Sophia Montessori Academy
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 814982140
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2019–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2016
- Location
- Denver, CO, USA
- Phone
- 3039276550
- Rating
- 58
- Verdict
- MIXED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Kindergarten, Preschool, Nursery School, Early Admissions
- Affiliation
- Christianity
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $721,642
- Expenses
- $602,620
- Assets
- $204,647
- Liabilities
- $-22,439
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
7 people listed
Highest reported compensation
- Pauline Meert (School Director): $64,108 total reported compensation
- Scott Blackhood (School Director): $5,873 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Sophia Montessori is dedicated to serving children and families by inspiring a deep love of the Faith, to assist them in becoming problem solvers, critical thinkers, and fearless leaders. This is accomplished through a rigorous, classically-based curriculum following Dr. Montessori's method of education. Our mission is to bring the children into relationship with Christ through a way of life based in Truth, Beauty and Goodness as we lead them to their God-given potential. Our approach is founded on the reality of Christ and the Good Shepherd. Religious education is fostered specifically through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and supported through the Divine Liturgy and daily prayer
What it reported doing in 2024
The facility and classroom is provided for students' learning environment. All spaces are kept in order and clean at all times. The materials and lessons offered are frequently rotated and renewed throughout the school year. In the summer months, the outdoor spaces includes gardening activities and water play. Seasonal crafts and field trips are provided to encourage cultural experience.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 62% 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
MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. 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: 41
- Transparency & Controls: 84
- Accountability: 45
- Sustainability: 42
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 38.1%; rating input score 38
- Program expense ratio: 45.7%; rating input score 46
- Fundraising efficiency: $11.78 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd 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: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 60%; rating input score 60; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 16.5%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.34; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
- Officer compensation ratio: 11.6%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 12% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 10% per year; rating input score 100; 59th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 38.1% of revenue deployed · 45.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 3 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $275K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $64K · 7 people listed
- Consistency: 43 of 43 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules
- Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 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 38/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 46/100.
- High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 32/100.