Institute for Leadership Education Adva

What it reported doing in 2024

Since 1995, i-lead has worked as an innovative and impactful force for improving quality of life and economic equity in underserved communities in southeastern Pennsylvania.i-lead helps low-income clients transcend the primary barriers faced by working adults when pursuing education, workforce skills, and economic opportunity: time, cost, preparedness, and lack of familiarity with education and workforce development systems. Nearly 90% of i-lead's clients are women of color between the ages of 25 and 50; more than 50% have children at home. Since its inception, i-lead has helped more than 1,400 nontraditional adult learners earn workforce competencies aligned with higher education credentials leading to improved economic opportunity. I-lead also works intensively with local partners to develop strategies to overcome the barriers to career development and higher education attachment confronting system-involved youth. In Pennsylvania, approximately 1,100 youth age out of the foster care system annually. Most often they leave the system with few financial resources, limited educational achievement, and consequently, very limited employment opportunities. 95% will leave the system with no source of income. Though some will have stable relationships with supportive adults, the majority do not. As they emerge from care, many confront challenges such as unplanned pregnancy, involvement with the judicial system, homelessness, and addiction. Nearly half of Pennsylvania's foster care youth remain unemployed four years after aging out of the system.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.7%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 90.8%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: $11.31 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 7th 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: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 9.2%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.13; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 15.7%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -5.1% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings