Inclusion Matters by Shanes Inspiration

What it reported doing in 2024

Education: For 23 years, Together, We Are Able, the education program provided free-of-charge by Inclusion Matters by Shanes Inspiration, offers powerful, life-changing lessons for students with and without disabilities. It teaches character development skills that address the core issue of exclusion and bullying of children with disabilities in the school environment by bringing students of all abilities together through transformative, play-based social/emotional learning (SEL). The program has served more than 60,000 students in over 275 schools since its inception and reaches over 3,000 students in the Los Angeles region annually. The program includes the following steps: Step 1: A 60-minute classroom conversation explores how students define and perceive disabilities. Through a combination of activities, students gain a new awareness of the common ground they share with their peers with disabilities as well as real-world tools on how to engage with children who have cognitive/sensory/physical/communication differences.Step 2: Participating students with and without disabilities are paired at an Inclusion Matters playground in Los Angeles or on their school campus for interaction and play. This gives them the chance to learn from and with each other, overcoming misconceptions and strengthening social/emotional skills through play. Locally, in Los Angeles, the organization supports the cost of bus transportation for the field trips for public schools that serve children with complex disabilities, which can be a significant barrier to participation for them.Step 3: A wrap-up 45-minute workshop allows students to synthesize their new awareness and identify simple actions they can take each day to create inclusion in the hallways, cafeterias, and on the playgrounds.Step 4: Their team provides additional support via professional development, inclusion planning, and facilitating inclusive recess events to continue the interaction throughout the school year. Over 8,000 teachers, parents and education professionals have been trained by their team.The program has been replicated in the U.S. and as far away as Ecuador. Program milestones include:2012: A teachers guide and training video were released online, reaching 67 countries. The resources include: oStep-by-step instructions for facilitating the 3-step programoA detailed inclusive play guide for the interactive play eventsoA modular education DVD that shows a day-in-the life of 3 students with students with disabilitiesoSupplemental literacy support to continue the inclusion conversationoA 60-minute, modular video training2022/2026: A university inclusion training program was launched in partnership with the US Embassy & Consulate in Ecuador, reaching over 1,900 university students, professors, and practicing teachers and 5,000 children throughout the country. The organization developed its powerful curriculum and training tools into an online course in Spanish that teaches future and practicing teachers how to facilitate social inclusion on their campuses and continues.2023/2026: Via a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the organization continues to co-host the largest Inclusive Schools Week celebration in LAUSD, an annual, national celebration held during the first week of December. During the past three years, over 200 Pre-K-12 schools have participated. The weeklong series of events feature inclusion celebrations on campuses that vary from adaptive sports, Paralympic athlete presentations, to the arts and beyond. The organization has directly facilitated inclusion for over 2,500 students during those events. This initiative has parlayed into partnerships that expand mission impact through increased services, community/school donations, corporate sponsors, and much more.2024-2026: The organization developed Inclusive STEPS: an early childhood inclusion training program. The self-paced, online course gives educators tools to facilitate inclusive

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 75.2%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 76.1%; rating input score 76
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.9 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • 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: 1.3%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.88; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 33.1%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -16.8% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -3.3% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings