Mothers Tutoring Academy

What it reported doing in 2025

Founded in 2013, MTA is a non-profit, an after-school education and community program, providing tutoring services for low-income K-12 students in St. Paul, Minnesota. As nearly 100% of students are from families who are originally from East Africa, the cultural and educational difference between their home countries and the U.S. education system has resulted in many entering schools behind in core subjects, with this gap only widening without the necessary support. It was disheartening to discover that many students at the MTA centers were significantly below their expected grade levels. Mothers Tutoring Academy (MTA) supports at-risk students from low-income communities, all of whom qualify for reduced lunch programs. These students often demonstrate persistent patterns of underachievement and social maladjustment in school, which can lead to their failure to complete high school or an increased risk of dropping out at an early stage due to academic challenges and various other issues. Upon their arrival in the United States, these students are classified as at-risk due to several factors that may hinder their ability to graduate from high school, develop work skills, and become productive members of society. Common characteristics among these students include similar socioeconomic status and ethnic backgrounds. They often face personal challenges and exhibit school-related factors that result in underperformance on academic assessments, standardized tests, and overall academic achievement goals. Schools typically place students in classes based on age, promoting them annually regardless of skill proficiency. The issue is further complicated by newly migrated students who are placed according to age rather than performance. These students face steep barriers to academic success, including limited English proficiency, cultural dislocation, economic hardship, and systemic deficiency in education attainment. MTA provides educational programming in a culturally sensitive manner in math, science, reading and speaking to bring these children up to speed in their courses. Not only do these activities provide the resources necessary for students to increase their academic performance, but it establishes a foundation for students to assimilate to their communities in the long-term. As a trusted community institution, MTA plays a vital role in building a pathway to long-term educational and economic success for children and families. The programming is throughout the year except for the month usually right after the school break to help students and work to counteract the summer-break loss. MTA conducts assessment tests and reviews for every student during the first weeks of enrollment to the centers. Each student receives tailored tutoring, combining one-on-one and group sessions, scheduled to address missed classwork. The focus and effort are to provide academic support and culturally sensitive instruction to ensure students become academically successful and productive members of their communities in the long-term by increasing academic achievement in low-income communities. Annually, MTA aims to meet: 85% of program participants understand math, science, and reading and assessed at grade level or higher, 75% of students gain at least one level or higher in reading at the end of each school year. 25% incremental and quarterly increase in attendance 70% increase in families implementing reading and study skills at home. MTA advances economic mobility by preparing students for long-term academic achievement, which is a foundational pathway to stable employment and wealth-building. Our tutoring programs address critical gaps in reading, math, science, and English-language skills - all essential for success in higher education and the workforce. Many students start below grade level and face systemic barriers, leading to high dropout rates and long-term income gaps. We tackle this head-on through individualized academic support, peer m

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 90%; rating input score 90
• Program expense ratio: 96.1%; rating input score 96
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 6.4%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.26; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 21.5%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 33.9% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 55.7% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings