Illinois Valley Economic Development Corporation

What it reported doing in 2024

Early childhood programs - the head start program provides opportunities for economically disadvantaged children, ages 3 through 5, to receive comprehensive child development services and assistance to their parents in formulating and achieving self-sufficiency goals. We are funded to serve a total of 210 children, 10% with disabilities, within our service area of macoupin, greene, jersey, and calhoun counties. Children attend either a center based model with classes 5 days a week, 5.5 hours a day, for a total of 160 days or a home based model in which children and parents participate in a weekly home visit for 37 weeks with group activities held twice a month. As part of the program, children receive education, medical, dental, nutrition, and mental health services. Educational progress and outcomes are tracked through the teaching strategies gold, dial 4 screenings, and observational instruments three times during the year. Children show dramatic progress in the areas evaluated which include social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development. Approximately 50% of the children transition into kindergarten each year. The early head start program offers similar age appropriate and parenting opportunities for economically disadvantaged families who have children up to age 3. The program is a home-based model serving 24 families a minimum of 48 weeks/year. Parents are encouraged to become directly involved in the program by volunteering in the classroom, attending parent meetings, serving on the policy council, participating in home visits and parent/teacher conferences, and entering into family partnership agreements for goal setting purposes. By providing individualized services for both children and parents, the head start program prepares the children for kindergarten and the parents for setting and achieving family goals as well as strengthening their role as the first and primary educators of their children. In fy25 ivedc served 136 children. Children were assessed using teaching strategies gold and met or exceeded objectives in social emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy and mathematics. Prevention initiative 0-3 program provided similar services as the early headstart program. Pi served 12 families with like services.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 78.5%; rating input score 79
• Program expense ratio: 88.8%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • 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: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 11.6%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.1; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.9%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 39th percentile among comparable filings