Minndependent

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411267531
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Edina, MN, USA
Phone
6512976716
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Nonmonetary Support N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$728,534
Expenses
$698,507
Assets
$960,045
Liabilities
$37,434

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TIM BENZ (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • TIM BENZ (PRESIDENT): $175,389 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Minndependent connects and strengthens Minnesota's private and independent schools through programming, partnerships and public policy so members can be student-centered and mission-driven.our vision is a vibrant educational ecosystem that promotes success for all Minnesota students.we create meaningful professional development opportunities and resources for educators, educational leaders and school communities to build exceptional schools and deliver high-quality education for all students.we foster authentic relationships with funders, businesses and community organizations on behalf of member schools, resulting in grants, in-kind services and professional resources.we advocate with a focused and united voice for the interests of private and independent schools, ensuring that local and state policy makers will understand and support policies and practices that strengthen Minnesota's private and independent schools.

What it reported doing in 2024

Minndependent empowers schools to fulfill their missions by connecting them to opportunities for funding, support and know-how to expand and improve their stem or other high-priority programs.minndependent's stem program has three components: (1) stem grants that support schools to create, improve and expand stem offerings for students by providing funding for materials, curriculum development, and training; (2) professional development that prepares teachers to provide high-quality and evidence-based stem learning experiences, and (3) community partnerships that ensure member schools have access to high-quality programs and resources.minndependent hosts an annual stem education conference for private & independent school staff. In august 2024, 79 educators attended the stem education conference. The community partnership program facilitates stem programming at schools with limited access to resources through partnerships with the following community partners, (science from scientists - 8 schools), and (we share solar- 9 schools). In april 2025, the minndependent stem grant program awarded 17 schools a total of $47,918 in stem grants. Minndependent has awarded over $1.7 million in stem support to member schools since the program began in 2008.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 61% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 91% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and most voting board members are independent. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 62
  • Transparency & Controls: 61
  • Accountability: 92
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 65.9%; rating input score 66
  • Program expense ratio: 67.2%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.47 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: 4.1%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.37; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 25.1%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.2% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 65.9% of revenue deployed · 67.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 17 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $469K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $175K · 17 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 29/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 48/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Whistleblower policy not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.