Start Lighthouse

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
852137528
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2021
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
8645594347
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Reported finances

Revenue
$670,867
Expenses
$624,082
Assets
$607,537
Liabilities
$9,800

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RINA MADHANI (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • ALISON SCHWARTZ (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • RINA MADHANI (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $99,716 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Founded nbsp; in nbsp; bronx nbsp; ny nbsp; start nbsp; lighthouse nbsp; is nbsp; a nbsp;501(c)3 nbsp; nonprofit nbsp; dedicated nbsp; to nbsp; advancing nbsp; childhood nbsp; literacy nbsp; through nbsp; a nbsp; social nbsp; justice nbsp; lense nbsp; start nbsp; lighthouse nbsp; addresses nbsp; the nbsp; literacy nbsp; crisis nbsp; with nbsp; a nbsp; three-pronged nbsp; approach nbsp; to nbsp; create nbsp; compelling nbsp; rewarding nbsp; reading nbsp; programs

What it reported doing in 2024

Literacy adventure program

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 79% 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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 26
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.7%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 74.9%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 78.6%; rating input score 79; 0th 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 7%; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.97; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 50.8% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 58% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 71.7% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 69.7% of revenue deployed · 74.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $66K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 29 current checks pass · 3 findings to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 55/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 42/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D expense reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D revenue reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.