Grand Action 2.0

Legal name: Grand Action Foundation 20

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
383147133
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Phone
616-263-6600
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Foundations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$49,208,375
Expenses
$71,460,181
Assets
$88,460,680
Liabilities
$85,609,345

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RICHARD DEVOS JR (PRESIDENT)
  • KARA WOOD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • KARA WOOD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $227,826 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To encourage economic development within the West Michigan region, create jobs, and provide facilities for the entertainment, enjoyment, and/or benefit of the citizens in an economical manner by developing and operating convention, entertainment, and sports facilities within Kent County.

What it reported doing in 2024

As part of the 2.0 launch, grand action foundation has reengaged convention sports and leisure international (csl) to provide updates on initiatives and recommendations which were identified in the original destination asset study conducted four years ago. The projects identified include pending opportunities for exploration as future grand action projects which may consist of: an expansion of devos place, the construction of an outdoor amphitheater, the construction of a soccer/field sports arena, or an aerial transportation/gondola project. The research will assist grand action in developing a plan and strategies for future investment in destination assets and the economic development of grand rapids. Grand action foundation's role is in providing financial support for these studies and construction of potential future projects.as part of this process, grand action foundation will continue to work with governmental bodies, public-private partnerships, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, community leaders, and the general public in planning, promoting, developing, organizing, and overseeing the realization of civic, cultural, educational, scientific research, and entertainment facilities, with a goal of fostering, supporting, encouraging, and reinforcing economic, social, and cultural development in the greater grand rapids area and in the surrounding areas of west Michigan. Gaf 2.0's work is nearing completion for the planning and design for two projects, a downtown amphitheater and a soccer stadium. The projects are in the late stages of design and development and gaf 2.0 is continuing to advance design development of the two facilities as milestones are achieved and gaf 2.0 will continue to provide financial support for the studies, design and construction of the two facilities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 77% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 100
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 65
  • Sustainability: 25
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 99.6%; rating input score 100
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1,156.88 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • 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: 75%; rating input score 75; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -45.2%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.24; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.97; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.3%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 88.4% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 77% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 69.8% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $71.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $228K · 4 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $41.4M reported
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 7/100.