Elso Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
831208258
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Portland, OR, USA
Phone
5037512701
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Development Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,507,490
Expenses
$3,128,341
Assets
$663,121
Liabilities
$230,799

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Sprinavasa B Turner (Executive Director,Co Founder)

Highest reported compensation

  • Sprinavasa B Turner (Executive Director,Co Founder): $153,315 total reported compensation
  • Kellianne Richardson PhD (Head of Operations,Co-Founder): $142,957 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 ELSO Incorporated is to catalyze learning and expand access to positive career outcomes for a more just future for all. Significant programs and services at ELSO Incorporated include K-8 academic and enrichment programs for experiential nature based learning; secondary education programs focus on paid learning and introduction to career pathways in the natural and built environment. Post-Secondary programs focus on paid workforce development through college and career training with hands-on work experience. We host nature-focused community outreach events such as the Harvest Party. Our Community and Learning Services projects focus on redefining outdoor learning for community resilience. Programming has expanded to geographical regions beyond Oregon into SE Texas. The infrastructure of organizational finances accurately tracks both revenue and expenses attributed to activities outside of the Pacific Northwest.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Portland Vancouver Canopy Collective (PVCC) project brings together culturally-specific organizations working at the intersection of multicultural community resilience and environmental justice. Funded by the United States Forest Service in Year 1 of 5, this bold new effort will expand the number of street trees, increase living-wage green jobs, and make new family connections to nearby nature throughout Portland and Vancouver. Joining ELSO Incorporated are well-established partners including: The Blueprint Foundation, Access Recreation, I'm Hooked Inc., Lower Columbia Nature Network, PSU's Indigenous Nations Studies, Valadrian Creative & Consulting. Lending their support are government partners US Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services Urban Wildlife Conservation Program, City of Vancouver Urban Forestry and Climate Action Team, Clark County Public Works, and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership.The Youth Climate Education Project (YCEP) is a multi-year initiative in partnership with Prescott Elementary. Funded primarily by the City of Portland Clean Energy Fund in Year 2 of 4, ELSOs Studio Justice program guides students to develop their own designs for climate solutions at Prescott Elementary while community polling at our outreach events gather input from students, families, and teachers to determine priorities for climate solutions.Consulting Services are made up of key staff members, subject matter experts, and a core team of community consultants with a passion for shifting science education in the natural and built environments. Team members host workshops and trainings and presentations for local, national, and international conferences.Outreach events such as the Harvest Party are integrated into how each program operates. Hosted in partnership with the Prescott Family and Community Association, ELSOs Harvest Party connects NE Portland with local community organizations, essential services, and educational opportunities through a culturally responsive, family-friendly event hosted at Prescott Elementary School each fall.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 75
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.8%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 67%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: 10.8%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.21; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.5%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 22.6% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 23.9% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 40.3% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.8% of revenue deployed · 67% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 8 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $153K · 8 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 6/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 32/100.