Sage Leaders

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
851190550
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Phone
2065685000
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,057,789
Expenses
$933,336
Assets
$1,213,967
Liabilities
$105,511

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • TIFFANY MENDOZA (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHRISTINA SHIMIZU (CO-EXEC DIRE): $113,519 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Sage leaders cultivates deep democracy in Washington state by developing black, indigenous and people of color community leaders for civic and elected leadership.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024, our political leadership council (plc) members vetted and endorsed 28 bipoc candidates from counties across Washington state. Plc members are grassroots community leaders who are alumni of our community leadership institute. By participating in the plc, members gain direct exposure to campaigns and have an opportunity to build relationships with local candidates. We offered skill building though days of action and popular education on technical topics, such as how to move move money in politics. Of the 28 candidates endorsed, 21 of them won their race. We also ran our bipoc candidate cohort, which is a peer support group that offers training resources for progressive civic leaders interested in running for office. In 2024, 15 bipoc candidates from across Washington state attended support sessions led by local elected officials or former candidates. Session leaders shared their personal experiences and insights. In addition to these groups, we held a campaign camp in the fall, to support bipoc leaders in exploring the idea of running for elected office, and for those interested in working as campaign staff.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 84% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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 - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 64
  • Sustainability: 51
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 62.9%; rating input score 63
  • Program expense ratio: 70.6%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th 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: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 11.8%; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.3; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 37.3% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 33.5% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 34.9% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 62.9% of revenue deployed · 70.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 1 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $659K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $114K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 38/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 44/100.