Literacy Volunteers and Advocates

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521531325
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2021
Forms available
Form 990 2021
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Adult, Continuing Education

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$102,283
Expenses
$101,039
Assets
$3,760
Liabilities
$2,671

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2021. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kenneth Parker (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Kenneth Parker (Executive Director): $61,199 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2021. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To teach basic literacy through one-on-one tutoring and small group instruction; To educate the community about the causes and consequences of illiteracy; To partner with other organizations to work towards elimination of illiteracy

What it reported doing in 2021

The Tutoring program is the original and core program of LVA. Individualized, learner-directed instruction through trained volunteer tutors teaches skills relevant to the individuals self-identified goals. One-to-one tutoring focuses entirely on adult learners particular needs, interests and strengths. Learners and tutors meet once per week.Adult Basic Education classes are small classes for adult learners. Class topics include reading fundamentals, reading with understanding, write to learn, consumer math and basic computer skills.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 62% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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 - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 55
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 18
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 55.1%; rating input score 55
  • Program expense ratio: 55.7%; rating input score 56
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.2%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.04; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.71; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 60.6%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -14.8% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -12.6% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 55.1% of revenue deployed · 55.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 2 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $56K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $61K · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2014 to 2021
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 55/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 56/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 54/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 34/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 8/100.