Massachusetts Wonderfund Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
043443890
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Newton, MA, USA
Phone
7813674807
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Children's, Youth Services

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,446,104
Expenses
$6,183,630
Assets
$19,110,352
Liabilities
$133,830

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LAUREN SCHADT BAKER (CEO)
  • STAVERNE MILLER (PRESIDENT)
  • JENNIFER NARDONE (VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY RELATIONS)

Highest reported compensation

  • LAUREN SCHADT BAKER (CEO): $225,000 total reported compensation
  • JENNIFER NARDONE (VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNITY RELATIONS): $150,299 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 wonderfund invests in children receiving services from dcf by providing enrichment opportunities and access to emergency aid and transitional necessities.the wonderfund is a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 that serves children engaged with the Massachusetts department of children and families by bringing comfort and dignity in traumatic situations, and enriching childhoods that have been impacted by abuse and neglect.

What it reported doing in 2024

Enrichment grants (the fun stuff): we invest in moments: music lessons, sat prep, soccer camp. These moments build confidence, character, and foster life-long respect for self and others through keeping children's minds and bodies active outside of school. We believe every kid deserves to do the things they love and our goal is to enrich the lives of our kids. We want them to have some of the same moments of joy as our own families.emergency removal kits and basic necessities (the tough stuff): we provide funds for the first night when a child is removed from their home, a moment that is difficult for all involved. We provide a duffel bag and funds for necessities like season-appropriate clothing and pajamas to give them something of their own in a strange new place. We also provide emergency funds for winter coats and other necessities for children across Massachusetts.holiday drive (the presents and stuff): we believe that everybody deserves a gift during the holidays and we arrange donated gifts across the state and raise funds to provide gifts for children and teens.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 91% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 92% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.4%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 83.8%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $13.52 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4.1%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.09; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.1%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.9% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 23.4% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85.4% of revenue deployed · 83.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 15 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $5.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $225K · 16 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $263K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 47/100.