Highways Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
954231812
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Phone
3104531755
Rating
49
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Centers

Reported finances

Revenue
$396,561
Expenses
$383,748
Assets
$138,508
Liabilities
$109,007

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Leo Garcia (Executive Director / Board Member)

Highest reported compensation

  • Leo Garcia (Executive Director / Board Member): $78,972 total reported compensation
  • Patrick Kennelly (Artistic Director / Board Member): $69,226 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Presentation of Visual and Performance Artists and to Provide Technical Assistance Related to the Production of Art Events.

What it reported doing in 2024

Admission and concessions revenue and costs related to the presentation of visual and performance artists.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 25
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 44
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 24.1%; rating input score 24
  • Program expense ratio: 24.9%; rating input score 25
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 60%; rating input score 60; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 3.2%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.79; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 38.6%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 24.1% of revenue deployed · 24.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $96K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $79K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 24/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 25/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 32/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.