The Great North Pole
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 821969429
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2017–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- West Fargo, ND, USA
- Phone
- 7014122366
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Gift Distribution
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,330,577
- Expenses
- $1,353,853
- Assets
- $442,203
- Liabilities
- $1,951
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
17 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Nicholas Killoran (Past President)
- Rachel Thurs (President)
- Lora Stebleton (Vice President)
- Shannon Thornton (Executive Director)
Highest reported compensation
- Shannon Thornton (Executive Director): $72,996 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 Great North Pole's mission is to work with local non-profits and community partnerships to help children and families in need in the counties of Cass & Clay. We believe that every child should have the opportunity to experience the joy of Christmas and the holiday season.
What it reported doing in 2024
In 2024 The Great North Pole offered Helpful Holiday Boxes to 856 families living in Cass County, ND and Clay County, MN.The Great North Pole provides information on their program to local schools and other non-profits within their area. For example, children that are part of the free or reduced meal program would be provided information on the program. There is then an application process to "opt-in" to the receipt of the Helpful Holiday Boxes.By creating invaluable local and national corporate relationships and strong community partnerships the Great North Pole multiplies many times over the original monetary donations made and turning those funds into retail goods. By stretching every dollar further, it allows us to help more families in need and provide not only basic needs to our community members, but also winter wear and gifts to the children of these families.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 94% 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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 92
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 79
- Sustainability: 34
- Growth: 20
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 94.8%; rating input score 95
- Program expense ratio: 93.2%; rating input score 93
- Fundraising efficiency: $35.51 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- 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: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -1.7%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.33; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 5.4%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -0.7% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 94.8% of revenue deployed · 93.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $73K · 17 people listed
- Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
- 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: 3 of 7 not reported.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 31/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 15/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 52/100.