Positive Paths
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 464943070
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2018–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Mesa, AZ, USA
- Phone
- 4807880615
- Rating
- 81
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $248,730
- Expenses
- $173,456
- Assets
- $519,512
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
19 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- MARIA HESSE (VICE PRESIDENT)
- CHERRI MARRESE (PAST PRESIDENT)
- LACINDA LEWIS (PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- KATHLEEN DOWLER (DIRECTOR-EMERITIS)
- JANICE PARKER (DIRECTOR-EMERITIS)
- CARYN GOSE (DIRECTOR-EMERITIS)
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 organization supports east valley women in need by providing life-bridge to economic stability, personal growth and professional achievement. This is done through mentorship programs, scholarships and supportive services.
What it reported doing in 2024
Since the fall of 2014, the organization has awarded over 150 east valley women the opportunity to get an education by awarding them an educational scholarship. Each of these women has worked hard to overcome lifes traumatic obstacles and is determined to improve their lives, and that of their children, through an education. These women are committed to achieving a degree that will enhance their career and provide for a sustainable life. Each woman is assigned a successful, professional mentor. These mentors provide encouragement and support to these women. In fact, for most of them, it is the first time anyone believed in them and showed them any support in their lifetime. Each recipient must maintain a 2.5 gpa and provide proof of their grades and progression towards their degree. The scholarship committee evaluates the progress before any additional money is approved. The maximum amount that is generally allocated is $8,000 per recipient.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 84% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 52% for direct work, and 48% for grants.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and some filed totals do not add up.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 75
- Transparency & Controls: 89
- Accountability: 76
- Sustainability: 76
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 65.5%; rating input score 66
- Program expense ratio: 90%; rating input score 90
- Fundraising efficiency: $47.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
- 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: 30.3%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 3; rating input score 69; 69th 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: 13.3% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 14.5% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 65.5% of revenue deployed · 90% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $156K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 19 people listed
- Consistency: 23 of 24 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 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.
- Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.