The Michael Stern Parkinsons Research Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
134168581
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2014
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
8004700499
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Single Organization Support

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$475,311
Expenses
$474,194
Assets
$2,402,060
Liabilities
$28,385

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MARGARET STERN (CHAIRMAN & CEO)
  • MICHAEL STERN JR (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARGARET STERN (CHAIRMAN & CEO): $75,000 total reported compensation
  • FRANK GRAYESKI (TREASURER): $28,800 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To find a cure for parkinsons disease and to improve the quality of life for those living with the disease and the care-giving families to support research into the causes, care, and cure of parkinsons disease.

What it reported doing in 2014

Grant to yale institute for neurodegenerative diseases for the identification of cell-type specific post-translational modifications and altered synaptic protein expression involved in parkinsons disease.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 60% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 76% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 89
  • Sustainability: 52
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.6%; rating input score 75
  • Program expense ratio: 74.4%; rating input score 74
  • Fundraising efficiency: $9.4 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 40; 40th 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; 57th 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; 23rd 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: 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: 0.2%; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.07; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 21.9%; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -108.2% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -23.9% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.9% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.6% of revenue deployed · 74.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $353K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $75K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2011 to 2014
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 40/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 18/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 57/100.