Embolden Wi Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
800287566
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2013, Form 990-N 2009
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Phone
6082510139
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health Support Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,329,340
Expenses
$1,349,039
Assets
$828,457
Liabilities
$328,571

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AMBER JOSHWAY (PRESIDENT)
  • CERI JENKINS (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SARA FINGER (FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARA FINGER (FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $94,846 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Embolden wi amplifies and catalyzes innovative health equity and civic health advocacy programs in Wisconsin.

What it reported doing in 2025

Engaging communities to change health outcomes (eccho): eccho is designed to improve community health outcomes in dane, milwaukee, and rock county by equipping and engaging residents who face the greatest health challenges. The program is committed to community-based leadership and decision-making that elevates the voices and experiences of those most directly impacted by health disparities. By investing in and supporting community members who are disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes, eccho works to strengthen local systems and promote healthier futures for all.

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 95% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 73
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 76.9%; rating input score 77
  • Program expense ratio: 75.1%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $16.1 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.5%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.61; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.4; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 76.9% of revenue deployed · 75.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $95K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 29/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.