Desert Foothills Library Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
510153556
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Cave Creek, AZ, USA
Phone
4804882286
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Libraries

Reported finances

Revenue
$683,039
Expenses
$642,176
Assets
$10,917,298
Liabilities
$41,376

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DEBRA LAY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • SUNNIE RICHER (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ROBERT HINDLE (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DEBRA LAY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $112,166 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 promote literacy and support lifelong learning through resources and programs. More than a place for books, the Library is a vibrant community hub offering classes, workshops, and events that enrich lives and bring people together across generations.

What it reported doing in 2024

In the most recent fiscal year, the desert foothills library touched the lives of thousands in our community. Through more than 2000 engaging programsranging from toddler story times to digital literacy workshops for seniorswe brought people together to learn, grow, and connect. Our library welcomed over 7000 patrons a month, each with their own curiosity, needs, and dreams. Our chapter 2 book recycling program deepened our impact by giving gently used books new life, fostering literacy, sustainability, and a shared love of reading throughout the community. At the heart of everything we do is our unwavering belief that knowledge transforms lives. Every conversation, every program, every shared story builds a more vibrant, informed, and connected community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 64
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.4%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 78.1%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd 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: Limited
  • 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 17; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17.5%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84.4% of revenue deployed · 78.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $502K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $112K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 18/100.