Sankofa Community Development Corporation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
263471054
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
New Orleans, LA, USA
Phone
5048729214
Rating
67
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,789,117
Expenses
$1,681,156
Assets
$3,085,092
Liabilities
$478,496

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Rashida Ferdinand (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • Rashida Ferdinand (CEO): $137,292 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

At Sankofa Community Development Corporation, we believe health to be the cornerstone of a thriving community with safety, stability and overall viability. We are committed to sustainable, health-centered development to revitalize the Lower Ninth Ward area through the lens of environmental justice. Our community and economic development programs address those systemic problems that cause social and health disparities by building infrastructure that works with nature (rather than against it). We are creating simple solutions to real-world problems by building infrastructure to support a resilient community in the Lower Ninth Ward and a local environment that promotes positive health outcomes and builds healthier communities for generations to come.

What it reported doing in 2024

The Lower Ninth Ward Mainstreet Program aims to revitalize St. Claude Avenue into a vibrant commercial corridor by attracting economic development, promoting cultural richness, and uplifting future generations through sustainable investments, education, and equitable systems. The program will support the revitalization of the St Claude Ave corridor to foster opportunities for innovation, the development of a healthy and sustainable circular economy, and design elements that reflect the beauty and culture of the Lower Ninth Ward area. The program goals are to: 1) facilitate economic growth of the St. Claude Avenue corridor; 2) improve public perception of the St. Claude Ave corridor through projects and programs designed to elevate the built environment; 3) support community engagement, leadership, and thought partnership on Lower Ninth Ward Main Street priorities by working with community stakeholders to advocate for resources that support economic investment on St. Claude Ave corridor; and 4) utilize diverse marketing and outreach approaches to communicate L9W Main Street programs and priorities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 44
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 41.2%; rating input score 41
  • Program expense ratio: 43.9%; rating input score 44
  • Fundraising efficiency: $18.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 19th 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.84; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.16; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.2%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.7% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 22.7% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 41.2% of revenue deployed · 43.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $738K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $137K · 9 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $278K reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 41/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 44/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 56/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 43/100.