City Surf Project

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
472091985
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone
4152690573
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Swimming & Other Water Recreation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,110,667
Expenses
$1,134,574
Assets
$559,007
Liabilities
$196,888

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • James Conger (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Victor J Irwin (Executive Dir.): $64,203 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 ensure equitable access to the coastline and improve the health and well-being of Bay Area youth, through surf instruction. We use surfing as a vehicle to foster respect for nature, healthy living, personal growth, diversity, equity and inclusion.

What it reported doing in 2024

Leadership Development Programs: City Surf Project offers leadership development programs for both high school and transitional-aged youth. These programs offer job skills, career exploration, personal growth, and mentorship. By investing in the leadership skills of youth participants, CSP is building a pipeline of young surfers who will continue to lead and grow the surf community and our organization.a. SILT Program: SILT (Surf Instructors in Leadership Training) is an internship program serving 12 high school students who have previously participated in a CSP Youth Surfing program. Students are trained to be successful surf instructors and mentors, including First Aid/CPR and lifeguard training. Students assist CSP core staff and Alumni Surf Coaches as junior surf instructors during our summer camps. At the end of the six-week program, SILTs receive a stipend for their summer work.b. Alumni Program: CSPs Alumni program uses two approaches to provide transitional aged youth (ages 18-24) access to surfing after high school. Alumni Surf Days are offered on a regular basis and are open to any former CSP Youth Surfing participants. CSP provides equipment, transportation, and snacks to facilitate surfing and connecting with peers. i.The Alumni Coach program offers up to two years of paid employment, professional development, and mentorship to 4-6 former CSP Youth Surfing participants. Alumni Coaches provide surf instruction during Youth Surfing Programs, and gain skills for working in an office and on a team.

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 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 60
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 66.8%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 65.3%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.64 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.2%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.49; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.7%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17.2% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.6% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 66.8% of revenue deployed · 65.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $741K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $64K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 11/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 23/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 22/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 51/100.