Latin American Association

What it reported doing in 2024

Founded in 1972 to serve atlanta's then-emerging latino population, the laa has grown to become Georgia's leading agency representing latino issues. With over half a century of success in and around the bustling metropolis of atlanta, the laa is the largest, most trusted and only fully bilingual agency in the region dedicated primarily to the needs and concerns of the latino community.the laa provides a comprehensive menu of social, educational and legal services and impacts over 25,000 individuals each year. During fy25, the laa delivered over 60,000 programmatic services to empower our clients, helping them adapt, integrate and thrive.programs include: family stabilization and well-being: this programmatic pillar focuses on fostering stable, healthy latino families through financial assistance, aging and disability information and referral program, latino basic needs program, victims of violence program, and public benefit enrollment.economic empowerment: we are empowering latinos to achieve economic success and self-sufficiency with programs that include workforce training, latina entrepreneurship classes, spanish and english second language programs, translation services, online job banks, micro loans, career expos, and corporate recruitment events.immigration services: the laa offers affordable legal services to help eligible individuals obtain immigration benefits. Services include providing general immigration legal services, immigration relief for victims, removal defense legal services and permanent resident status programs.youth services: we are focused on empowering latino youth to achieve educational success with a broad set of programs. The latino youth leadership conference, latino youth leadership academy (lyla), high school senior advising sessions, latino youth mentoring program, lyla summer programs, and latino college resources each serve to advance educational opportunities and success for latino youth in Georgia.civic engagement and advocacy: connecting and empowering community members is what makes a community. We further that empowerment through promotion of cultural awareness, with activities both public and private that include cultural and large-scale special events such as the annual latin fever ball, compaeros awards luncheon, hispanic heritage month campaign; civic engagement program; membership program; and latino community needs assessment.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 83.1%; rating input score 83
• Program expense ratio: 80.7%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.25 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• 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: 95.7%; rating input score 96; 29th 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: 5%; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.46; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.4%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.8% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 8.4% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings