North Ed Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
365071707
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
Traverse City, MI, USA
Phone
9894305756
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Fund Raising and/or Fund Distribution

Reported finances

Revenue
$807,955
Expenses
$141,024
Assets
$1,143,547
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATRICK LAMB (PRESIDENT)
  • SUE ZELL (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • PATRICK LAMB (PRESIDENT)
  • SUE ZELL (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • KEVIN GAY (TREASURER)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To connect the generosity of the community with students served by northwest education services in ways that support their areas of need, growth, education and career goals.

What it reported doing in 2025

The foundation supports students through three primary methods: student emergency resource fund to support emergency needs while in school, including but not limited to food, clothing, assistive technology devices or basic medical care. Tools of the trade fund provides assistance to students going directly into the world of work. Scholarship fund supports graduates attending post-secondary education.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 97% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 95% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 92
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 18.2%; rating input score 18
  • Program expense ratio: 89.9%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $66.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 82.5%; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.11; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 190.1% per year; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 84.1% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 93.3% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 18.2% of revenue deployed · 89.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $127K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 18/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.