Instructional Telecommunications Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
840943035
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Englewood, CO, USA
Phone
3034379457
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public, Societal Benefit

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$14,205,456
Expenses
$7,947,665
Assets
$38,048,145
Liabilities
$1,434,238

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • RHEA YAW-CHING (Executive Dir.): $251,961 total reported compensation
  • STEPHEN KOWAL (CTO): $232,986 total reported compensation
  • BARBARA HUNTER (CFO & CAO): $222,628 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

INSTRUCTIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS FOUNDATION, INC. (ITF, INC.) DBA Mission Telecom is a nonprofit telecommunications organization that is transforming connectivity by providing affordable broadband to under-resourced communities, including nonprofits, schools, and libraries. We reinvest our surplus into driving social change. Our products and services empower organizations to thrive in an interconnected world. -People-Centered: We prioritize individuals' unique needs, aspirations, and concerns, tailoring our services to empower and connect every person effectively.-Bold: We embrace challenges and push boundaries to lead the way in telecommunications with transformative solutions.-Data & Insights-Driven: We use a data-driven approach to inform our strategies and decision-making, ensuring resources are utilized efficiently for maximum impact.-Respectful: We honor the dignity and value of everyone, treating all individuals with kindness, compassion, and professionalism to foster trust and

What it reported doing in 2024

Broadband access initiative: itf, inc. Is developing a program to provide affordable, high-quality, wireless broadband services to nonprofit and social good organizations; empowering them to thrive in the digital age. Our customers and partners will help eliminate social disparities and, together, we ensure that digitally-enabled opportunities and educational resources are accessible to all.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 74% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 58% for direct work, and 42% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 57
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.3%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 73.9%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: 99.8%; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 44.1%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.79; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.3% of revenue deployed · 73.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 4 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $5.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $252K · 11 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $145K reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 51 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 42 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.