Northeast Conference

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
222954605
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Bridgewater, NJ, USA
Phone
7324690440
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,466,879
Expenses
$13,239,662
Assets
$8,525,458
Liabilities
$2,358,357

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR KIMBERLY CLINE (PRESIDENT)
  • Dr Michael Avaltroni (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • NOREEN MORRIS (COMMISSIONER/SECRETARY/TREAS.): $488,652 total reported compensation
  • RON RATNER (ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER): $156,438 total reported compensation
  • ANDREW ALIA (ASSOCIATE COMMISSIONER): $125,527 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 conference is committed to providing quality athletics competition integral to and consistent with its member institutions' academic missions. The conference is dedicated to providing opportunities for student-athletes to achieve their fullest potential in the classroom, in athletic competition and in the community. The conference ensures that personal development of its student-athletes is given the highest priority and that, in doing so, it shall uphold the principles of ethical conduct, sportsmanship and equity. In pursuing this mission, the conference pledges to: a. Provide its member institutions the opportunity to conduct intercollegiate athletics as an integral component of their academic programs; b. Enhance educational opportunities for young men and women, and provide an environment in which integrity, leadership, academic achievement, athletics performance, personal growth, and sportsmanship can be developed; c. Strive for high academic and athletic achievement of studen

What it reported doing in 2024

The nec sponsored 25 sports including baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's outdoor track & field, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's volleyball. The nec enjoyed automatic qualification or play-in access to 17 different ncaa division i championships including baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's bowling, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's volleyball. More than 42,000 students attended nec institutions last year, of which approximately 4,000 participated in intercollegiate athletics. Nec again performed well in graduation success rate (gsr) figures released by the ncaa. According to ncaa data, nec student athletes graduated at a 90% rate over the four year time period, just three points off the conference record. Nearly 3,400 student-athletes were named to the nec's academic honor roll, while 1,273 were named to the commissioner's honor roll after posting gpas of 3.75 or higher. Nec student-athletes averaged a 3.323 gpa last year, a figure that ranks fourth in league history. The nec student athlete advisory committee (saac) came together for a two-day meeting last fall. Amidst the sharing of best practices, the group discussed leadership, community initiatives, online learning, mental health and wellness, and national saac issues. For the second straight year, fdu was the recipient of the nec building communities award. The award recognizes the institution that demonstrates the highest dedication to making an impact in the community through the efforts of its student-athletes, coaches and administrators. Fdu accumulated a conference-high 6,963 service hours through the contributions of 353 student-athletes during the recently completed academic year. The nec honored 25 teams - one for each sport the nec sponsors - for their commitment to sportsmanship last season as part of its annual team sportsmanship awards program. This initiative recognizes those teams who best adhere to the principles of sportsmanship and are recognized for pursuing victory with honor in their respective sports.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 61% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 70% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94.3%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 95.8%; rating input score 96
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 92.4%; rating input score 92; 22nd 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: 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.7%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.64; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.28; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.5%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.2% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.4% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 94.3% of revenue deployed · 95.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $12.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $489K · 14 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $721K reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 34 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 16 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 11 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.