Linked Learning Alliance

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
473798868
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2014
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone
4156013679
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,031,448
Expenses
$2,846,152
Assets
$2,823,919
Liabilities
$875,316

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANNE STANTON (PRESIDENT/MEMBER)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANNE STANTON (PRESIDENT/MEMBER): $330,363 total reported compensation
  • DANIEL STORZ (SR. DIRECTOR, K-12 ENGAGEMENT): $179,809 total reported compensation
  • NOEMI DONOSO (CHIEF STRATEGIST (THRU 08/24)): $152,371 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 linked learning alliance is the engine that drives the linked learning movement, a field of educators, employers, students, and community leaders that supports education systems as they engage youth, strengthen workforce readiness, (continued on sch. O)and advance economic equity for all young people through linked learning. Linked learning integrates rigorous academics with real-world learning and strong support services to prepare students for success in college, career, and life. The alliance accelerates high quality linked learning practices through training, capacity building, and certification; collects and disseminates data to inform learning and build evidence for the field, communicates effectively to build public will for expansion of linked learning, and advocates for policy and resource decisions to promote high quality linked learning opportunities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Recognizing the architecture required for sustained community-driven change, the alliance works at the intersection of practice, policy, communications, and research to accelerate high-quality linked learning pathways and scale excellence and equity in schools and communities.the alliance leads and strengthens a linked learning field that includes thousands of educators and hundreds of thousands of students from throughout California and beyond. The alliance coordinates the field's collective efforts to put each young person at the center of high-quality learning, surrounded by adults and structures dedicated to their growth by advocating for supportive policies, ensuring a high-quality standard for practice on the ground, and sharing successes and research that deepens field knowledge and advances learning.

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 100% 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

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: 75
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 17
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 91%; rating input score 91
  • Program expense ratio: 64.9%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -40.1%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.99; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.31; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 28.4%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -8.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -7.2% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 91% of revenue deployed · 64.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $330K · 11 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $242K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 33/100.