Emancipation Park Conservancy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
472199904
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Houston, TX, USA
Phone
7135281872
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parks and Playgrounds

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,940,843
Expenses
$912,998
Assets
$3,307,393
Liabilities
$52,009

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Jennifer Spriggs (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Jennifer Spriggs (Executive Director): $140,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Emancipation Park Conservancy's mission is to enhance Emancipation Park by preserving its integrity and enriching its heritage as a local, state, national, and international landmark.

What it reported doing in 2024

In partnership with diverse collaborative partners, Emancipation Park Conservancy (EPC) offers culturally responsive programming in education, economic empowerment, and health and wellness. See Schedule O for continuation.Education: Each year, EPC hosts its Juneteenth celebration, featuring programs and events commemorating the oldest known US observance of the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, when enslaved people were emancipated in Galveston, Texas. EPC's Juneteenth festivities engage members of the African diaspora worldwide by sharing African Americans' history, traditions, heritage, and culture while also highlighting the strides African Americans are making toward collective economic, educational, and political advancement.Our additional educational offerings include STEM Summer Camp, After-School Enrichment Programs, and Read-In Programs. Emancipation Conversations Lecture Series: This program refers to the rich griot tradition central to the diffusion and preservation of African American culture across generations. The discussions feature innovative and iconic community leaders, influencers, and humanitarians across disciplines such as the arts, literature, business, science, philanthropy, and politics. Holiday In The Tre' continues the rich tradition of communal celebration. This program provides a platform for talent and a conduit to support local businesses in Houston's historic Third Ward community. Economic Empowerment: Bridging the Gap Financial Literacy Series - This program is designed to equip families with the tools to break the cycle of poverty. Classes include budgeting workshops, financial planning, small-business assistance, career development, and more, all designed to equip families for financial growth. Health & Wellness: These programs include a variety of fitness and exercise classes, as well as classes on preparing healthy meals.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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: 28
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 80
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 11.6%; rating input score 12
  • Program expense ratio: 37.5%; rating input score 37
  • Fundraising efficiency: $57.96 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th 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 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 69%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.62; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.3%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 12.7% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 11.6% of revenue deployed · 37.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $342K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $140K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 12/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 37/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 18/100.