Sweetwater Spectrum Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
270184641
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2008
Location
Sonoma, CA, USA
Phone
7079963104
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Supportive Housing for Older Adults

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,436,870
Expenses
$1,476,985
Assets
$9,989,505
Liabilities
$58,455

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAUL CLEVELAND (PRESIDENT)
  • OLIVIA VAIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • OLIVIA VAIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $131,552 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 provide adults with autism, or similar intellectual / developmental disabilities, innovative, community-based, long-term housing that offers individuals choice and challenges each resident to reach their highest potential.

What it reported doing in 2024

Sweetwater spectrum is a section 501(c)(3) nonprofit public benefit corporation formed for the purpose of creating an innovative, community based, long term housing solution for adults with autism or similar intellectual or developmental disabilities that offers individual choice and challenges each individual to reach their highest potential. Our first such community was opened in the town of sonoma in 2013 and is currently at full capacity. This model includes an enrichment program intended to foster both individual choice and community engagement to provide a "life with purpose" for residents. As part of this community integration effort, we also operate a one acre farm located right on our campus, and one way we "give back" to our community is by donating some of our produce to those in need. A key part of our mission is to provide advice and assistance to others seeking creative solutions to the increasingly pressing need for long term housing for this challenged population. In 2022 & 2023, sweetwater built an additional resident on campus, which expanded capacity to 20.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 83%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 16; 16th 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -2.8%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.76; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.9%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.8% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.1% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86% of revenue deployed · 83% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $132K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 16/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 28/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 40/100.