East Loop Community Improvement District Dba the Delmar Loop
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 814458040
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2017–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2015
- Location
- St Louis, MO, USA
- Phone
- 3143393370
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Community, Neighborhood Development
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $683,410
- Expenses
- $702,154
- Assets
- $560,210
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
8 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JOHN LANGA (PRESIDENT)
- DAVE MASTIN (PRESIDENT TO 8/29/24)
- JOE EDWARDS (VICE PRESIDENT)
- SAMANTHA SMUGALA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
Highest reported compensation
- SAMANTHA SMUGALA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $127,538 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 east loop community improvement district (cid)'s mission is to provide services and improvements authorized under the cid act, including without limitation furthering economic development, enhancing public safety, and maintaining and improving infrastructure within that portion of the city of st. Louis, Missouri, that is located within the cid's boundaries.
What it reported doing in 2024
Program statementduring the fiscal year 20242025, the east loop community improvement district (cid) continued its work to improve the safety, cleanliness, and economic vitality of the district. The cid remained focused on foundational services such as maintenance, security, business support, and community programming designed to strengthen the commercial corridor.maintenance and infrastructuremaintenance continued to be a core responsibility, with regular trash and debris removal occurring three days per week, landscape upkeep in public areas, and continued maintenance of the public parking lot in the 5800 block of delmar, leased from the Missouri history museum.new services included targeted sidewalk snow removal for businesses and property owners experiencing difficulty clearing walkways during winter storms. The cid also provided cleanup support following the may 16 tornado, removing tree debris and assisting in returning public spaces to safe and accessible conditions.public safety and securitysecurity services remained comparable to previous years, with typically over 70 shifts per month scheduled between cid ambassadors and contracted security professionals. The comprehensive public safety plan included vehicle patrols and foot patrols by unarmed guards, supported in part by a security grant from Washington university. As a result, the district experienced a nearly 40% reduction in crime year-to-date compared to the prior year, demonstrating the continued effectiveness of coordinated patrol coverage, real-time reporting, and close collaboration with local police partners.community events and cultural programmingthe east loop cid hosted a wide range of events designed to increase visitation, support local businesses, and celebrate cultural diversity. The ice carnival, the district's flagship winter event, drew over 10,000 visitors and featured custom ice sculptures, performances, and a professionally staged drone show. The annual juneteenth festival once again celebrated black culture and entrepreneurship, attracting several thousand participants and promoting unity through music, food, vendors, and activities. This year, the festival expanded through a new partnership with the race for reconciliation 5k, adding a healthy, family-friendly athletic component. A new signature event, the da de los muertos street festival, brought over 2,500 visitors to the loop and showcased hispanic and latin culture through food, performances, art installations, vendors, and ceremonial altars. Additional smaller programsincluding the cinco de mayo taco crawl, back-to-school promotions, and holiday activationscreated ongoing community connection, increased shopping and dining traffic, and enhanced seasonal energy across the district.economic development and business supportthe cid expanded its small business grant programs to assist local enterprises with storefront improvements, marketing, security cameras, photography, and digital outreach. Cid staff continued to collaborate with property owners, real estate brokers, and new entrepreneurs to recruit new tenants, support business openings, assist with permit navigation, and encourage local stakeholder engagement.the trolley passport application completed its second year of operation and now serves over 2,600 users, with more than 600 local business deal redemptions recorded. The program has strengthened business visibility and incentivized shopping and dining in the district. In 20252026, the program will be transitioning into a year-round, district-wide loop passport mobile application, broadening participation beyond the seasonal trolley period and increasing long-term business support.streetscape and capital planningthe cid continues to invest in the planning of the east loop streetscape project, a large-scale effort to transform portions of delmar boulevard into a more pedestrian-friendly, multi-modal environment. This work includes design development, engineering studies, public enga
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Other-operating. 78% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
- 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 82
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 74
- Sustainability: 37
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 92.7%; rating input score 93
- Program expense ratio: 90.1%; rating input score 90
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: Fail
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -2.7%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.8; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 18.2%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 7.4% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 92.7% of revenue deployed · 90.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $633K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $128K · 8 people listed
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $162K reported
- Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 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.
- Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 29/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 36/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.