Forte Preparatory Academy Charter School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
812999789
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Elmhurst, NY, USA
Phone
3477091197
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Charter Schools

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$16,946,320
Expenses
$16,977,738
Assets
$35,101,614
Liabilities
$30,483,945

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

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GRAHAM BROWNE (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • GRAHAM BROWNE (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $201,514 total reported compensation
  • JUSTIN SMITH (CHIEF SCHOOLS OFFICER): $194,438 total reported compensation
  • JULIE MASTRELLA (HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL): $144,517 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We are driven by a philosophy of achieving excellence in all facets of life and learning. We believe in the power of education to transfrom the lives of students from diverse, often disadvantaged, backgrounds. Through rigorous academics, creative & technological enrichment and leadership development, we prepare student to excel at college.

What it reported doing in 2024

Forte prep is a tuition-free middle and high school open to students in queens, New York. We are driven by a philosophy of achieving excellence in all facets of life and learning. We believe in the power of education to transform the lives of students from diverse, often disadvantaged, backgrounds. Through rigorous academics, creative & technological enrichment and leadership development, we prepare our students to excel at college preparatory high schools and beyond.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 92% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and liabilities are high compared with assets.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 75.5%; rating input score 76
  • Program expense ratio: 75.2%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $124.28 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 87; 87th 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: Limited
  • 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: -0.2%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.07; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.87; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 25.1% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 23.8% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 38.7% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 75.5% of revenue deployed · 75.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $12.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $202K · 20 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $245K reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 30/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 11/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.