Northwest Arkansas Equality Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 204521127
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2022–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021, Form 990-N 2018
- Location
- Fayetteville, AR, USA
- Phone
- 4799669014
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Lesbian, Gay Rights
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $398,471
- Expenses
- $376,717
- Assets
- $110,209
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
6 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Joseph Porter (Executive Director)
- Jafet Malave (President Treasurer)
Highest reported compensation
- Joseph Porter (Executive Director): $48,415 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Northwest Arkansas Equalitys mission is to provide programming, education and advocacy to serve, connect, and empower the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community.
What it reported doing in 2024
NWA Equality builds a vibrant and inclusive community by organizing diverse social activities, sporting events, family-friendly gatherings, and networking opportunities for LGBTQ individuals, families, and allies. Serving over 40,000 LGBTQ Arkansans, we are one of the regions only providers of free HIV and STI testing, prevention programs, and LGBTQ specific mental and physical health resource navigation, including peer counseling services. NWA Equality is a leading advocate for LGBTQ civil rights, advancing equality through education, advocacy, policy initiatives, and quality-of-life programs that uplift our community. Our team facilitates countless referrals to health, legal, financial, and housing resources, empowering LGBTQ individuals across Arkansas. We also elevate LGBTQ visibility and awareness by managing public communications, media relations, newsletters, and social media. Rainbow Thanksgiving, one of our cherished community events, serves over 300 guests, fostering a sense of belonging and connection. Additionally, our signature event, NWA Pride, is Arkansas largest LGBTQ celebration, creating a safe expressive environment that promotes LGBTQ visibility, protests inequality, educates about LGBTQ history, and celebrates the rich diversity of our culture.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 86% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- 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.
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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 76
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 84
- Sustainability: 42
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 75.8%; rating input score 76
- Program expense ratio: 80.1%; rating input score 80
- Fundraising efficiency: $31.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- 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: 5.5%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.29; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 12.9%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 26.3% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 19.6% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 75.8% of revenue deployed · 80.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $302K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $48K · 6 people listed
- Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 52/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.