The Chestnut Hill School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042178868
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
Phone
6175664394
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Kindergarten, Preschool, Nursery School, Early Admissions

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$13,072,009
Expenses
$12,883,495
Assets
$29,262,012
Liabilities
$10,220,340

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

Leadership & pay

28 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARCUS YOUNG (VICE-PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • RODERICK MACNEAL JR (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $351,024 total reported compensation
  • LISA HALM (CHIEF FINANCIAL & OPERATING OFFICER): $198,845 total reported compensation
  • KERRYN HINDS (DIR. OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION): $152,792 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

At the chestnut hill school, our mission to educate children is deeply rooted in a commitment to academic excellence, diversity, and community. We engage, challenge and support children as they develop the skills and confidence to achieve educational success. We nurture the whole child through a thoughtful, balanced curriculum. We intentionally build a diverse school community, and we value, respect, and educate ourselves about its complexities and gifts. We foster the growth of our students so they will become responsible, contributing members of the world who stand up for their beliefs, express their thoughts, and care about the rights and feelings of others.

What it reported doing in 2024

The chestnut hill school is a coeducational day school for children from beginners through sixth grade that fosters an inclusive community of joyful learners who think critically, embrace diversity, and act with empathy. The chestnut hill school is grounded by the values and guiding principles of belonging, pursuit of knowledge, perseverance, and kindness. Of 221 students, 51% identify as students of color, and 28% receive financial assistance. Teaching faculty: 42 total; 62% have advanced degrees. 100% of graduating sixth graders were offered admission to one of their top choice schools. The generous support of our donors and volunteers allows the chestnut hill school to accomplish many of the things that set it apart from other independent elementary schools. We are able to retain the most qualified and caring faculty, provide a wide range of special subjects as part of our curriculum, maintain beautiful buildings and grounds, and provide financial assistance to eligible students.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 93% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 80% for direct work, and 20% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 65
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 89
  • Sustainability: 46
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.7%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 72.3%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $2.68 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 21st 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: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.4%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.27; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.35; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.7% of revenue deployed · 72.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 16 of 18 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $9.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $351K · 28 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $274K reported
  • Consistency: 35 of 35 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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 10/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 40/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.