Kiawah Life Plan Village Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
861250842
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Kiawah Island, SC, USA
Phone
8434066298
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Senior Citizens' Housing/Retirement Communities

Reported finances

Revenue
$666,195
Expenses
$8,672,816
Assets
$273,443,117
Liabilities
$298,467,279

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SARAH EH TIPTON (CEO/PRESIDENT)
  • AARON D ROOP (SR. VICE PRESIDENT)
  • KIMBERLY BORTS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SARAH EH TIPTON (CEO/PRESIDENT): $481,150 total reported compensation
  • LYNNE L KERRISON (EVP/CFO): $420,539 total reported compensation
  • AARON D ROOP (SR. VICE PRESIDENT): $316,094 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To establish, support, maintain, and operate, on a non-profit basis, a retirement center for people over the age of 62, together with related services that is located on kiawah island, South Carolina.

What it reported doing in 2025

Kiawah life plan village, inc. (seafields), located in the town of kiawah island, South Carolina, marked a significant milestone with the receipt of its conditional certificate of occupancy on december 8. Residents spent their first night in the community on december 9, ushering in an exciting new chapter for seafields. By the end of december, 50 residents had made seafields their home, supported by approximately 25 dedicated team members working within the community. During this foundational period, seafields also launched its philanthropic giving efforts, securing more than $315,000 in pledges and donations. Assisted living was nearing completion as 2025 came to a close, further expanding the continuum of care available to residents. Most importantly, a genuine sense of community had begun to take shape, with the first holiday season bringing meaningful connection, warmth, and joy to residents and team members alike.

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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 89
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 22.3%; rating input score 22
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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; 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: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1,201.8%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 31.53; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.09; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 100% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 100% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 44.6% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 22.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $481K · 10 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $1.5M reported
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 2 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 3/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 55/100.