Santa Barbara Special Enforcement Team Support Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
272315720
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Buellton, CA, USA
Phone
8056814100
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$252,132
Expenses
$431,168
Assets
$332,800
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN WILCZAK (PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • BRIAN THIELST (CEO/SECRETARY/DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • JOHN WILCZAK (PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR)
  • BRIAN THIELST (CEO/SECRETARY/DIRECTOR)
  • DOUG JONES (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The foundation seeks to bring together charitable donors, community leaders and nonprofit organizations in support of, and to encourage philanthropic support of santa barbara county sheriff's deputies, by providing training and equipment, all with the goal of enhancing the quality of service and safety for the communities served.the foundation's purpose is to educate and inform the public of the importance and necessity of the special enforcement team, and the role it carries in the public safety of our citizens. The foundation seeks to provide financial support to allow for the critical services provided by the s.e.t. To the central coast communities and beyond. Support to the s.e.t. Foundation will allow the acquisition of highly specialized equipment necessary to respond to the most difficult scenarios while keeping citizens and deputies safe. Additionally, the foundation seeks to provide specialized training and the advancement of education for the members of the s.e.t., other

What it reported doing in 2024

Primary program services consist of monthly funding of a station for the unit, from which the unit is able to respond as well as specialized training for the unit.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 84% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 61% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 95
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 97.3%; rating input score 97
  • Fundraising efficiency: $23.87 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th 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: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • 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: -71%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.77; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -5.6% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 97.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $420K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.