Samueli Academy

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
453866750
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Santa Ana, CA, USA
Phone
7146190245
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Charter Schools

Reported finances

Revenue
$18,552,500
Expenses
$16,618,732
Assets
$21,632,113
Liabilities
$10,361,593

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANTHONY SABA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANTHONY SABA (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $382,009 total reported compensation
  • JOHN LUKER (CFO): $324,207 total reported compensation
  • LEE FLEMING (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $305,557 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission is to provide a transformational learning environment to community, underserved and foster teens that offers consistency, stability, support, and a community in which to belong, thrive, and grow into successful, independent adults.

What it reported doing in 2024

The samueli academy is a public charter 7-12 grade school in santa ana with 800 students that prepares youth for higher education and a self-sufficient, health adult life. Some of the unique features of the school are: an individualized approach to academic instruction that utilizes a stem and project based learning curriculum; a 48 bed foster youth residential program; a wide array of afterschool program and extracurricular activities to provide students with additional academic support; numerous athletic and arts opportunities; and participation in classroom-based training and real-life experiences to provide youth the knowledge and tools for successful independent living.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 88% 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. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.1%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 91.3%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: $50.92 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd 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; 66th 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: 10.4%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.3; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.48; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.1%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.4% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26.3% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.1% of revenue deployed · 91.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $15.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $382K · 14 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 24/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.