The Fenn School

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042104064
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Concord, MA, USA
Phone
9783695800
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$19,974,929
Expenses
$22,853,717
Assets
$103,780,268
Liabilities
$15,475,314

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

Leadership & pay

31 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • DEREK R BOONISAR (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $582,945 total reported compensation
  • DAVID A PLATT (ASSOC. HEAD FOR FINANCE & OPERATIONS): $333,533 total reported compensation
  • REBECCA LOMBARDO (DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT): $215,750 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Guided by our motto, sua sponte, and inspired by our core values of honesty, respect, empathy, and courage, the fenn school challenges each boy to take responsibility for himself, for his own education, and for the well-being of others. Our boys thrive in a diverse community that celebrates our shared humanity and embraces difference. As part of an ever-changing, interdependent world, fenn empowers each boy to develop strong character and lead with integrity.

What it reported doing in 2024

Athletics program - this program promotes athletic competence, confidence, and enjoyment for students of varying athletic abilities and interests. It stresses learning and practicing individual and team skills, and it offers a variety of individual and team activities with various levels of competition. At all levels good sportsmanship is emphasized as the primary lesson to be learned from a well organized athletic program. Sports options, depending on grade, include soccer, football, cross country, track, basketball, wrestling, ice hockey, tennis, and also allows for sports alternative with parental/school approval.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 90% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 88% 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 76
  • Transparency & Controls: 91
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.9%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 78.1%; rating input score 78
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.24 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • 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: 96%; rating input score 96; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -14.4%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.54; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.2%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.5% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89.9% of revenue deployed · 78.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 25 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $17.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $583K · 31 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $2.2M reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 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 3/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 7/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.