Friends of Matenwa Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
272898086
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2011
Location
Cambridge, MA, USA
Phone
6175438844
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and Fund Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$939,520
Expenses
$860,965
Assets
$1,590,999
Liabilities
$181,497

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTINE LOW (CORP. MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • BARBARA SAMPSON (FOUNDER/PRESIDENT EMERITUS)
  • ANNE GIBBONS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHRISTINE LOW (CORP. MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $83,533 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Friends of matenwa's mission is to support programs that offer the matenwa, haiti community - and by extension, other communities of haiti - opportunities to improve their education, social justice, community and cultural development, health and welfare.

What it reported doing in 2024

Mother tongue books and education programs at mclc: in mother tongue books and education programs, children gain literacy when taught in their native creole tongue, in a safe and respectful interactive environment. Programs extend from pre-school early learners into high school, teaching teachers to engage children in their own learning in matenwa and in other communities.livelihoods: food security is an enormous problem in haiti. Crop failure due to drought conditions in haiti's mountainous villages is a persistent problem and poverty prevents families from buying food when crops fail. Initiatives currently underway include introducing hens, encouraging small scale vegetable gardening and water conservation, supporting artisan groups, and developing musical talents. Community outreach: in response to a particular urgent need or emergency, this program provides mini-grants in the matenwa community, to meet a food, shelter, or medical emergency need. Post-grad scholarships and entrepreneurship: mclc graduates receive full or partial scholarships in support of continuing education. Small start-up grants are offered to encourage entrepreneurship. Mclc also offers workshops to its graduates in order to further develop vocational skills.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 95% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 86% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.5%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 76.5%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.8 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Limited
    • Conducts field audits: Limited
    • May suspend future funding: Limited
    • Requires financial reports: Limited
    • Conducts site visits: Limited
    • Requires grant agreements: Limited
    • May require repayment: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8.4%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.85; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.7%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.2% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.5% of revenue deployed · 76.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 14 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $658K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $84K · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 26/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.