Pioneer Library System

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
736081619
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2014
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
Norman, OK, USA
Phone
4058014505
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Libraries

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$15,507,691
Expenses
$13,978,186
Assets
$5,931,448
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ANNE MASTERS (EXECUTIVE DI): $140,212 total reported compensation
  • DOUGLAS BUCK (FINANCE MANA): $84,266 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Library services connecting you to the joy of reading and to information for lifelong learning all activities within the 11 libraries of the pioneer library system (pls) are designed and delivered with a commitment to quality library service for every customer, regardless of age, circumstance or location. As its name reflects, pls helps people explore life's pathway, whether developing new skills, transition to new technologies or finding another great book our libraries serve as a catalyst in the lives of our customers and communities.

What it reported doing in 2014

Early literacy and reading readiness the annual pls summer reading program reaches readers and patrons of all ages across the three-county library system. More than 33,000 children, teens and adults participated in approximately 900 total programs during the summer. Touring programs by professional artists, musicians and storytellers filled our libraries to capacity. Partners for summer reading included the Oklahoma arts council, the anne & henry zarrow foundation, the pioneer library system foundation, hitachi computers of america, inc., and the kirkpatrick foundation. To address the growing need for stem (science technology engineering and math) we introduced programs and circulated stem kits for tween and teen patrons focusing on everything from circuit boards to sewing machines. The award-winning growing like a read early literacy program distributed booklets to all new parents in our three county-system to promote the importance of reading to babies.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 97% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 85
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.3%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 86.8%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $157.9 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 4th 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; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 9.9%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.42; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.6%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -11.3% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.3% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.9% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.3% of revenue deployed · 86.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $12.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $140K · 16 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 27 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2009 to 2014
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 18/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Conflict-of-interest policy not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.