Summit Speech School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
221829502
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New Providence, NJ, USA
Phone
9085080011
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$5,181,103
Expenses
$4,719,620
Assets
$12,041,102
Liabilities
$390,081

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

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RAY DORSO (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • RAY DORSO (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $135,070 total reported compensation
  • PAMELA VOLPE (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR): $123,156 total reported compensation
  • ELLEN TEPPER (SENIOR DEVELOPPMENT OFFICER): $104,186 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To empower children with hearing loss to become effective communicators using listening and spoken language. With support from families and professionals, there are no limits to our children reaching their fullest potential in their homes, schools, and communities, and becoming lifelong learners.

What it reported doing in 2024

Provide early intervention services to children zero to three years of age. Offers parents and caregivers the skills and confidence they need to help their young children learn to listen and talk . Individualized sessions provided at home or in childcare settings are guided by certified teachers of the deaf and focus on auditory habilitation and speech/language developement.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 72% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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 most voting board members are independent. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and assets have declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 62
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 60.1%; rating input score 60
  • Program expense ratio: 65.2%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.52 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 8.9%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.55; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.7%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 60.1% of revenue deployed · 65.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $3.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $135K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 7/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.