Family Learning Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
383514675
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2012
Location
Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Phone
7349956816
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12

Reported finances

Revenue
$197,375
Expenses
$204,653
Assets
$227,264
Liabilities
$79,487

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • SHARINE BUDDIN (EXECUTIVE DI): $59,236 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Family learning institute (fli) is a volunteer based nonprofit agency dedicated to closing the achievement gap in washtenaw county. Through collaboration with local schools and community partners, and the implementation of innovative programs that develop literacy and prevent summer learning loss, fli engages economically disadvantaged children, their parents and community in supporting a commitment to success in school and beyond. Fli believes our students, regardless of life circumstances, deserve a chance to forge the skills they need to build the lives they dream.

What it reported doing in 2025

The family learning institute (fli) provides tutoring to economically disadvantaged children in grades 2-5 in the areas of reading and writing. Fli students are matched with a volunteer coach who works with them one- on-one throughout the school year. In a typical six (6) month period 70% of students will improve their reading and/or writing skills by one level.

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 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.

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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 84.5%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 81.5%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 64th 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.7%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.11; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.9%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 84.5% of revenue deployed · 81.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $167K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $59K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 28/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 11/100.