Fords Valley and Highway 278 Water

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
630643446
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Piedmont, AL, USA
Phone
2564925886
Rating
60
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,892,541
Expenses
$776,576
Assets
$5,274,320
Liabilities
$528,141

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Felix Firestone (President)
  • David Anderson (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Felix Firestone (President): $19,289 total reported compensation
  • Kathy Ingram (SecretaryTreasurer): $2,750 total reported compensation
  • David Anderson (Vice President): $1,900 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide consumable water for our customers.

What it reported doing in 2025

Purchased and distributed domestic water for consumption to customers, the majority of which are cooperative members.

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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 43
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 42
  • Sustainability: 80
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 32.9%; rating input score 33
  • Program expense ratio: 74.7%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 40%; rating input score 40; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 44
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 59%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.79; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.2%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 32.9% of revenue deployed · 74.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 5 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $580K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $19K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • 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 33/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 40/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.