Help Scholarship Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
274740529
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2014
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone
5202975710
Rating
87
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,201,778
Expenses
$1,578,019
Assets
$33,995
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN SEBALD (PRESIDENT (UNTIL 09-14))
  • VERNON CAULK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (UNTIL 09-14))

Highest reported compensation

  • VERNON CAULK (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (UNTIL 09-14)): $30,026 total reported compensation
  • LINDSAY BAUER (PROGRAM MANAGER (UNTIL 07-14)): $18,055 total reported compensation
  • SANDRA MENEFEE (PROGRAM MANAGER (AS OF 07-14)): $8,404 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The organization's mission is to support the christian education programs in thirteen Wisconsin evangelical lutheran synod and evangelical lutheran synod schools by granting scholarships to students attending these schools.

What it reported doing in 2014

Provide scholarships to qualified students attending private schools in the state of Arizona. From july, 2014 through june 2015, help scholarship foundation, inc. Provided tuition scholarships to 1,279 students attending thirteen different schools throughout the state of Arizona.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 98% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 93.2%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $28.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 71; 71st 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; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -31.3%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.02; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.6%; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 26.6% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -30.7% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 93.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $30K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2011 to 2014
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 4/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.