The Roots Initiative
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 320659999
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2022–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2021
- Location
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Phone
- 7737879050
- Rating
- 68
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Youth Development Programs
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $166,488
- Expenses
- $199,159
- Assets
- $215,071
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- TANESHA PEEPLES (CEO)
- ROBBIE CURRY (PRESIDENT)
- NIKKI WILLIAMS (VICE PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- TANESHA PEEPLES (CEO): $67,223 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To nbsp; activate nbsp; black nbsp; youth nbsp; as nbsp; the nbsp; architects nbsp; and nbsp; leaders nbsp; of nbsp; transformative nbsp; civic nbsp; and nbsp; social nbsp; change nbsp; in nbsp; their nbsp; communities nbsp; and nbsp; beyond nbsp; we nbsp; beleive nbsp; tht nbsp; when nbsp; youth nbsp; are nbsp; provided nbsp; the nbsp; social-emotional nbsp; supports nbsp; education nbsp; and nbsp; resources nbsp; to nbsp; understand nbsp; their nbsp; power nbsp; identity nbsp; culture nbsp; and nbsp; inherent nbsp; genius nbsp; then nbsp; they nbsp; will nbsp; have nbsp; a nbsp; greater nbsp; sense nbsp; of nbsp; responsibility nbsp; as nbsp; well nbsp; as nbsp; confidence nbsp; and nbsp; knowledge nbsp; to nbsp; engage nbsp; civically nbsp; resulting nbsp; in nbsp; positive nbsp; economic nbsp; civic nbsp; and nbsp; social nbsp; change nbsp; in nbsp; their nbsp; communities nbsp; and nbsp; city
What it reported doing in 2024
We immerse black middle school youth in dynamic leadership development through our year-round programming. We host hands-on workshops and engaging community projects our programs cultivate essential skills foster strong connections and empower young leaders to drive impactful social change.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 50
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 84
- Sustainability: 30
- Growth: 40
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 56.4%; rating input score 56
- Program expense ratio: 47.1%; rating input score 47
- Fundraising efficiency: $6.24 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: Limited
- 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- 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: -19.6%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.08; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 33.8%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 84.2% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -40.4% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: -9.9% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 56.4% of revenue deployed · 47.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $94K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $67K · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 56/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 47/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 27/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 14/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 43/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.