Project Grad Akron

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
161639511
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Akron, OH, USA
Phone
3307613056
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,113,756
Expenses
$1,153,938
Assets
$551,500
Liabilities
$42,100

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

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • EBONY YEBOAH AMANKWAH ESQ (PRESIDENT ELECT)
  • DIANE MILLER-DAWSON (PRESIDENT)
  • BRADLEY DUNN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • JACQUELINE A SILAS-BUTLER ESQ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JACQUELINE A SILAS-BUTLER ESQ (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $156,812 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

In collaboration with community partners, project grad akron will provide a system of programs, supports, and scholarships for underrepresented students to achieve success from pre-kindergarten through career.

What it reported doing in 2024

Secondary and post-secondary programming: project grad akron's college and career central programming provides college and career readiness and access services for 6th through 12th grade students in selected schools of the akron public schools. Once students have successfully graduated from high school, support programs and services are provided for the students to persist and successfully graduate from college. College and career central (3c) is our comprehensive readiness program that prepares students for life after high school graduation through a systematic approach which supports students to make informed choices about their future. The program provides students with the information, knowledge, resources, and skills to be ready for life after high school graduation whether the plan is to enroll in college, enlist in the military, or move directly to employment. The program model is designed to prepare all students grades 6th through 12th with college and career readiness services incorporating interconnected key concepts utilizing evidence based practices. Juniors and seniors participate in traditional and team mentoring through grad mentors!. Grads persist provides continuing outreach services to our postsecondary students to support their persistence in their post-secondary pursuits. The program design is based on best practices in the area of college success.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 68% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72.7%; rating input score 73
  • Program expense ratio: 70.1%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $14.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: -3.6%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.48; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.6%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -2.2% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72.7% of revenue deployed · 70.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 21 of 21 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $808K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $157K · 22 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 31 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 27/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 46/100.