Teensmart International

What it reported doing in 2024

Since 2004, TeenSmart International has provided JovenSalud.net and, recently JovenSalud mobile App, for vulnerable, Spanish-speaking youth - an interactive, online platform where youth have 24/7 access to online essential health information, health courses, and personalized counseling. TeenSmart's uses online technologies to empower youth to make smart decisions, live healthy lives and contribute to their communities. At TeenSmart we engage teens to prevent or reduce the six risky behaviors (violence, tobacco, alcohol/drugs, risky sexual behaviors, sedentarianism and poor nutrition) that are established in adolescence and that contribute to 75% of health care costs of illness and death in Latin America and the United States (CDC, UNICEF, WHO). We recognize that adolescents need knowledge, skills, and motivation (health belief model theory of change) in order to avoid these risky behaviors and do the real work of adolescence: advance through key developmental experiences and complex emotional and moral questioning on their path to adulthood. We believe that for teenagers as individuals and for the society that surrounds them, adolescence is an opportunity for skill-building, introspection, building community, questioning status quo, exploring, and learning. By leveraging the flexibility of a virtual platform, we have helped over 167,000 teens from 20+ countries prevent or reduce the risky behaviors that result in illness and disease, thereby benefiting families, societies, and overwhelmed health care services. Teens who otherwise would not have access to a trained mental-health coach or a quality sex-education course, now have 24/7 access. Over 10,000 youth have graduated from TeenSmart's virtual life-skills courses and each week 300-500 youth access online coaching. As a result, TeenSmart youth report statistically significant health improvements such as: greater family communication, less depression and suicidal ideation, less weapon carrying and fighting, healthier dietary habits, postponement of alcohol consumption, and greater contraceptive use. In addition to reducing the burden of illness and disease on overwhelmed health systems through preventative health, TeenSmart is able to identify cases of abuse or suicidal ideation in teens (abuse, suicidal ideation) and coordinate a rapid health response with local officials to save lives.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 63.2%; rating input score 63
• Program expense ratio: 66.4%; rating input score 66
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.8 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th 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: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
• 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 5%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.55; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 7.3%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 9.2% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 7.5% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings