The Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Social and emotional grants and projects - social and emotional learning grants are awarded to montclair public school faculty for projects that enhance students' social and emotional competencies, including their ability to manage emotions, develop positive relationships, and initiatives to support student self-expression.greenwald professional development grants - gdp grants are awarded to mps faculty for unique pd that strengthens their skills to improve student achievement. It represents a new idea that may not have been tried at all or in this way, and/or addresses a specific, compelling need. It clearly articulates the potential to impact student learning in a significant way.excellence in equity grants - mfee is awarding one-time significant grants to each of the montclair public schools to address issues of racial and socio-economic inequity. Proposals are evaluated on the quality of the project, demonstrated need for the project, and demonstrated buy-in across a wide swath of the school community. Applications must be collaboratively-shaped by a diverse group of school stakeholders, including (but not limited to) teachers, administrators, parents, and students (where applicable).arts open hearts - mfee launched the arts open hearts campagin to fund arts programs that nurture social/emotional and teen mental health. Donations fuel ballroom dance residencies, story salons, poetry slams, and intergenerational story slams that foster connections, nurture self-esteem, and provide an outlet for self-expression.entrenadores escolares provides after school bilingual tutoring and social support to multilingual middle and high school students. "entrenadores" means coaches, and the mhs teen mentors help with homework, provide extra tutoring, and overall build friendships and relationships among all the students. Entrenadores escolares also provides enrichment activities to the students.oruguitas offers bilingual after school programming for our youngest ell students. The goals are not just to support students academically but to create meaningful connection and community. Using play based activites, k-5 students work with intergenerational learning coaches to boost their english, math, and social skills.toast to teachers/ teacher tributes - at the end of the school year families gather to fundraise and honor school staff. Donations raised from this event fully fund the educational excellence grants for the following academic year.family feud 2025 - the montclair fund for educational excellence (mfee) brought a new twist to an old classic in spring to the montclair community. Mfee's version of a game show favorite had dream team 'families' which included 54 incredible montclair public school staff members and 66 beloved community players go head-to-head in the ultimate battle of brains, buzzers, and bragging rights. Each 'family' team commits to raise a minimum of $1250 for mfee. The event also seeks support and sponsorship from local businesses.sabor montclair - sabor montclair is a fundraiser that celebrates the unique "sabor" that our latinx community members bring to montclair. Our families have helped design this event which features tasty take-out meals that highlight their culture and family stories. Tickets purchased and donations support all of mfee's programming and to help fund navegadores escolares.john joyce american sign language fund - the john j. Joyce american sign language (asl) fund was established by the joyce family in loving memory of john - a staunch supporter of the montclair public schools and advocate for equality in children's education. Donations fund initiatives to teach asl to montclair children and their families through a variety of experiences, including after school activities and community programming.jackson lightfoot whitsett memorial fund award - the inaugural recipient of the jackson lightfoot whitsett memorial fund award, was a middle schooler who received a $100 cash award for embodying th

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 70.9%; rating input score 71
• Program expense ratio: 76.3%; rating input score 76
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • 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: 9.5%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.34; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 16.3%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -0.4% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 4% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings