Cise

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
820977523
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2016
Location
Cincinnati, OH, United States
Phone
(513) 263-3471
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Roman Catholic
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,376,655
Expenses
$7,026,047
Assets
$12,016,161
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Philip McHugh (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Philip McHugh (President): $228,951 total reported compensation
  • Dr Catherine M O'Brien (Director of School Programs): $114,714 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

CISE helps students from Cincinnati’s underserved communities access a values-based Catholic education. Through scholarships and essential services, we help to empower students to learn, grow, and reach their full potential in the classroom and beyond. Each year, students across Cincinnati receive a high-quality, faith-based education thanks to the generosity of CISE donors. But our impact goes beyond academics. From preschool to high school, we provide access, stability, essential support services, and strong values that help students succeed. In partnership with our schools, we fund a pipeline of services including health support, leadership development, and critical life skills. Rooted in faith and open to all, our schools nurture the whole child, building character, confidence, and a foundation for lifelong success. Orange Circle Background Our Mission.

What it reported doing in 2024

School Nursing & Mental Health Programs: CISE is helping to provide a full-time nurse in every CISE elementary school. This service ensures minor health concerns don't become major impediments to learning which has proven transformative for students and families. CISE has also partnered with Beech Acres ""Beyond the Classroom"" which connects families to mental health support, as well as financial and community resources, through a Family Engagement Coordinator. High School Student Support: CISE provides funding to the high schools for a CISE advocate to help the students achieve success in high school. Teacher Improvement: Training is being provided to help faculty to be better leaders in the classroom. Athletic opportunities: Time is rented from the Friar's Athletic Club to provide opportunities for involvement in sport programs.Power Packs Program: Hunger is detrimental to learning. When CISE learned many of its students were coming to school on Monday hungry, they partnered with the Freestore Foodbank to provide Power Packs to food-insecure students. A Power Pack contains sufficient food for one child for the weekend. Each Friday during the school year, students, by teacher recommendation, receive a Power Pack. They no longer have to worry about being hungry over the weekend; they come to school fed and prepared to learn.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 86% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 61% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.7%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 84.8%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 40th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -10.2%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.71; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.9%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.5% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -9.7% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.5% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 2 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 97.7% of revenue deployed · 84.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 30 of 30 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $229K · 30 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $520K reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 13 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 40/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 56/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 54/100.