Polar Bear Sustainable Energy Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
920393311
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2024, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Highland Park, MI, USA
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Home Improvement and Repairs

Reported finances

Revenue
$100,000
Expenses
$15,350
Assets
$116,400

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Odessa Weidener (Presisdent)
  • Akanke Hill (Treasurer)
  • Brian Donovan (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-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The general purposes of the corporation shall be to perform charitable and educational functions related to the provision of low cost or no-cost partly or entirely subsidized green renewable services for historically marginalized individuals and populations with a focus on Highland Park and Detroit Michigan. PBSEF will partly or entirely subsidize the labor and material costs of these types of beneficial projects for those who cannot afford to fund such improvements. PBSEF will further ensure fairness in the contracting for such services and closely monitor the quality of both materials and workmanship in the execution of all projects for PBSEFs beneficiaries. In fulfilling its mission and purpose. In fulfilling its mission and purpose PBSEF seeks to improve the health comfort and basic economic well-being of marginalized Michiganders thereby providing the served community with reasonable solutions for the energy poverty that exists in Michigan.

What it reported doing in 2024

PBSE Foundation raised and granted funds to support a pilot project in four homes in Highland Park and Detroit. The goal of the pilot is to investigate the work the costs and the contractors required to provide green renewable services in these communities. The pilot included homeowners of diverse income levels to investigate the level of subsidy required to make services accessible for households of different means. Down the line the pilot will also measure impacts on energy usage and utility bills paid by the homeowners.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 46
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 15%; rating input score 15
  • Program expense ratio: 97.7%; rating input score 98

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 84.7%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.58; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -120% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 114.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 15% of revenue deployed · 97.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $15K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 15/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.