Nous Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
844686547
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2023, Form 990-N 2020
Location
New Orleans, LA, USA
Phone
5044705659
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Cultural Exchange

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$263,929
Expenses
$228,856
Assets
$180,800
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • NICOLLE MCGUINESS (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • NICOLLE MCGUINESS (PRESIDENT)
  • OLIVIA WOOLLAM (TREASURER)
  • ETOSHA MCGEE (SECRETARY)

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The new orleans foundation for francophone cultures promotes and supports the revitalization of Louisiana's heritage cultures with a focus on the communities that claim Louisiana french and creole as their heritage languages -- namely cajun, creole, and indigenous communities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Other program expenses (total = $7,513)(1) grants & scholarships (= $6,197)awarded scholarships to two Louisiana teachers to have them participate in a pegagogical training session at cavilam de vichy, in france, in july 2024 ($3,800)awarded a travel grant to a french fulbright scholar based in chicago to have them conduct field research in new orleans ($1,697)awarded a travel grant to have a french journalist participate in workshops with french immersion school students ($700)(2) creation of interactive map (= $1,062)worked on the curation of a digital and interactive map to list Louisiana's heritage sites associated with our cajun/creole cultures. (3) organization of small reception for new orleans film society (= $254)organized the closing reception for the new orleans french film festival (march 2025). Purchased some food and drinks for our guests.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 72% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 80% for direct work, and 20% for 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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 51
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 58
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 50.7%; rating input score 51
  • Program expense ratio: 55.1%; rating input score 55
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.84 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th 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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • 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: 13.3%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.79; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 33.8% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 23.8% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 50.7% of revenue deployed · 55.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $126K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 51/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 36/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 35/100.