Forest Forward

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
851581238
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Phone
4696769567
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Community, Neighborhood Development

Reported finances

Revenue
$14,793,991
Expenses
$3,414,034
Assets
$35,326,558
Liabilities
$4,952,831

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

Leadership & pay

25 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ELIZABETH WATTLEY (President & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ELIZABETH WATTLEY (President & CEO): $248,846 total reported compensation
  • SHARON CARSON (CHIEF ADV. OFFICER): $173,077 total reported compensation
  • CHRIS DOWDY (VP OF STRATEGY): $163,269 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Forest Forward works with the community to combat the causes and effects of systemic inequities through neighborhood revitalization that centers efforts to accelerate the advancement of marginalized people. The centerpoint of the project is the restoration and renovation of the historic Forest Theater in South Dallas.

What it reported doing in 2024

FOREST THEATER PROJECT PRESERVING OUR CULTURAL IDENTITY AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY, THE FOREST THEATER, ONCE KNOWN FOR ITS MARQUEE AND BECKONING LIGHTS, WILL BE RESTORED, YIELDING 45,000 SQUARE FEET DEDICATED TO FOUR CRITICAL SPACES: CONCERT HALL CREATIVE LABORATORY-13,000 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE TO HOUSE MOVEMENT AND RECORDING STUDIO, FLEX SPACE, RESOURCE CENTER, SENSORY IMMERSION ROOM, ARTIST CLASSROOMS, AND LABS ROOF DECK STUDIO THEATER Forest Theater groundbreaking was in April 2024. This officially launched the beginning of an $80m renovation and restoration project, with opening slated for mid-2026. The theater will be a centerpiece of this revitalized South Dallas neighborhood (located three blocks from the MLK Jr. Arts Academy).CRADLE TO COLLEGE EDUCATION PATHWAY & COMMUNITY OUTREACH - A MULTI-YEAR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO ADVANCE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES BY PROVIDING STUDENT ACCESS TO THE RESTORED FOREST THEATER AND ITS COMPONENT FEATURES SUCH AS THE SENSORY IMMERSION ROOM, STUDIO THEATER WITH ABILITY TO CONVERT FOR ANIMATION AND CGI TECHNOLOGY, AND PODCAST, BROADCAST, AND RECORDING STUDIO. THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP, THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING CENTER HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ARTS ACADEMY, EXTENDING ITS CURRICULAR OFFERINGS FROM PRE-K THROUGH THE EIGHTH GRADE.MLK Jr. Arts Academy moved from struggling school to high-performing, with several graduates accepted into the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.Housing - Understanding that neighborhoods are impacted by their housing stock, Forest Forward works to establish collaborative relationships to support the development and construction of mixed-income housing. The approach to housing creation will focus on no displacement of residents and preserving affordability.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% 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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 26
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 11.4%; rating input score 11
  • Program expense ratio: 45.6%; rating input score 46
  • Fundraising efficiency: $12.3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 76.9%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 10.35; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 23.8%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 39.5% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 69.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 52.4% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 11.4% of revenue deployed · 45.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.6M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $249K · 25 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $7.4M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.