School Nutrition Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
846039412
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Arlington, VA, USA
Phone
7038243000
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Human Services

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,064,079
Expenses
$1,369,762
Assets
$6,552,859
Liabilities
$360,444

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATRICIA MONTAGUE (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • PATRICIA MONTAGUE (CEO): $589,649 total reported compensation
  • KIMBERLEY WILLIAMS (VP FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION): $264,414 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 school nutrition foundation focuses on advancing school nutrition programs by providing resources to school nutrition professionals. Through collaboration with the school nutrition association, allied partners and donors, the school nutrition foundation is committed to identifying and supporting school nutrition research, trends and innovations, sharing best practices with the school nutrition community and providing scholarships to sna members for professional development and continuing education. Advancing school nutrition programs by providing resources to school nutrition professionals so well-nourished students prepared for success.

What it reported doing in 2024

Lead to succeed initiative addresses workforce development needs for school nutrition professionals in the areas of personnel management and communication, and marketing and customer service. This program was made possible through a $2 million grant from the u.s. Department of agriculture (usda) food & nutrition service and developed with a team from georgetown university mcdonough school of business. Extension granted in prior year ended may 20, 2025.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 61% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 88% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 67
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.2%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 71.4%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $45.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 89.3%; rating input score 89; 38th 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: 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: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -28.7%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.78; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.1%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -2.3% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.2% of revenue deployed · 71.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $978K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $590K · 13 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 12 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 36/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.