Community Betterment Organization

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
421499686
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Pella, IA, USA
Phone
6416216224
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Reported finances

Revenue
$36,644
Expenses
$257,330
Assets
$1,179,708
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • MARK PUTNAM (DIRECTOR): $278,487 total reported compensation
  • MIKE NARDINI (DIRECTOR): $194,830 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 community betterment organization ("cbo") was formed to support central college, the city of pella, and pella regional health center, to engage in activities that such organizations would strive to engage in themselves were it not for cbo, including without limitation, providing amenities that make a small town a more desirable place to live and conduct business.

What it reported doing in 2024

The cbo's program service accomplishments for the year 2024 involve in support of the city of pella, the operation of a building (the "building") that was constructed in the years 2000 and 2001 as part of a large downtown block development project (the "downtown project"). The downtown project by the city of pella was developed to attract businesses and people to do business and live in the town, and includes a hotel, business space, restaurant space, and entertainment attractions to improve the city of pella. The cbo's contribution to the downtown project involved the construction and ongoing maintenance and operation of the building on behalf of the city. The building includes a three-screen movie theater and a restaurant. In 2012, cbo determined that new projection equipment was needed for the movie theater to upgrade to digital capabilities. This cost of the new equipment was $199,077. Cbo received $64,000 in grants from various organizations and obtained a $111,500 loan from genlink llc in 2012 to pay for the costs of this upgrade. The installation of this new equipment continues to meet the exempt purpose of the organization in providing enhancements to community amenities. Depreciation listed on part ix, line 22 related to the depreciation of the building $49,954property taxes paid for the building of $44,643insurance paid for the building of $5,109repairs and service paid for the building $476

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 61% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 68
  • Accountability: 65
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99%; rating input score 99
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 60%; rating input score 60; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • Other executive compensation review process: Limited
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -602.2%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.58; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.4% per year; rating input score 0; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.5% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $255K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $278K · 5 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 15 of 15 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes grants and executive pay
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 4 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 7/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 48/100.