Desert Christian Academy
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 953048608
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Official website data refreshed
- Sep 2026
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Bermuda Dunes, CA, United States
- Phone
- (760) 345-2848
- Rating
- 83
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Affiliation
- Christianity
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $10,757,060
- Expenses
- $10,338,733
- Assets
- $16,088,014
- Liabilities
- $5,141,441
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- DEBBEE SCOTT (CO-HEAD OF S): $148,120 total reported compensation
- KIRK SCOTT (CO-HEAD OF S): $64,750 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Desert Christian Academy’s mission is to train students to glorify Jesus Christ by growing spiritually, academically, physically, and socially. Vision Statement Desert Christian Academy is a Christ-centered community that is passionate about shaping our students’ foundational journey with the power of the gospel. This desert oasis provides a loving place of innovation and discovery that is governed by grace, and develops disciples who are responsible, productive, deep thinking, steadfast, honorable, sacrificial, and well equipped for a lifetime of Christian service. We are more than Conquerors! Core Values.
What it reported doing in 2024
Academic programs
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 83% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 76% for direct work, and 24% 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: 67
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 53
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 69.2%; rating input score 69
- Program expense ratio: 72.1%; rating input score 72
- Fundraising efficiency: $13.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- 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: 3.9%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.56; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.32; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 2.1%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
- Where the money goes: 69.2% of revenue deployed · 72.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.5M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $148K · 9 people listed
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $620K reported
- Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 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.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 46/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 50/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 52/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 44/100.