Heart of America Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
522034127
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
2023476278
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$17,062,886
Expenses
$16,553,614
Assets
$21,540,338
Liabilities
$15,265,695

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JILL HEATH (PRESIDENT)
  • BELINDA HARRIS (VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT)
  • TOM HELWIG (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS)
  • KATHRYN SORESTAD (VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS)
  • HETAL PATEL (VICE PRESIDENT, FINANCE)
  • PAM BRYDEN (VICE PRESIDENT, HR AND ADMIN)

Highest reported compensation

  • JILL HEATH (PRESIDENT): $270,323 total reported compensation
  • BELINDA HARRIS (VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT): $197,572 total reported compensation
  • TOM HELWIG (SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS): $197,061 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The heart of america foundation creates vibrant learning environments for children, engaging volunteers in acts of service and encouraging the pursuit of education by providing children in need with the tools to read, succeed and make a difference. Since 1997, the organization has provided children living in underserved communities with over $4.2 million library and take-home books and engaged volunteers in more than 1.2 million hours of service to these communities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Resource distribution program puts books, school supplies and vital technology into the hands of children who need them the most. Elementary, middle and high schools and students receive new, age-appropriate books to replenish school, classroom and home libraries. At book giveaway events, staff and volunteers read to children and engage in inter-generational enrichment and educational activities. This program introduces young people to community service and provides meaningful hands-on experiences. In times of disaster and pandemics, the program works directly with impacted school districts and schools to get greatly-needed supplies and books into the hands and homes of families/children as quickly as possible.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 91% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 98% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 69
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.5%; rating input score 87
  • Program expense ratio: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.92 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • 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: 59.4%; rating input score 59; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: 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: 3%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.3; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.71; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.2%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.6% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.5% of revenue deployed · 88.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $14.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $270K · 17 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.2M reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 35 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 20 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 14 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 17/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.