Highland Dallas Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
453961755
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2020
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Phone
2142766300
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,709,490
Expenses
$4,517,742
Assets
$82,073,527
Liabilities
$405,413

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JAMES DONDERO (PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR)
  • JULIE DIAZ (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JULIE DIAZ (VICE PRESIDENT): $532,125 total reported compensation
  • TORRREY LITTLETON (TREASURER): $290,738 total reported compensation
  • ANGELA WOODSON (SECRETARY): $201,832 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

See 4a below

What it reported doing in 2024

The highland dallas foundation is organized and operated exclusively as a supporting organization within the meaning of section 509(a)(3) of the internal revenue code of 1986, as amended (the "code"), to support and benefit the dallas foundation ("tdf"), a Texas nonprofit corporation. Tdf is exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(a) of the code as an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the code and a public charity described in section 509(a)(1) of the code.the organization received its funding as one of three charitable remainder beneficiaries of a charitable remainder trust created by james dondero, which terminated on november 30, 2011. The organization's supported organization, tdf, is the oldest community foundation in Texas and serves donors and nonprofit agencies throughout north Texas. The organization supports and benefits tdf by making grants directly to tdf in support of its charitable purposes. In addition, upon the direction and on behalf of tdf, the organization may make grants to such other public charities that tdf wishes to benefit in furtherance of tdf's exempt purposes. The total annual grants from the organization to or on behalf of tdf are expected to average approximately $1,000,000 per year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 57
  • Accountability: 38
  • Sustainability: 62
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.5%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 85%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 44
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4.1%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 18.17; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 22.7%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.6% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.3% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.5% of revenue deployed · 85% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 1 of 3 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $532K · 4 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.