Good Tidings Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943219013
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Burlingame, CA, USA
Phone
8008247366
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Gift Distribution

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,862,721
Expenses
$1,253,030
Assets
$19,723,804
Liabilities
$416,025

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JERRI KAY-PHILLIPS (PRESIDENT)
  • AARON BARULICH (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • BRIDGETTE HARPER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • BRIDGETTE HARPER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $132,250 total reported compensation
  • LARRY HARPER (FOUNDER/ CHAIRMAN): $79,500 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Good tidings foundation, founded in 1995, is a 501(c)(3) children's charity that encourages and supportsthe growth of marginalized youth in northern California and beyond by creating environments forarts, athletics, education and wonder. We aim to provide opportunities that otherwise would beunavailable to kids regardless of their financial status, ethnic origin, or religion.

What it reported doing in 2025

Arts - one of the best outlets for underserved youth is the creative arts. In partnership and in honor of leroy neiman, we have worked with legendary artists and musical talent to build art and music studios. Our studios allow kids to express themselves without limits. Music studio - good tidings partnered with the late phil lesh of the grateful dead to build a state-of-the-art music studio on the campus of eastside prep in east palo alto, ca. The space was complete with a recording booth, engineer board, jam room, classroom all adorned in a grateful dead theme including new paint, new lighting, sound proofing and instruments.dance studio - good tidings partnered with grammy winner jason mraz to create and build a dance studio at tierra caliente in vista, ca. The space improvements included a suspended dance floor, new paint with mural, new lobby area with tech hook ups, music system, sound proofing, lights, bathroom remodel, wall length mirrors, etc.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 76% for direct work, and 24% for grants.
  • 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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 44
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 83
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 20.7%; rating input score 21
  • Program expense ratio: 73.4%; rating input score 73
  • Fundraising efficiency: $42.13 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 76; 76th 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 81.7%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 15.74; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.9%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10.2% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 20.7% of revenue deployed · 73.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $920K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $132K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 21/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.