Redwood City Parks and Arts Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
454990174
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Redwood City, CA, USA
Phone
6502418337
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$619,747
Expenses
$622,218
Assets
$4,525,753
Liabilities
$2,524,592

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

People named in this filing

  • PAMELA ESTES (CHAIRPERSON)
  • SHEILA CEPERO (VICE CHAIR)
  • LISA SCHOFIELD (TREASURER)

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's mission is to aid, assist, promote, advocate and develop support of the public park facilities, recreational programming and community services, cultural activities, including visual performing and public art and civic events in the redwood city community. To advocate, advance, and develop support for parks, recreational programming, community services, cultural activities, and the arts in redwood city and surrounding unincorporated areas.

What it reported doing in 2024

Hosted valentine's message fundraiser - donors' valentine messages were displayed on large led screen on courthouse square with large lighted floral heart in front of it for photo opportunities.planned and hosted chalk full of fun in downtown redwood city on july 3 and 4.hosted the annual fundraiser, picnic en blanc, to raise funds for a community need.hosted a pre-summer fundraiser for music on the square.provide volunteers (the bucket brigade) for music on the square fundraising at the 13 friday night concerts hosted by the city of redwood city.co-hosted oktoberfest (an event over 9 days in september) with the city of redwood city.co-hosted 4 pub in the park events in local parks during the summer with the city of redwood city.maintained and managed volunteer kindness ambassador program to provide staffing at the magical bridge playground, and planned and hosted 10 events at the playground.planned and hosted magical music & motion, which is 11 live performances at magical bridge playground. Facilitated other programming at the magical bridge playground.support concession sales at zoppe circus which is hosted by the city of redwood city.sponsored and supported an inclusion festival in red morton park.foundation continued a newsletter and switched to constant contact for distribution which is available through donor perfect subscription.provided a grant to the city of redwood city's parks, recreation, and community services dept for the purchase of arcade and video games to create a public center for video gaming.maintained charles schwab accounts for foundation funds, prcs grant funds and the liability account. Partnered with emma taylor of peninsula puzzlers to co-host two jigsaw puzzle team competitions.maintained a membership with the chamber san mateo county.continued fiscal sponsorship of oye latinx conference.sponsored the bravemaker filmfest.sponsored dia de los muertos in november hosted by casa circulo cultural.board members continued a monthly work group meeting, in addition to regular monthly board meetings. Received a grant from the chan zuckerberg initiative to continue the arts programming plan for the czi community space. Implement the czi community space arts programming plan by convening an art advisory work group and issuing a call for art.hosted one art exhibition opening at the czi community space.we continued to have a part-time administrative assistant from jan. 2024 through sept. 2024 at which time she resigned.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 74% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 53
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 79.4%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 76%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.56 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.7%; rating input score 99; 47th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: -0.4%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.27; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.56; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 21.2% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 79.4% of revenue deployed · 76% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $473K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 25 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 5 filed related-organization links
  • 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 11/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 34/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 14/100.