Elevate Charter Schools Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
874783048
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Hamden, CT, USA
Phone
2038434890
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Management & Technical Assistance

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,603,411
Expenses
$3,063,937
Assets
$5,574,120
Liabilities
$1,571,000

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JEFFREY CIRILLO (BOARD PRESIDENT)
  • JOHN TAYLOR (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOHN TAYLOR (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $238,687 total reported compensation
  • CHRISTINA ELLINGTON (CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER): $230,912 total reported compensation
  • LAURA MAIN (FORMER CAO): $181,259 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 mission of elevate charter schools is to develop and operate high-performing charter schools, who relentlessly provide each child with a rigorous and personalized educational experience, enabling them to reach their full potential in an ever-changing, multicultural world.

What it reported doing in 2024

Developing and operating high-performing charter schools, that relentlessly provide each child with rigorous and personalized educational experience, enabling them to reach their full potential in an ever-changing, multicultural world. During fiscal year 2025, danbury international academy charter school remained in its start-up and development phase with limited operational activities. Elevate charter schools provided management and operational support services to booker t. Washington elementary and middle school and also delivered support services to edmonds-cofield preparatory academy for young men.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 87% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 77% for direct work, and 23% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 62
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 65.8%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 77.4%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 15%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.82; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.28; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 37.7%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 48.6% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 33.8% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 65.8% of revenue deployed · 77.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $239K · 12 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.