Firefighters Support Services Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
205874952
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2015
Forms available
Form 990 2015
Location
Wyandotte, MI, USA
Phone
7347859556
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fire Prevention

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,705,159
Expenses
$2,698,627
Assets
$25,280
Liabilities
$3,434

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2015. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN CARRE (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MATTHEW CAHILLANE (TREASURER): $22,000 total reported compensation
  • TIMOTHY KRZYSKE (SECRETARY): $11,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2015. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To provide fire safety educational and charitable support services to at risk children and burn victims, also supports firefighters and paramedics through monetary donations and goods and services and to engage in any lawful activities in furtherance of that purpose.

What it reported doing in 2015

Provided aid to burn victims by donating amount to burn charities and provided direct aid to one individual who suffered losses from fire.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 29
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 32.1%; rating input score 32
  • Program expense ratio: 32.2%; rating input score 32
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.5%; rating input score 98; 34th 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; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.2%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.01; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.2%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.1% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.5% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -26.6% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 32.1% of revenue deployed · 32.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $869K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $22K · 3 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $1.6M reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 30 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2012 to 2015
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 15 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 32/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.