Colorado Urban Leadership Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
261393882
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2019, Form 990-N 2013
Location
Denver, CO, USA
Phone
3035581050
Rating
56
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$665,949
Expenses
$720,185
Assets
$1,341,813
Liabilities
$135,055

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Dr Ryan Ross (President & CEO)
  • Danielle Felder (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Dr Ryan Ross (President & CEO): $242,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado is to invest in the development of minority leaders, empower them to serve in the interest of community, and leverage all resources to address the racial, economic, education, social, and health inequities experienced by member of the Black and African American community.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado 501(c)(3) non-profit is one of Colorado's most recognized and accomplished leadership organizations within the Denver metro area. Our programming provides participants with leadership training and education as it relates to becoming a more effective business, political and/or community leader. Our primary goal is leadership training, civic engagement, advancement services, cultural and identity exploration to the next generation of African American Leaders. Our secondary objective is to create and inspire meaningful service in the public's interest. Through our ten-month program flagship program ULF Connect Leadership Fellowship, we expose our participants to various leaders, opportunities to engage civically and in the community, to small businesses and the principles of entrepreneurship, advancement in the workplace, and insight into politics. Our training not only equips individuals with the tool necessary to become more effective leaders but also inspire them to lead. To date we've had over 450 alumni with 28 graduates in 2024.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 23
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 25.5%; rating input score 26
  • Program expense ratio: 23.6%; rating input score 24
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -8.1%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.86; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 33.6%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.7% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.2% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 25.5% of revenue deployed · 23.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $170K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $242K · 7 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 26/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 24/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 42/100.