Multicultural Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
911823468
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Berkeley, CA, USA
Phone
5108497580
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Service Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,510,700
Expenses
$1,391,961
Assets
$1,543,770
Liabilities
$449,574

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Mirna Cervantes (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Mirna Cervantes (Executive Director): $111,000 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 Multicultural Institute (MI) is dedicated to assist immigrants in their transition from isolation and poverty to workforce participation and prosperity. Programs are offered at three locations in Alameda County (West Berkeley), San Mateo County (North Fair Oaks/Redwood City) and Contra Costa County (Richmond). MI currently has the following programs: Day laborers and domestic worker with services like job placement, vocational training, and fair wage assistant. We also provides food distribution and health screening & referral to other. We provide after school program to student of low income families.

What it reported doing in 2024

Life Skills/Day Laborer and Domestic Worker Program This program addresses the issue of economic inequity by offering access to skills and competencies that direct workers on pathways to economic security. MI offers economically disadvantaged adults workforce development opportunities, job placement assistance, and vocational skill development while advocating for fair wage paying jobs. Each year, over 2,000 different individuals are involved in this program and participate in one or more of the following activities: workforce related workshops, job placement, housing, and vocational/skill development opportunities. Immigration and Health Support: MI offers various legal and immigration workshops, community events, and courses. MI's Naturalization Course prepares green card holders who qualify to apply for citizenship by offering them exam preparation assistance, interview practice and application assistance. In addition, MI offers comprehensive health workshops, screenings, food assistance and direct services throughout the year. Housing: The current housing crisis has negatively impacted the lives of day laborers in multiple ways. To address this housing issue, MI offers housing to unsheltered day workers since December 1, 2011. This community living offers them a safe and dignified space and allows them to save money. GED Preparation Program: MI=s General Educational Development (GED) Preparation course helps adults meet employers= hiring criteria, achieve self-sufficiency, and contribute to their community=s growth. This program empowers an average of 60 economically disadvantaged adults throughout the year.

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 100% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.1%; rating input score 85
  • Program expense ratio: 92.3%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • 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: 7.9%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.11; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.29; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.8% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 85.1% of revenue deployed · 92.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $111K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 25/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 44/100.