Lifescape Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
460353254
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Sioux Falls, SD, USA
Phone
6054449500
Rating
89
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Rehabilitative Medical Services

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$22,558,944
Expenses
$19,769,226
Assets
$155,218,582
Liabilities
$1,346,383

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

Leadership & pay

23 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STEVE WATKINS (LIFESCAPE CEO)
  • JESSICA WELLS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEVE WATKINS (LIFESCAPE CEO): $464,972 total reported compensation
  • STEVE WILSON (LIFESCAPE CFO): $270,433 total reported compensation
  • JESSICA WELLS (PRESIDENT): $180,900 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the lifescape foundation is to provide resources to enhance the lives of children and adults served by lifescape. We do this through direct support of therapy, education, supported living and employment programs, and helping meet essential, basic living needs and support of goals of people with disabilities so they may live their best lives. We are dedicated to the values of financial responsibility, stewardship, integrity, collaboration, being donor-centered, and providing visionary leadership.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lifescape foundation provided resources that supported the mission, goals and operations of the children's care hospital and school, dba lifescape, South Dakota achieve, dba lifescape, and lifescape. Accomplishments that contributed to this mission included holding five major fundraising events throughout the year, increased donor communications through newsletters and phone calls, and continued strong planned giving participation. The lifescape foundation contributed $973,689 through donor-restricted gifts resulting in direct program support to lifescape and $17.5 million for the construction of the new lifescape children's campus.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 72% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 83
  • Sustainability: 81
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 93.8%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.59 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.4%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.85; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.4%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 93.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $18.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $465K · 23 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $686K reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 9 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.