Champion Education Network

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
463626223
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Detroit, MI, USA
Phone
3139779178
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Nonmonetary Support N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$9,606,517
Expenses
$9,795,112
Assets
$1,223,555
Liabilities
$69,642

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHILLE ROPER-FEW (CEO & PRESIDENT, SUPERINTENDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICHILLE ROPER-FEW (CEO & PRESIDENT, SUPERINTENDENT): $143,310 total reported compensation
  • CASEY CREWS (CHIEF OF SCHOOLS): $120,439 total reported compensation
  • SONYA LEWIS (SCHOOL PRINCIPAL): $108,150 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To build a system of remarkable neighborhood schools in traditionally under-resourced communities using a trauma-informed, whole child approach to education - ensuring college, career, and life success for all children.

What it reported doing in 2024

Champion education network (cen) is a full service charter management organization that works with academy/ school boards to oversee all aspects of school management. Cen provides its schools services designed to 1) meet all federal, state and authorizer compliance requirements; 2) attract, employ, develop and retain talent; 3) manage all financial obligations; 4) provide necessary operational supports including but not limited to facility and safety management; and 5) oversee and implement the educational program.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 100% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

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: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 86.3%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $0.04 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 1; 1st 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.12; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.8%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 27.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 24.7% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88% of revenue deployed · 86.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $8.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $143K · 10 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $188K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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 1/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.