Quality Connections Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
861000271
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Flagstaff, AZ, USA
Phone
9287738787
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$8,016,228
Expenses
$8,023,109
Assets
$4,294,054
Liabilities
$3,472,452

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ARMANDO BERNASCONI (President & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • JAMES CARPENTER (CFO): $124,125 total reported compensation
  • ARMANDO BERNASCONI (President & CEO): $72,445 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Our mission is to provide quality support and employment services to individuals with disabilities and disadvantages in order to increase both their independence and their participation in our community.

What it reported doing in 2024

QUALITY CONNECTIONS INC (QC) PROVIDES A VARIETY OF SERVICES TO ASSIST DISABLED INDIVIDUALS IN OUR COMMUNITY. OUR PROGRAMS INCLUDE EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, DAY PROGRAMS, AND RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS.Our Employment Services Department provides employment opportunities and support services to persons with disabilities and disadvantages. QC assists our clients in obtaining and maintaining employment, as well as providing on-the-job support. Additionally we teach marketable skills enabling our clients to obtain gainful employment in the community.QC's philosophy is to provide superior services to individuals based on their needs and abilities. We use the highest qualified staff, appropriate services, and community inclusion in order to overcome barriers to employment. Our clients benefit in the following ways:- Individuals referred are interviewed and evaluated- Resume, application, and interviewing techniques are provided- Assistance in learning appropriate work skills and characteristics is provided if appropriate- QC performs an individualized job search targeting employment settings that match the prospective employee's strengths and abilities- Follow-Up support services are provided to ensure success on the jobOur Practical Life Skills program has strategies and resources to ensure effective learning through hands-on sensorial activities and lessons. Our mission for adults with developmental disadvantages is for them to be safe and healthy, and to have a sense of belonging. Our clients have a full range of opportunities to learn and be successful by engaging in real life skills. Our trained instructors invite and guide individuals to be independent in a learning environment. Our program is welcoming and creative.The goal of Quality Connections' Residential Programs is to increase the growing opportunities for people with disabilities allowing them to both contribute and to develop their unique capacities. QC's focus is on enhancing the experiences of our clients which offers them the opportunity to both make contributions, and to be recognized and valued in our community.Individualized plans are developed to assist our residents in refining their living skills in order to increase personal and social independence.Quality Connections' Residential Programs offer 2 levels of services:- QC's Group Homes are licensed and monitored by the State of Arizona. They offer a variety of social and community-based activities for our residential clients.- QC's Independent Living settings are offered to appropriate individuals who may require assistance in maintaining and refining independence in their own homes.Quality Connections new program Evergreen Preschool Academy:- Started in March of 2022. They offer 3 different childcare options, Nursery, Young Toddler and Preschool. They also offer before and afterschool care. - The mission is to teach our Preschoolers, of all abilities, to have a love of learning through a child-centered, developmentally appropriate program and to explore play through a positive environment that provides skill development in all areas of the childs development: physical, social, emotional, cognitive and communication. We will follow the 7 Principles of the Montessori Method, Play is Work, Prepared Environment, Observation, Freedom within Limits, Respect, Hands-On Learning, and Independence. We will teach positive emotional development through conscious discipline where children will grow their social and emotional intelligence through self-control and self-regulation.- The goal at Evergreen Academy is to be Flagstaffs leading preschool. Our program gives children ages 6-weeks through 12-years enriching opportunities to develop the whole child. We focus on learning through child-directed play, experiences and curriculum time. We believe a balance of play and preschool enhances growth and development in all areas: physically, socially, emotionally, creatively, and intellectually. This is achieved in a safe and loving enviro

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 95% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 31
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 92.7%; rating input score 93
  • Program expense ratio: 92.9%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.75 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.1%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.54; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.81; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.5%; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.1% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21.6% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 92.7% of revenue deployed · 92.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $124K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • 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.
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 16/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 33/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 10/100.