South Baltimore Learning Corporation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
521745263
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Baltimore, MD, USA
Phone
4106254215
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$968,563
Expenses
$1,389,941
Assets
$2,215,130
Liabilities
$114,302

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANNE HEESTERS SCHROTH (PRESIDENT)
  • ANDREA GRIESMAR (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • CHRISTINE WHITE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MELISSA SMITH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • MELISSA SMITH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $122,630 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 of the sblc is to improve the self-sufficiency of educationally disadvantaged adults. Sblc is a community based nonprofit organization providing functional literacy and life skills training in addition to career preparation services to residents in the baltimore area.

What it reported doing in 2024

Sblc offered an 8-week summer semester, a 12-week fall semester, a 12-week winter semester, a 10-week spring session for abe/ged. The national external diploma program and the tutoring program are year round. Adult learners enrolled in all programs (except computer classes and workforce literacy class), did not complete a traditional 0-12 diploma. Intake screening and pre-testing is conducted to determine the academic level at which a leaner should be placed. The programs, except for ged classes nedp and ctc classes are free of charge, as opposed to a private tutoring center. Sblc conducted classes on site in its headquarter location and also off site at three partner locations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 85% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 77.9%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $35.65 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -43.5%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.59; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.8%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 77.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 16 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $123K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 4/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 41/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.