Creative Center of Los Altos

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
941527492
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Los Altos, CA, USA
Phone
6502093030
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Primary, Elementary Schools

Reported finances

Revenue
$79,624,020
Expenses
$53,558,713
Assets
$275,509,828
Liabilities
$130,970,125

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SCOTT RICHES (PRESIDENT & PINEWOOD HEAD)

Highest reported compensation

  • SCOTT RICHES (PRESIDENT & PINEWOOD HEAD): $633,631 total reported compensation
  • MICHELLE HELVEY (HEAD OF SCHOOL, OAKWOOD): $588,997 total reported compensation
  • SARAH HAUN (PINEWOOD HEAD OF MIDDLE CAMPUS): $291,177 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 school seeks to create an educational environment whereby students may acquire academic stamina, intellectual maturity, self-esteem, and a high standard of behavior. Our goal is to provide students with the skills necessary for success (continued on schedule o)in school and beyond through a strong college preparatory curriculum that emphasizes the importance of reading, writing, computation, communication, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

What it reported doing in 2024

Operation of full time elementary, middle, and high schools, with approximately 1,290 students.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 71% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 90% 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 total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 95
  • Accountability: 42
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.3%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 88%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $15.26 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 4th 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: 32.7%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.14; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.48; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.2%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.8% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.3% of revenue deployed · 88% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 8 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $47.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $634K · 13 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.2M reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 59/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 52/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.