Spring Valley Fire Relief Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
416034237
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Spring Valley, MN, USA
Phone
5074215196
Rating
46
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Associations (Non-Government)

Reported finances

Revenue
$53,316
Expenses
$9,987
Assets
$849,010
Liabilities
$4,260

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN FENSKE (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MITCHELL PLAEHN (TREASURER): $1,200 total reported compensation
  • DUSTIN KIMBALL (SECRETARY): $350 total reported compensation
  • JOHN FENSKE (PRESIDENT): $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 association maintains a single employer defined benefit pension plan for volunteer firefighters in spring valley, Minnesota.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 69% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue comfortably covers expenses. 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: 11
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 39
  • Sustainability: 78
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 6.5%; rating input score 7
  • Program expense ratio: 20.5%; rating input score 21
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 44.4%; rating input score 44; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 81.3%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 85.01; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 20.5%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3.6% per year; rating input score 0; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 6.5% of revenue deployed · 20.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 9 board members independent · 3 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 16 of 16 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 7/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 44/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 13/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.