Hirsch Academy a Challenge Foundation Academy Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
453066114
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Phone
4804889362
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,059,327
Expenses
$2,301,574
Assets
$695,869
Liabilities
$124,359

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • NADEEN BOYKIN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • GINA DISIPIO (SCHOOL DIREC): $107,696 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Cfa partners with students, families, and community to provide an excellent and equitable classical education for the development of thoughtful, highly literate citizens. Our students are prepared for the pursuit of personal excellence, for college, and for a lifetime as positive contributors in their community.

What it reported doing in 2024

All students at hirsch academy: cfa need and deserve an excellent and equitable education to become highly literate and contributing citizens. We have high expectations for all students, ensuring that all students needs are met. With the alignment of the common core state standards (ccss), Arizona academic standards, core knowledge curriculum, challenge foundation philosophy, and best instructional practices, students are taught from an interdisciplinary perspective. Core knowledge is a classical curriculum with a strong focus on literacy across multiple subjects: english language arts (ela), math, science, social studies, the visual arts and music. Teacher selection is focused on selecting highly qualified teachers. We provide on-going support through a continuous improvement model. Regular data analysis, coaching from school leaders and through core knowledge foundation school visits, team mentoring through classroom instructional rounds, and applied professional development ensure effective instruction. Collaboration between parents, students, and staff is essential for high student achievement and is supported throughout the program at hirsch academy: cfa, making connections between content, meaningful understanding, and the effective use of common knowledge in society.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 82% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 90.1%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 80.5%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $22.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -11.8%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.3; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.7%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.7% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 90.1% of revenue deployed · 80.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $108K · 5 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $117K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 12/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 9/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 47/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.