Minnesota Independence College and Community

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411814112
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Richfield, MN, USA
Phone
6128694008
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Federated Giving Programs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$7,503,321
Expenses
$6,666,169
Assets
$8,568,175
Liabilities
$1,928,877

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

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • AMY GUDMESTAD (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)

Highest reported compensation

  • AMY GUDMESTAD (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $204,630 total reported compensation
  • TIM PETERSON (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $167,457 total reported compensation
  • BEN LENTZ (CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER): $155,734 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

We see and honor the personhood and autonomy of autistic and neurodivergent individuals. We work every day to educate and guide micc participants in creating and sustaining the lives they want to live.

What it reported doing in 2024

The ability to live and work independently is at the heart of our program. The careers program assists participants through an individualized person-centered approach to obtain access to vocational services, supports, and resources of their choice to achieve their desired outcomes. We help participants develop the skills that are necessary to complete the job search process, obtain employment, and demonstrate the behaviors that will help them get and maintain employment. Career exploration results are combined with job development services to help participants find the best employment fit for their skills, abilities, and interests. The skills training program is an additional component of our careers program that is endorsed by century college. There are three choices for training: digital careers, food service/hospitality, and health and human services. It includes both an in-class learning portion and a practicum portion that takes place in the community. The skills training program assists participants in the college program to prepare to seek employment and build the foundational skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment. In 2025, micc piloted a standalone version of this program that did not require enrollment in the college program. The careers programs are designed to meet the workforce needs identified by employers within industry sectors. Local employers understand the positive impact real-world experience can provide, and the on-site instructors provided by micc help participants positively navigate work experiences in real time. We measure our success by the number of participants who are employed and live independently in the community. At the end of the 20242025 program year, 91% of eligible college and community participants receiving career services worked in the community.

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 94% 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.
  • 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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 68
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 53
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.2%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 78.4%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.33 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 11.2%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.29; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.23; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.8% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.2% of revenue deployed · 78.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $5.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $205K · 22 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $313K reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.