Early Steps Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133585667
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2020
Forms available
Form 990 2020
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2122889684
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Philanthropy, Charity, Voluntarism Promotion

Reported finances

Revenue
$440,596
Expenses
$529,880
Assets
$1,348,443
Liabilities
$147,346

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2020. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LYDIA SPINELLI (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • ALAN BERK (TREASURER)
  • KELLY O CONNELL BIRD (TRUSTEE)
  • BODIE BRIZENDINE (TRUSTEE)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2020. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The organization promotes multiracial diversity within independent schools by increasing minority enrollment at kindergarten and first grade levels

What it reported doing in 2020

Families counseled about the application process: 153 candidates have been placed in independent schools 252 candidates received acceptances 269 candidates applied

Operating model

Revenue model
Membership-supported. 86% of the money available for current operations came from membership dues.
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 - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 50
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.6%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 48.7%; rating input score 49
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.91 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th 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 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -20.3%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.54; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -5.6% per year; rating input score 0; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.6% of revenue deployed · 48.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 25 of 25 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $258K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 26 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2009 to 2020
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 49/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.