Ophelia J Berry Fund Inc Pathways to College

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
260060754
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Montclair, NJ, USA
Phone
2015416803
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Reported finances

Revenue
$588,957
Expenses
$1,185,190
Assets
$277,036
Liabilities
$4,906

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JUDITH B GRIFFIN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JUDITH B GRIFFIN (PRESIDENT): $192,857 total reported compensation
  • ALYCE FRAKLIN (CFO): $144,121 total reported compensation
  • ALYSSA ALSTON (COMMUNICATIO): $115,008 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Providing counseling service in multiple states to high school students of color that wish to attend college.

What it reported doing in 2024

Pathways is extremely proud that, continuing a trend that began with our founding as an independent nonprofit in 2003, 100% of our class of 2024 earned high school graduation and college acceptance. These scholars began their high school tenure during the height of a pandemic that devastated the very communities targeted by pathways, where students of color living in poverty are concentrated. Despite the ongoing effects of covid, our scholars persevered through unprecedented challenges to achieve milestones that have only become more essential in the modern economy. The blended-learning national scholars program (nsp) successfully served students in gary, in, newark, nj, and pine bluff, Arkansas. Guided by the research-based, discussion-based pathways curriculum, scholars developed the knowledge, skills, and habits for success in college and life during virtual sessions. Pathways immersed nsp scholars in history, the arts, sciences, and higher education planning during college and cultural trips in chicago, il, jackson, ms, and philadelphia, pa. Pathways proudly expanded its reach in gary, in, by launching its school- based scholars program at aspire charter academy, working with this middle school to give students and teachers more time to practice skills and impact the wider community. Pathways operated a four-week summer discovery 2024 program at aspire, providing opportunities for school and pathways staff members to coordinate and strengthen planning and support for the following school-year program. Scholars enjoyed the curriculum developed for middle school students, which focused on academic enrichment and exposure to historic sites in chicago. In addition to the scholar voices annual literary magazine, which features artwork and writing by national scholars program students and alumni from prior years, pathways developed a special edition of scholar voices to celebrate aspire's summer scholars and teachers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 12
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 66.9%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -101.2%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.23; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 44.5%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -6.1% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 66.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $793K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $193K · 11 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $193K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 12/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.