Encircle Families

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
860517082
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone
6022424366
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Family Services

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,775,164
Expenses
$2,784,407
Assets
$2,477,708
Liabilities
$352,927

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Alan Tinsley (Past President)
  • Wendy Mann (President)
  • David Nigro (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Christopher Tiffany (Executive Dir.): $142,700 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Strengthening families and systems of care to improve the lives of children with disabilities. We provide support, training, and assistance so families can be effective advocates for their children.

What it reported doing in 2024

Encircle Families provides support, training, and information to families and caregivers of children with disabilities so they can effectively navigate systems and support their children to thrive. Our work is grounded in the belief that informed and supported families lead to better outcomes across education, healthcare, and community life.During the year, Encircle Families delivered services statewide through individualized support, training, and community partnerships. Families received one-on-one guidance from trained staff and Parent Leaders with lived experience, helping them understand their rights, make informed decisions, and advocate for their children. The organization provided trainings for families, educators, and community partners on special education, early intervention, transition, and systems navigation.Encircle Families also expanded coaching and navigation supports, working alongside families to address individual needs and prepare for key decisions. Through outreach and partnerships with schools, healthcare providers, and community organizations, Encircle Families improved access to accurate information and strengthened coordination across systems.Across all services, families reported increased knowledge, confidence, and ability to support their childs needs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 67% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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

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: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.8%; rating input score 81
  • Program expense ratio: 79.8%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.31 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 39; 39th 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.3%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.89; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.1%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.8% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.8% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.8% of revenue deployed · 79.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $143K · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 34 of 35 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 39/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.