Latino U College Access Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
461211285
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
White Plains, NY, USA
Phone
9148280397
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Student Services, Organizations of Students

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,297,165
Expenses
$1,432,985
Assets
$1,371,951
Liabilities
$58,102

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SHIRLEY A BUONTEMPO (FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SHIRLEY A BUONTEMPO (FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $156,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Luca's mission is to increase college enrollment and completion among low-income, first-generation students. Through our comprehensive six-year program, we provide individualized guidance and culturally relevant, bilingual support from college admissions through graduation. Our program pillars of support assist students from the junior year of high school through college graduation, ensuring they not only get into college but also graduate ready to enter their chosen careers so that scholars can fulfill their academic, professional, and life potential.

What it reported doing in 2024

Luca scholars / career readiness the luca scholars career readiness & internship program prepares college juniors and seniors to enter the workforce with confidence and purpose. Through professional development workshops, mentoring, and partnerships with corporate volunteers, scholars build the skills and networks necessary for early career success. Signature events such as "career exploration days," internship placements, and "career workshops" connect scholars directly with employers in industries including stem, business, and public service.community information sessions and fafsa bootcamps luca extends its impact beyond enrolled scholars by serving the broader westchester county community through culturally relevant, bilingual education workshops and outreach. Programs such as "pathways to college," "applying to college", "paying for college, and fafsa bootcamps equip families with the knowledge and tools to begin the college journey.since its founding, luca has reached more than 9,121 students and parents across eight westchester county school districts, helping families gain critical access to higher education resources and support.

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 98% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

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

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 64.8%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.16 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -10.5%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.96; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.9%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 21.4% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.8% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 25.4% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72% of revenue deployed · 64.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 16 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $929K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $156K · 17 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 37 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 18/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 16/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.