Homework Central

What it reported doing in 2024

During fiscal year 2024-2025, Homework Central delivered 30-34 weeks of support to serve nearly 200 registered elementary school-aged children and their families. Including the past year, Homework Central has served San Mateo children for twenty-seven years, helping them develop academic practices and habits, forge positive relationships with tutors and take greater ownership of their education and future. Homework Central has two primary activities: This first is an afterschool program that offers free tutoring and homework completion to students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged who, by teacher recommendation, would benefit from tutoring. In addition, a literacy program was introduced in 2022 to younger students. The tutoring and literacy content is provided in person by trained staff and volunteers in a small group setting. The program includes provision of snacks to all students every day of operation. The second activity is free family engagement events to provide school-related information, encourage and educate families or caregivers (many English as a Second Language households) to help their child's academic journey. This is done through Family Night events each quarter, which are bilingual, themed Literacy, Science, Art or End-of-Year events that include dinner, school-related information and fun activities, including book giveaways, to all children in the family. This year, Homework Central continued to provide its services, operating in four schools, nine classrooms total, in the San Mateo-Foster City School District. The hours of operation vary by site and range from 10 hours a week (two hours every day, Monday through Friday) to 17 hours of extended programming, from either 3pm or 1pm until 6 pm each school day. During the extended hours, collaborations with local organizations allow Homework Central to bring in Science, Art, Music and similar activities.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 68.9%; rating input score 69
• Program expense ratio: 75.8%; rating input score 76
• Fundraising efficiency: $41.38 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 16th 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: 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 9.6%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.59; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.61; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 13.4%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 20.6% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings