Lowell Volunteer Fire Dept Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237137889
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
Lowell, IN, USA
Phone
2196966144
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$947,715
Expenses
$528,808
Assets
$1,059,000
Liabilities
$123,530

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MICHAEL HAM (PRESIDENT)
  • JAKE CRULCICH (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JAKE CRULCICH (VICE PRESIDENT): $9,259 total reported compensation
  • CORY WIETBROCK (ASSISTANT CHIEF): $8,706 total reported compensation
  • AUSTIN SCHREIBER (TRUSTEE): $7,664 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The organization's purpose is to operate exclusively as a volunteer fire fighting fire department to provide fire protection and emergency response services in the town of lowell and surrounding areas.

What it reported doing in 2023

To provide fire protection and emergency response services in the town of lowell and surrounding areas.

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 - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 51.8%; rating input score 52
  • Program expense ratio: 89.4%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 44.2%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.12; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.6%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 51.8% of revenue deployed · 89.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $473K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $9K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2011 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 42/100.