Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
860930096
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone
6022580109
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$737,384
Expenses
$935,672
Assets
$2,124,316
Liabilities
$36,504

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Laddie Shane (Chairman)
  • Jennifer Talerico (Vice Chairwoman)
  • Leo Archer (Secretary)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The Mission of the Irish Cultural and Learning Foundation is: We bring Irish heritage to life through dynamic education, vibrant community events, and the celebration of cherished traditions, inviting people of all cultures to connect, learn, and carry the Celtic spirit forward. The Irish Cultural Center is strategically designed to celebrate and promote Irish and Celtic Heritage and its influence on and partnership with other cultures. Continued on Schedule O.

What it reported doing in 2025

The ICLF hosted over 100 events and programs of cultural and literary significance. The three largest key events were the annual Gala celebrating Irish Heritage and key community members, St. Patricks Day Celebration (multi-day event), and the Winter Solstice celebration. In total these events welcomed approximately 1,500 community members. In October, The Haunted Castle, multi-day event welcomed approximately 500 new community members to the Irish Cultural Center.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 94
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 83.9%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 66.1%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 86
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -26.9%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.27; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -7.5% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 83.9% of revenue deployed · 66.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 6 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $612K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Fund balance restriction sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.