Down Syndrome Association of Delaware Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 201874295
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2013–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2012
- Location
- Middletown, DE, USA
- Phone
- 3029951004
- Rating
- 79
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Patient Services - Entertainment, Recreation
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $720,269
- Expenses
- $856,083
- Assets
- $877,444
- Liabilities
- $91,619
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
13 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- BRIAN RAY (PRESIDENT)
- BRETT EMERICK (VICE-PRESIDENT)
- LAUREN CAMP GATES (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- LAUREN CAMP GATES (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $100,058 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 down syndrome association of Delaware supports families, promotes community involvement, and encourages a lifetime of opportunities for people with down syndrome.
What it reported doing in 2024
In 2025, the down syndrome association of Delaware (dsade) served 794 individuals with down syndrome and their families across Delaware and surrounding areas. We hosted 76 events statewide, supported by over 600 volunteers, and engaged 109 families for the first time. Our new parent outreach efforts connected with families welcoming 38 babies with down syndrome, helping them navigate early challenges with guidance, resources, and community support. The adopt-a-family program supported 83 individuals during the holiday season, and we awarded 44 scholarships to area families. Rock your socks awareness initiatives reached tens of thousands of individuals nationwide, uniting 300 volunteers and participants from over 140 schools, businesses, and organizations. Our days of summer camp served 110 campers across Delaware, supported by nearly 100 dedicated volunteers, while our ican swim camp helped 20 individuals of different abilities achieve personal aquatic milestones and learn critical water safety skills. Additionally, our social engagement programs provided 23 opportunities for over 299 teens and adults to build connections, fostering lifelong friendships and community involvement.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 73% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- 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
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 71
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 84
- Sustainability: 26
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 83.1%; rating input score 83
- Program expense ratio: 69.3%; rating input score 69
- Fundraising efficiency: $5.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- 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: -18.9%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.02; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 11.7%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 18.2% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 16.7% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 83.1% of revenue deployed · 69.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $593K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 13 people listed
- Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 19/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 10/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 43/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 42/100.