The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation

What it reported doing in 2024

All of jcni's activities contribute to the furtherance of a neighborhood innovation district within san diego's diamond neighborhoods. Specific activities include: 1) work related to physical infrastructure and physical assets within the community. (examples include: construction of the trolley park terrace affordable housing complex, securing an active transportation program grant to effect over $4 million in improvements to create complete streets in the neighborhood surrounding market street and euclid avenue, and completing a river parkway adjoining chollas creek); 2) work related to promoting the arts within the diamond neighborhoods, and using arts as a tool for economic development and community cohesion. (examples include: securing funds from the national endowment for the arts, the city arts commission, as well as funds from private and corporate donors to support an artist in residence, public art projects, and a pop-up art gallery for local artists to display and sell their work); 3) promoting improvements to local education, through activities that support the success of public schools, charter schools, and organizations with an education-serving mission located throughout the diamond neighborhoods. (examples include: supporting the diamond educational excellence partnership; creating curricula which benefit students attending the local public schools; partnership with kipp charter schools to bring additional educational opportunities to families; operating academic enrichment programs on-site in partnership with the local ymca); 4) promotion of an eco-district within jcni's service area. This includes not only jcni's historic commitment to leed principles, but also a project designed to connect low income residents with energy-saving public assistance programs, including utility-run programs, for which they may be eligible; the eco-district will also include a creek stewardship program to support the sustainability of restoration work done on chollas creek through resident volunteerism 5) creation of an urban entrepreneurship park, along with programs designed to provide technical assistance and startup funding for local entrepreneurs. (components will include operation of a local small business resource center, operation of a business accelerator program, sponsorship of periodic business plan competitions, as well as mentoring activities); 6) contributing to capacity building activities among neighborhood community based organizations and artists by convening and nurturing cross-sector coalitions to increase investment into the community and to drive community change around a shared vision and agenda.jcni employs a neighborhood innovation district (nid) methodology, as described by the brookings institution (see: http://www.brookings.edu/about/programs/metro/innovation-districts). The nid framework promotes inclusive innovation, and equitable access to community resources, coupled with information sharing and activities that promote citizen engagement, as well as the strengthening of local nonprofits. Nids promote an innovation ecosystem at the intersection of a region's economic assets, physical assets, and networking assets. To maximize its effectiveness, jcni has forged a public private partnership with the city of san diego, and partners with other entities such as the san diego association of governments, the san diego unified school district, and the metropolitan transit system to achieve its mission.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 59.1%; rating input score 59
• Program expense ratio: 66.9%; rating input score 67
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • 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: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 56th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • 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: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -215.7%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.85; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.2%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -10.9% per year; rating input score 0; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -102.1% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -9.6% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings