Literacy Minnesota

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237217182
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
St Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6516452277
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Remedial Reading, Reading Encouragement

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,067,279
Expenses
$6,669,185
Assets
$4,413,065
Liabilities
$2,316,017

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANTON JONES (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANTON JONES (PRESIDENT): $153,653 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

See schedule oliteracy Minnesota's mission is to connect people to transformative learning, spark innovation in literacy and mobilize change.literacy Minnesota works to build a more equitable society by making quality literacy education available to all. It is a comprehensive literacy resource, providing free classes for adults and children; supporting literacy organizations through volunteer recruitment, training and teaching tools; and creating new pathways for groups and individuals to reach their full potential. Core work includes both Minnesota and national programs.

What it reported doing in 2023

See schedule oopen door learning centers: two twin cities campuses and satellite sites offering english, ged, computer, citizenship, job-readiness and other basic skills classes for adults. Early literacy & families: provides adults tools to navigate education, employment and social systems for themselves and their families and includes a free, literacy-enriched preschool for adult students' young children.summer reads: provides reading mentors for children entering grades k-5.adult literacy hotline: online and phone referral service to adult literacy programs statewide.tutor training: pre-service and in-service workshops for literacy volunteers and educators.technology services: professional development and technical assistance for adult education teachers and staff on effective use of technology to enhance and expand educational opportunities for all adult learners in Minnesota.volunteer recruitment: recruits and places volunteers into service organizations across the state.

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.
  • 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 revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 25
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.8%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 65.1%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.5 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: -9.9%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.66; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.52; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.8% of revenue deployed · 65.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $4.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $154K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $428K reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2009 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 28/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 21/100.