Communities in Schools of Tacoma

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
912138848
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Tacoma, WA, USA
Phone
2535714983
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,452,315
Expenses
$1,398,343
Assets
$475,310
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LINDSEY GRAYS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • EMILY SLAGLE (EXECUTIVE DI): $98,421 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Many of the young people we serve are facing challenges both inside and outside the classroom. What sets communities in schools apart is the way we coordinate a comprehensive range of services to support all the needs of these students, academic and non-academic, so they come to school ready to learn. Every child has tremendous potential. We help students unlock their abilities and talents, giving them a brighter future. The model we use to provide these services places a communities in schools site coordinator in a school to assess needs, make a plan, and coordinate intensive interventions for the kids most at risk for dropping out, along with services geared to the entire school. The site coordinator works with local community service partners such as social service agencies, businesses, health care providers and volunteers to connect students with needed resources.

What it reported doing in 2024

School support/case management program includes all star readers, power up teen leadership and free253. School-based integrated student support specialists empower students to stay in school through individualized access to needed resources. Iss specialists provide ongoing encouragement and guidance to build confidence to reach their potential and achieve their dreams. Communities in schools of tacoma provides students at each school site with 3 tiers of support. The level of services provided to students is based on the early warning indicators to support students. Free253 (forgive, restore, empower, elevate) is communities in schools of tacoma's targeted youth violence prevention and intervention initiative, designed to support students most impacted by - or at risk of - violence and system involvement. Embedded within the school-based integrated student supports model, free253 provides intensive, relationship-driven case management, small-group programming, and coordinated referrals to behavioral health and community resources. Students are identified through school and community partnerships using indicators such as behavioral incidents, peer associations, and justice system contact. By focusing on accountability, skill-building, and consistent adult relationships, free253 works to interrupt cycles of violence, strengthen school engagement, and support students in staying on track to graduate.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 70% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 65% for direct work, and 35% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72.4%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 75.1%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th 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; 76th 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.7%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.34; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.8% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72.4% of revenue deployed · 75.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $98K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 48/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Whistleblower policy not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.