Firstlight Community Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
475322938
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022
Location
El Paso, TX, USA
Phone
9155621172
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Financial Counseling

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$263,575
Expenses
$82,040
Assets
$1,037,774
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANTHONY WALKER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • JAIME MEDINA (BOARD PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MICA SHORT (BOARD MEMBER): $161,913 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To elevate individual and community financial wellness.

What it reported doing in 2024

Financial education: in 2024, over 60 initiatives were completed with over 12,150 participants reached through the provision of programs and opportunities for community members to strengthen financial wellness; inclusive of first-time home buyer, budgeting, account and money management. Awarded $49,000 in scholarships: $1,000 for 34 students and an additional 5 scholarships of $3,000 scholarships to graduating high school seniors with additional expenses related to recipient recognition.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 40% for direct work, and 60% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 53
  • Transparency & Controls: 68
  • Accountability: 54
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 34.8%; rating input score 35
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 68.9%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.65; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 51% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 51% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 34.8% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 6 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $82K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $162K · 7 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 3 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 35/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.