Native Forward Scholars Fund

What it reported doing in 2024

Provides a student support service and resource program that engages high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Along with these services, the native forward website hosts the web resource center which issues a comprehensive list of education and career planning resources for all students.student support services: one of native forward's core competencies and priority areas of focus lies in college access. We work with individual tribal citizens to provide access to higher education through access to funding, resources, and information.- access to scholarships/fellowship funding through effective scholarship administration. Marketing and outreach to national native audiences. Efficient application, review, and awarding process, including distribution, and tracking.- provide one-to-one outreach to students, including financial aid assistance, application support, and advocating for our students through improving policies, reducing obstacles, and increasing on-campus support available to tribal citizens.- online student resource center is an online collection of best practices, strategies and advice specifically tailored for tribal citizen successes that supplement our one-to-one services and provide additional guidance through the entire academic journey.native forward's best in class student support services are what differentiates us when it comes to college success. We have spent the past 26 years refining support services to tribal citizens and excel at providing these services to all our students.- provide adjacent high impact, culturally responsive support services to each student through our targeted program.- provide financial aid counseling and assistance to scholars with native forward applications and fafsa, provide standard financial literacy information, assist students with award revisions and coa adjustments, and resolve any issues with award disbursements.- provide one-to-one outreach to students utilizing a three-touchpoint system to assist students through the most difficult points of their academic journey. This contact is done through email, flyers, social media, direct calls and surveys.- institutional outreach and advocacy are provided to students who need assistance in connecting to campus resources such as tutoring, mentoring, financial aid, peer groups etc.- transcript review to assure students success, with targeted "back on track" initiative to assist student with on campus resources.- incentive program- celebrate student accomplishments through acknowledgement, including the awarding of stoles, achievement medals, and through the student of the program.- each month native forward highlights students in the student of the month program.- native forward also notifies students of summer opportunities such as internships and career openings as part of our comprehensive support services.back on track program: academic intervention through our back on track program may occur if students struggle to remain in good standing with their institution, and we connect students with community and campus resources including tutoring, mentoring, and connection to other tribal citizens around the country.native forward specializes in providing comprehensive student services to support award recipients to ensure they thrive throughout their academic journey and successfully launch their careers. We recognize and understand the experience of tribal citizens entering western higher educational systems, and we continuously strive to provide students with the networks and resources necessary to make their educational journey a transformational and empowering experience. Our extensive experience in administering student support services has made our team uniquely qualified to address the needs of tribal citizens and quickly adapt to provide the most relevant and responsive programming to best support them.2024-2025 applications were received during the year, while 1,252 students received awards.advise and collaborate

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 90.3%; rating input score 90
• Fundraising efficiency: $25.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • 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; 66th 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: -20%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.59; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.7%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 15.9% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 14.1% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 17.1% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings