Empowerment Through Action

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
994370940
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
San Mateo, CA, USA
Phone
6505582606
Rating
59
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Secondary, High School

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,442,422
Expenses
$128,256
Assets
$2,326,638
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

People named in this filing

  • RACHEL LAUDERDALE (PRES. / CO E.D.)
  • BRETT STEVENSON (V.P. / CO E.D.)
  • JESSICA HERZOG (Secretary)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The specific purpose of this corporation is to support the educational, social, and emotional growth of underrepresented students.

What it reported doing in 2024

Mentoring Program - Weekly Mentorship: Small group meetings (8:1) led by HHS staff volunteers trained in restorative practices and trauma literacy, which focus on promoting social and emotional learning, sense of self, and a sense of belonging. Mentors sign up for a 4-year commitment to a group of 8 students because consistency and stability are key success factors for building relational trust. They meet once a week, three times a month for 45 minutes. In 2024-25 we had 220 students in the program. We hope students gain a sense of self confidence, and self-worth and graduate from high school. (Continued on Sch. O)

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 92% 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

MIXED - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 33
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 97
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 5.3%; rating input score 5
  • Program expense ratio: 90.9%; rating input score 91
  • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 94.7%; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 18.14; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 5.3% of revenue deployed · 90.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $117K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 15 of 15 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 5/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.