Lake Junaluska Assembly Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

A Place of Sanctuary In 2024, Lake Junaluska Assembly continued to live into its mission to be a place of Christian hospitality where lives are transformed through the renewal of soul, mind and body. Throughout the year, guests from throughout the country visited Lake Junaluska, and numerous essential improvement projects were undertaken, including the renovation of the York Dining Commons and the opening of the new Warren Center and Musgrave Event Lawn. Community infrastructure saw significant improvements, including the repaving of a section of the Francis Asbury Trail, the completion of a comprehensive water distribution system study, the installation of telemetry at the Susie Knob reservoir, and paving along portions of North Lakeshore Drive. Hurricane Helene In September 2024, Hurricane Helene cut a devastating path through Western North Carolina, leaving behind widespread destruction. Despite the challenges, we remained committed to our mission by supporting emergency and recovery workers. The York Dining Commons was transformed into the regional incident command center, and immediately after the storm, we opened our facilities to more than 400 emergency and relief personnel. Unfortunately, the storm caused over $1 million in damage to some of our most cherished spaces. The entire lower level of the Harrell Center was submerged in more than a foot of water, Stuart Auditorium suffered water damage, and the Rose Walk experienced three major landslides. In the wake of the storm, we have continued to support response and recovery efforts. We are honored to support those who serve, and we remain a hub for mission and recovery teams. Looking ahead, long-term recovery at Lake Junaluska will include sediment removal, lakeshore stabilization, and improvements to the dam - efforts that will be ongoing for years to come. Financial Review Lake Junaluska ended the year 2024 with an operating budget profit of $407,192. The totality of this profit was used to invest into repairs of areas damaged by the flood and other improvements to Lake Junaluska facilities. Charitable Giving and Capital Improvements Charitable giving remains strong and, in 2024, we exceeded our fundraising goal to the Annual Fund for the sixth straight year. Total charitable contributions received toward the Sharing Our Gifts Campaign at year-end was $12,012,721. Continued Commitment to Our Vision Looking toward the future, Lake Junaluska continues to focus on the following guiding aspirations, which were adopted by the board of trustees in 2020: -Aspiration 1: To preserve and enhance the lake and grounds so that more people will recognize the natural beauty of God's creation. -Aspiration 2: To be a conference center that rivals hospitality industry leaders by exceeding guests' expectations through excellence in staff and facilities. -Aspiration 3: To be the place that connects more youth to Christ through meaningful ministry, recreation, and education programs. -Aspiration 4: To identify, uphold, and strengthen the Lake Junaluska tradition of implementing innovative, shared experiences - for both individuals and families - that celebrate faith, recreation, the arts, and education. -Aspiration 5: To be an involved, inclusive community that provides the highest quality of life for residents and guests.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 84.5%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 85.7%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $36.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 96%; rating input score 96; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 3%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.1; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 1.8%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings