Fargo Youth Hockey Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
363548649
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Fargo, ND, USA
Phone
7015321577
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,310,943
Expenses
$2,397,262
Assets
$5,662,663
Liabilities
$4,403,965

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JoDee Knipfer (President)
  • Travis Kurtz (Vice President)
  • Joseph Christianson (Executive Director (joined 6/1/24))

Highest reported compensation

  • Jeffrey Nygaard Exec Director ((until June)/Fiscal Mgr (began Aug)): $74,558 total reported compensation
  • Joseph Christianson (Executive Director (joined 6/1/24)): $65,419 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The Corporation's mission is to promote, develop and administer a youth hockey program.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization sponsors youth hockey teams in Fargo, ND. This year there were 724 registered players and a total of 63 teams.The Organization entered into a Sponsorship Agreement on 10/4/2022 by and between the Park District of the City of Fargo. The Park District plans to build, own, operate and maintain a wellness sports complex currently named Fargo Sports Complex. As part of the agreement the Organization has agreed to pay the Park District of the City of Fargo $3 million dollars over 10 years to purchase donor recognition rights to the Sports Complex. In addition, the Organization has committed to entering a 25-year lease with the Park District for the rental of one sheet of ice at the Sports Complex. The lease will commence upon completion of the ice at the Sports Complex. A related liability of $3 million has been included on the balance sheet for the Organization's sponsorship committment. The ice at the Sports Complex was completed during the 5/31/25 fiscal year and accordingly, a lease liability was recorded on the balance sheet.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 89% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 72
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.6%; rating input score 83
  • Program expense ratio: 85.4%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $49.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 78; 78th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.36; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.78; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.8%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 20.7% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.6% of revenue deployed · 85.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $75K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 48/100.