New Kensington Community Development Corp

What it reported doing in 2024

Planning: By constantly engaging with neighborhood residents in an ongoing "Co-Creating Kensington" process, we learn about the community's hopes, concerns, and priorities and use them to raise funds and organize our work. We also work to help keep residents informed about legal, regulatory, political, and policy issues that may impact their lives. This continuous dialogue is the foundation of our work and forces us to be accountable, guiding our strategic plans as well as more specialized efforts such as a greening plan currently in progress. Economic development: NKCDC supports small business development in order to create jobs and community wealth. We assist start up and existing businesses, maintain an inventory of available property, help local entrepreneurs identify and obtain services and funding, support pop-up markets, staff the Kensington Business Coalition, and clean the commercial corridors 6 days a week. Housing counseling: NKCDC works to expand homeownership opportunities for working families. Since 1985, NKCDC has helped more than 4000 low and moderate income families purchase their first homes. We offer homebuyer workshops, energy assistance, financial literacy, financial counseling, and foreclosure and eviction prevention services. We also partner with other organizations to help residents access home repair programs. Community organizing: NKCDC staffs a City-supported Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) which promotes awareness of City resources, programs, and issues. Quarterly community forums help disseminate information and address neighborhood issues, empowering residents involved in 19125 and 19134 zip codes. Our staff also help residents prevent foreclosures, address tangled titles, access legal services, and get trained as "community connectors organize neighborhood clean-ups, promote transportation safety, and support block captains. Real estate development: through its "anchor-based" approach to real estate development, NKCDC is building on existing community anchors such as McPherson Library and its own Orinoka Civic House and adding new anchors such as the Kensington Engagement Center and Tusculum Garden. By investing in formerly vacant and blighted properties, and bringing goods and services requested by residents, we can increase the zones in Kensington that feel safe for everyone including kids and seniors, give people reasons to come back to the Avenue, and create conditions for our small businesses to grow. We can also provide more desperately needed affordable housing and "stack" our programs and services in a small geographic area to maximize their impact. NKCDC also stabilizes and maintains vacant lots, increasing access to green space and addressing dumping. Community Health Workers: We train trained longstanding residents in Kensington to become PA State Certified Community Health Workers (CHWs). These trusted partners and community advocates learn a range of skills in community and behavioral health and then go door-to-door connecting residents with critical resources and assisting them as they navigate complex social services and healthcare systems. They work closely with other NKCDC teams and our partner organizations to connect residents to housing, food, utility, employment, mental health, and other services. Nutrition education: Nutrition education and food assistance programs are essential for promoting the health, stability, and resilience of the Kensington community. Our nutrition educators meet residents where they are - whether in our affordable apartment buildings, community gardens, local pantries, corner stores, or afterschool programs. Nutrition education programming provides practical knowledge, culturally relevant meals, and direct access to healthy food in a neighborhood impacted by food insecurity and health disparities. Urban agriculture: NKCDC's garden spaces are a hub for community cohesion and healing, providing residents with opportunities to not only grow their

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 55.1%; rating input score 55
• Program expense ratio: 77.8%; rating input score 78
• Fundraising efficiency: $26.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 13th 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: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 82.4%; rating input score 82; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • 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: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 29.3%; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.54; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 4.3%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 25.9% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings