Pyramid Alternatives Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
942251653
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2016
Forms available
Form 990 2016
Location
Pacifica, CA, USA
Phone
6505919623
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alcohol, Drug and Substance Abuse, Dependency Prevention and Treatment

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,436,129
Expenses
$1,585,265
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVID BLAIN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • LINDA MALONE (EXECUTIVE DI): $39,295 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The organization's mission is to provide community-based counseling and education in a safe and healing environment that embraces the cultural and emotional needs of every client.

What it reported doing in 2016

Through its outpatient based recovery and mental health services, pyramid provides a multitude of programming to individuals and families. Pyramid currently has three (3)divisions encompassing 23 programs. In pyramid continues to play an integral role within the san mateo county's various arenas from prevention, early intervention, to treatment services. Pyramid continues to be a leader amongst its peers serving as the lead agency for the san mateo county's behavioral health and recovery services contractors association, where over 22 agencies come together to meet and discuss political as well as programming developments that impact their client populations. Pyramid continues to be an innovator in the area of programming development. Pyramid has been instrumental in the planning and development of programming aimed at decreasing stigma and increasing service access for the chinese and chinese american population here in san mateo county.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 72% 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

SUPPORTED - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 14
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 81.6%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 74%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -10.4%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.5%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -9.6% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -11.5% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -36.3% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 81.6% of revenue deployed · 74% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $39K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2013 to 2016
  • 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.

Key Signals

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

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.