Driving Ohio Forward

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
884316099
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022
Location
Dublin, OH, USA
Phone
6149232243
Rating
53
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and Public Policy Analysis

Reported finances

Revenue
$318,600
Expenses
$67,169
Assets
$620,462
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ZACH DORAN (PRESIDENT & ASSISTANT SECR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ZACH DORAN (PRESIDENT & ASSISTANT SECR): $634,792 total reported compensation
  • DAN ZINNI (ASSISTANT TREASURER): $310,460 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Driving Ohio forward was organized to develop and provide education on public policy matters impacting ohioans, advocate for policies that promote stable workforces and economic growth for the common good and general welfare of all Ohio residents, and to engage in any other activities or businesses that are permissable under Ohio nonprofit corporation law and applicable federal tax laws.

What it reported doing in 2024

Driving Ohio forward (dof) was organized to develop and provide education on public policy matters impacting ohioans, advocate for policies that promote stable workforces and economic growth for the common good and general welfare of all Ohio residents, and to engage in any other activities or businesses that are permissable. During 2024, dof made 7 grants to community and technical colleges in Ohio to support its mission.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 44% for direct work, and 56% for grants.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 42
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 48
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 19.5%; rating input score 20
  • Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 50%; rating input score 50; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 44
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 78.9%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.24; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 234.2%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 187.6% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 49.9% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 76.6% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 19.5% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 4 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $62K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $635K · 4 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 15 of 15 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 20/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 0/100.