Sun Valley Policy Forum Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
880776111
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022
Location
Ketchum, ID, USA
Phone
2025389031
Rating
66
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,016,540
Expenses
$699,356
Assets
$398,937
Liabilities
$358

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MIA BENEDICT (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHRISTINA CULVER (TREASURER/EXEC DIRECTOR): $187,154 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 sun valley policy forum, founded in march of 2022, is an organization whose purpose is to educate our citizenry on local, state, and national issues to provide opportunities to discuss public policy, and to encourage dynamic participation in our republic.as a non-profit organization sun valley policy forum serves to educate and grow citizen awareness of policy leaders who are furthering free-market ideas and serving on the front lines to advance america's founding ideals and institutions, in doing so, we will inspire citizens with the knowledge and language to carry the message into our communities through civic engagement so that together we preserve individual liberties and keep our nation strong.

What it reported doing in 2024

During the 2024 program year, the sun valley policy forum hosted five education events, reaching and engaging over 350 regular attendees. These events explored critical issues central to american constitutional order and global affairs. The first event focused on the importance of government transparency for accountability and citizen awareness. The second event hosted two legal experts who focused on the importance of constitutional powers, federalism, free speech, and the preservation of a robust legal system in the united states. The third event brought in a host of well-known speakers and examined the founding principles of the united states, the challenges the next generation of americans will face, the electoral process, and economic forecasting, and economic security. The fourth event featured a well-regarded former federal government official and legal expert on deregulation and the administrative state. The fifth event addressed u.s. China relations and the challenges and opportunities facing the united states on the global stage along with freedom of the press. Through these programs, the organization advanced its mission to educate the public and foster informed civic engagement.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 92% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 62
  • Sustainability: 58
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 57.2%; rating input score 57
  • Program expense ratio: 83.2%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 31.2%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.57; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.8%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 37.1% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 84.7% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 89.7% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 57.2% of revenue deployed · 83.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $582K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $187K · 9 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $118K reported
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 57/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 27/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.