Community Foundation of North Louisiana

What it reported doing in 2024

Other program services include support of nonprofits through networking opportunities, public events and workshops. We serve as a philanthropic expert and hub as well as a convener that brings together experts to identify problems and develop common agendas to effect real and lasting change. We work with donors to understand and implement his or her personal vision for a better and brighter community and provide a lasting legacy that transcends generations. An additional program is "community counts". To help drive change in our area, the community foundation has been tracking data and publishing an annual report card, "community counts", since 2008. Data for the shreveport-bossier metropolitan statistical area (msa) is collected and tracked in six categories: population, economic well-being, human capital, education, health, as well as social and physical environment. This data guides the foundation's grant-making and we encourage all to use the report to start community discussions, as a road-map for social capital investment, or as a call to action for philanthropy and volunteerism. Over 50% of children in northwest Louisiana are not kindergarten ready when they start kindergarten. Research has shown kindergarten readiness is an indicator of long-term educational success. The foundation has increased fundraising efforts to provide scholarships to expand access and enrollment in quality early children education for children in caddo and bossier parishes. In addition, the foundation is evaluating the impact of this initiative by tracking and measuring the progress of children receiving scholarships relative to their peers that do not attend early childhood education centers.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 94.3%; rating input score 94
• Program expense ratio: 92.7%; rating input score 93
• Fundraising efficiency: $29.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Limited
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Limited
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Limited
  • Conducts site visits: Limited
  • Requires grant agreements: Limited
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.4%; rating input score 99; 33rd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: 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: 53.9%; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 14.64; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 2.5%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.6% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings