Le Jardin Academy Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
990146978
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Kailua, HI, USA
Phone
8082610707
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$29,424,450
Expenses
$30,065,391
Assets
$39,035,222
Liabilities
$21,260,105

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

Leadership & pay

26 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • EARL KIM (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $543,069 total reported compensation
  • COURTNEY CHOW (EXEC DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEME): $244,305 total reported compensation
  • ALEX RAMSVIG (HEAD OF SECONDARY DIVISION): $236,409 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To cultivate a community of learners who embrace hana pono to positively impact the world.

What it reported doing in 2024

Since its founding in 1961 , the academy has grown from a small preschool to a two-campus, pre-kindergarten through grade 12 learning institution. The academy is characterized by its commitment to growth, extraordinary learning experiences, and a strong, interconnected community. The academy's values are to: (1) honor individual pathways to success and happiness, (2) strive for excellence,(3) innovate for positive change, (4) serve peace, and (5) nurture relationships and resources.the academy's distinctive learning model embraces ib foundational values and academic rigor as part of its multifaceted educational framework and provides students with a continuum of education, consisting of three programs (primary years program, middle years program, diploma program) united by the ib philosophy.the programs encourage both personal and academic achievement, and successful completion of the diploma program culminates in the ib diploma. As a global citizen's diploma consortium school, the academy's students also have an opportunity to earn the global citizen's diploma.the academy's emphasis on inquiry, self-directed learning, and differentiated instruction promote lifelong learning while the practice of thinking, social communication, research, and self-management skills prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. The academy is a member of the Hawaii association for independent schools (hais) and national association for independent schools (nais), and is accredited by the western association of schools and colleges (wasc).

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 93% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 85% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 91
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.2%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 85.9%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.52 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: -2.2%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.3; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.54; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.5%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.2% of revenue deployed · 85.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $25.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $543K · 26 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $8.7M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 18/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.