM NON VOTING (ASSISTANT SECRETARY/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • FRANK S CHILDRESS (PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • DENNIS M REAGAN (PAST-PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • MARIQUITA L BARBIERI (VICE-PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • LAURIE HAFFENREFFER (VICE-PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • JOANNE P KNIGHT (VICE-PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • HEATHER GRANTHAM NON VOTING (ASSISTANT SECRETARY/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $244,966 total reported compensation
  • AMY R TIGHE NON VOTING (ASSISTANT SECRETARY/CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $167,183 total reported compensation
  • LYNDA BERKOWITZ (PRINCIPAL): $162,136 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Cid teaches children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen, talk, read and succeed. We empower families and professionals in st. Louis and worldwide to help children reach their fullest potential.

What it reported doing in 2024

Cid school services include a comprehensive suite of services to support children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families. The family center program for children from birth to age 3 provides parent education, coaching, and toddler classes. Toddler classes include individual therapy and group activities focused on developing early listening, speech, and language skills. The school provides pre-academic/academic programs for children ages 3-12 that focus on teaching children to listen and talk. Pediatric audiology services for children up to age 18 ensure that children have optimal access to sound to communicate and learn. We served 297 children and their families for the fiscal year ended 8/31/2025. Grants consist of noncash scholarships off our stated tuition rate for 57 children ages 3-12. Because our program revenues from all sources only cover about 20% of program expenses, all of the children served benefit from the public support we receive.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 85% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

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

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 84
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 79.1%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.8 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 57.8%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 14.06; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.1% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.7% of revenue deployed · 79.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 53 of 53 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $7.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $245K · 60 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $321K reported
  • Consistency: 48 of 48 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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.

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: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 14/100.