Renaissance West Community Initiative

What it reported doing in 2025

Workforce Development and Adult EducationThis program supports residents in expanding their educational and career opportunities through personalized career coaching, including career assessments, resume building, and job search assistance. It also facilitates enrollment in certification programs and offers initiatives to improve digital and financial literacy. In 2025, 14 individuals enrolled in the online GED program, while 16 participated in the in-person GED program. In total, 30 individuals were served through this program.Early Childhood EducationOperated by Dixon Academy, the Howard Levine Child Development Center (HLCDC) is a high-quality early learning program aimed at preparing children for kindergarten. From August 1st,2024 May 31st, 2025, the center enrolled 125 children. End-of-year data for the 2023-2024 school year from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools indicated limited growth across all measures in the prekindergarten classrooms. During the 2025 school year, our partner Charlotte Speech and Hearing, screened 82 children, 13 of whom are now receiving therapy services and 45 of whom are enrolled in our APPLE literacy program. Pre-test results showed that 29% of these children demonstrated age-appropriate language and literacy skills, while post-test results revealed a significant improvement, with 95% achieving age-appropriate skills.K-8 EducationRenaissance West STEAM Academy serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, offering educational and enrichment opportunities to foster academic achievement. Approximately 800 students are enrolled. For the 20242025 school year, RWSA earned an overall School Performance Grade of "C" (score of 59), continuing a steady upward trajectory from a "D" in 2023. The school's strongest results were in academic growth: RWSA exceeded expected growth with an overall index of 92.9 which is the highest growth tier, marking the fourth time in five reporting years the school has exceeded growth. Reading growth exceeded expectations, and math growth met expectations. Grade-level proficiency stood at approximately 53% in math and 40% in reading, both approaching the district and state averages and reflecting the gap the school continues to close. The school also offers a variety of out-of-school time programs, including Barre Belle (15 participants), Alliance Center for Education (40), Girl Scouts (31), and Fashion Club, which served 30 students in grades 6 through 8 totaling 116 students engaged in extracurricular activities.Health and WellnessThis program aims to enhance the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of residents through community engagement, wellness initiatives, and access to supportive resources. In 2025, RWCI continued hosting neighborhood-wide events and targeted programming focused on community connection, safety, healthy living, and housing stability. Efforts included wellness walks, food distribution events, mental health support initiatives, youth and family engagement activities, and resident workshops centered on topics such as home safety, self-care, and resource accessibility. RWCI also strengthened partnerships with local organizations to expand wellness programming and increase resident access to community-based support. These efforts were designed to promote social connectedness, improve overall quality of life, and encourage long-term community stability and well-being.Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Case Management The FSS program is a work-requirement initiative designed to help participants increase their income and achieve upward mobility. It also includes a focus on older adults, offering programming that supports mental and physical wellness, leadership development, and access to resources. Participation in the program was recorded at 44 in January 2025 and 32 in March 2025.Life Navigation This voluntary program provides personalized coaching, mentoring, and resource navigation to help families set SMART goals that support educational ad

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 88.5%; rating input score 89
• Program expense ratio: 66.6%; rating input score 67
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • 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; 75th 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -32.5%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.88; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 17.8%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.5% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 0.6% per year; rating input score 100; 10th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings