Jacobs Ladder Community Development Corporation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
830391379
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Memphis, TN, USA
Phone
9013273771
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Housing Rehabilitation

Reported finances

Revenue
$146,012
Expenses
$169,817
Assets
$928,340
Liabilities
$379,545

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • William Marler (Exec Director/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • LANA MARLER (BUSINESS MANAGER): $37,455 total reported compensation
  • William Marler (Exec Director/CEO): $20,400 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We help build and maintain strong sustainable communities

What it reported doing in 2025

Our Real Estate Enhancement Programs: Our Housing Renovation Team is rebuilding Belt Line infrastructure (34+ to date since 2005). Volunteers, neighborhood residents and contractors comprise a team that promotes home ownership to qualified home buyers. Population affected: 2800. Our Real Estate Enhancement Team (neighborhood residents, volunteers and contractors) regularly maintain over 126 vacant lots, has demolished 60+ dilapidated structures. These efforts have reduced crime and improved the quality of life for the neighborhood.

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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 91
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 86.8%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $20.85 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -16.3%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.47; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.41; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 34.1%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.4% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 86.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $147K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $37K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 42 of 42 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 56/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 10/100.