MAKE Projects

What it reported doing in 2024

Job readiness program: in order to build the confidence and job skills of our immigrant and refugee participants, make projects offers an eight to twelve week job readiness program in a restaurant and urban farm training platform. Participants have the opportunity to gain real, paid work experience that goes on their resume and helps them learn skills that they could apply to future jobs, build their confidence and communication skills and learn cultural norms of the working environment in the united states. This experience is vital in helping participants secure a job after graduating from make projects job readiness program. This applied learning environment is very beneficial for lower literacy refugee and immigrant women who are not familiar with classroom based learning and different cultural norms. Participants in the job readiness program are paid minimum wage while being trained on the job in a real world setting by make projects staff. All the participants work on site at the restaurant and farm located at 3725 30th street in san diego, California, subsequently relocated to 2920 university avenue in san diego, California. As an organization, 75 percent of our staff time is allocated to these activities. The program is funded by a combination of grants, donations and business income. Given the transitional nature of the program, as participants are only in it for eight to twelve weeks, grants and donations are needed to financially maintain the restaurant and farm.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 72.5%; rating input score 73
• Program expense ratio: 86.5%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: $167.5 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 91; 91st 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • 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: Fail
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 16.1%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.93; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 7.1%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 54% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 24.2% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 21.6% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings