Tam High Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
680385326
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Mill Valley, CA, USA
Phone
4153803565
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Parent/Teacher Group

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,006,915
Expenses
$890,544
Assets
$2,601,711
Liabilities
$680,411

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

Leadership & pay

21 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • ELAINE WILKINSON (Executive Dir.): $49,595 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 Tam High Foundation is a fundraising organization that fosters the academic excellence and emotional and physical well-being of ALL Tam students.In partnership with Tam High faculty and staff, the Foundation funds grants which support innovative programs, state-of-the-art tools and equitable educational opportunities in order to provide every student with a pathway to success.With community support, our efforts make Tam High both a top academic high school and an extraordinary experience.

What it reported doing in 2024

For the support of educational programs and services for approximately 1,600 tamalpais high school students, teachers, and administrators. Examples of items funded with monies granted by the tam high foundation are: technology, including chrome books, laptops and carts for student use in classrooms and library. Scientific calculators for math and equipment for science, photography & auto shop. Guest artists for theater, studio art, music & english. Training and programs for wellness, leadership, peer resources, mindfulness, peer mentoring, transition to tam & workplace learning. Field trips for experiential learning & tutoring programs for students needing academic support.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 90% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 87% of its reported program spending out as grants.
  • 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 85.9%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $17.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 55; 55th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: 11.6%; rating input score 64; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.92; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 5.6%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.3% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.4% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78% of revenue deployed · 85.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 20 of 20 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $765K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $50K · 21 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 55/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 27/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 52/100.