Spokane Language House

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811152613
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2019, Form 990-N 2018
Location
Spokane, WA, USA
Phone
5095994789
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Humanities Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$185,944
Expenses
$60,581
Assets
$378,505
Liabilities
$2,305

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • BARRY MOSES (BOARD PRES/E): $3,250 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 spokane language house is to create a new generation of fluent speakers of the spokane language

What it reported doing in 2024

The spokane language house strives to create a new, intergenerational community of fluent speakers who are grounded in the language, spirituality and ancestral practices of the spokane tribe. During the year, the organization built on the successes of 2021 and 2022, thanks to the generous support of our funders and the dedication of our staff. We continued teaching the spokane language through spokane book one and 13 students learned over 800 vocabulary words and 6 old stories. In the fall we began spokane book two. 10 of our book one students signed up and 7 teachers from the immersion school joined the class to continue in their journey of immersion in language and culture for one year.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 48
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 44
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 30.5%; rating input score 31
  • Program expense ratio: 93.4%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • 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: 67.4%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.25; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.4%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -15.7% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 33% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 30.5% of revenue deployed · 93.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 3 board members independent · 1 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $57K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $3K · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2020 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 31/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.