Rivers Edge Academy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
020811896
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2017
Forms available
Form 990 2017
Location
St Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6512340150
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Elementary, Secondary Education, K - 12

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,329,495
Expenses
$1,635,988
Assets
$1,260,007
Liabilities
$2,197,588

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MEGHAN CAVALIER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MEGHAN CAVALIER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $105,902 total reported compensation
  • SKY DAVEY (MEMBER/TEACHER): $62,357 total reported compensation
  • EMILY LUNDBERG (SECRETARY/TEACHER): $43,907 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of rivers edge academy is, in partnership with parents and community, to prepare urban high school students for their further education and career with rigorous academics, innovative projects and an interdisciplinary river-focused curriculum.

What it reported doing in 2017

River's edge academy challenges students to discover their greatness by learning through experience in a small, supportive community. Rea is a charter public high school located on the west side of st. Paul. The board of directors and staff are committed to providing a high quality academic program with an emphasis on experiential learning. River's edge academy partners with expeditionary learning schools and the voyageur outward bound school to provide leadership and character development. The community serves less than 100 students and prepares students for post secondary education with 100% of graduates being accepted into college. Students participate in weekly field work including service projects, college visits and academic field trips visiting museum, labs, libraries and natural spaces.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 96% 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.
  • 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. The required major-donor schedule is missing or incomplete and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 91
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 17
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.5%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 78.5%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $543.91 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings

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: No; rating input score 0
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 71.4%; rating input score 71; 13th 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -23.1%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.77; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.74; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.7% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.5% of revenue deployed · 78.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $106K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2010 to 2017
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Major donor itemization scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 38/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.