Northwest Institute of Research

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
251296727
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Erie, PA, USA
Phone
8148369295
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$47,440,023
Expenses
$46,542,737
Assets
$8,959,316
Liabilities
$3,918,320

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ELANA COMO (CEO)
  • LINDA HOLMAN MBA SPHR (PRESIDENT)
  • DR APRIL TORRENCE (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ELANA COMO (CEO): $219,877 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 northwest institute of research, a nonprofit research and technical assistance organization, partners with public and private human service organizations and their stakeholders to build and operate high quality, accountable, and results-driven programs.

What it reported doing in 2024

Management and operation of research and social service programs with a focus on early childhood. Program funding is distributed to qualified organizations. The 20242025 annual monitoring review of early learning resource center (elrc) region 1 confirmed that all goals and performance standards were met. In july 2024, nwir, inc. Assumed management of elrc region 2.collectively, elrc regions 1 and 2 distributed more than $41 million to child care programs on behalf of subsidy-eligible families, as well as directly to providers through grant funding. The regional leadership council convened virtually to foster collaborative discussions focused on enhancing services and activities for children and families. Topics included strategies to strengthen health and safety practices and to expand social-emotional support for children and providers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 93% 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. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 97
  • Transparency & Controls: 68
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 36
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 97.7%; rating input score 98
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1,701.3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 14th 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: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • 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: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.9%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.44; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.5%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 17.5% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 17% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.2% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96% of revenue deployed · 97.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $45.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $220K · 7 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 30 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes grants and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 66 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 66 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 4/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.