Firefly Education

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
872292907
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New Orleans, LA, USA
Phone
4014772876
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Primary, Elementary Schools

Reported finances

Revenue
$220,563
Expenses
$178,403
Assets
$81,318
Liabilities
$7

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AMANDA LAPLACA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • AMANDA LAPLACA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $66,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Firefly Montessori exists to provide educational services to a broad spectrum of preschool aged children from 3-6 using the educational approach created by Dr. Maria Montessori. We are committed to nurturing the whole child and igniting a lifelong love of learning by providing a Montessori program that removes obstacles and focuses on cognitive social emotional and physical growth. Our vision is to cultivate creative thinkers mindful individuals and community builders who embrace diversity and are equipped to build a better world. We do this by providing a safe and supportive learning environment with prepared Montessori classrooms and certified teachers offering inclusive high-quality Montessori education and supporting and investing in teacher-leaders teachers and teaching staff with an understanding that their development benefits the children and community.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 90% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 55
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 80
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 56.1%; rating input score 56
  • Program expense ratio: 69.3%; rating input score 69
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th 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: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: 19.1%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.46; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 37%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 36.9% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 47.5% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 67% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 56.1% of revenue deployed · 69.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $124K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $66K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 56/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 7/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 23/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 59/100.