Epilepsy Foundation of Southeast Tenness

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
581309190
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Chattanooga, TN, USA
Phone
4233808545
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$167,806
Expenses
$301,391
Assets
$64,259
Liabilities
$1,927

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DANIEL GRZESIK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • ANGELA FICCA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANGELA FICCA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $63,373 total reported compensation
  • JOY FIELDS (DIRECTOR MEMPHIS): $58,400 total reported compensation
  • DANIEL GRZESIK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $13,067 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

At the epilepsy foundation setn, we are committed to helping people in southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia affected by seizures and epilepsy. We recognize that a diagnosis of epilepsy is life-changing, and our mission is to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and provide resources to help build a network of support for those impacted by epilepsy as they navigate their journey.

What it reported doing in 2024

The medication assistance program was specifically created to help individuals with epilepsy, who live at or below the u.s. Federal poverty line, with purchasing their medication. Each client who enrolls in this program is eligible for an annual stipend of $400 which can be used at their discretion. 71 transactions of prescriptions were filled during the 2024-2025 fiscal year, over $5,000. Our neurology assistance program provide supports to individuals living with epilepsy who need financial assistance with examination and consultation appointments. This past fiscal year, we supported ten visits totalling over $2,500. The foundation also provides transportation with individuals living with epilepsy who can not or choose not to drive. We had 89 transactions/requests between uber/lyft and carta spending over $5,000 for members of our community. Art therapy is a multi-week art program that gives youth, ages 6-18, with epilepsy and other neurological disorders, the opportunity to creatively express themselves through art and to create a community of support amoung their peers. With a new format to further connection and community among participants, seven youth were part of the art program during the winter 2025 cohort

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The program-spending lines do not add up, so the filing cannot show reliably whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

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: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 60
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 10
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 66.4%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 22nd 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: 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: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: -79.6%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.21; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 44.7%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.7% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 66.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $200K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $63K · 12 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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 43/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 12/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 37/100.