The Straighttalk Association for Financi

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
273840203
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Corning, NY, USA
Phone
6077423890
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Financial Counseling

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$33,011
Expenses
$97,113
Assets
$317,990
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BETH HOWARD (PRESIDENT AND TREASURER)
  • CAROLYN CONNELLY (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • BETH HOWARD (PRESIDENT AND TREASURER)
  • CAROLYN CONNELLY (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • JOHN WOOD (SECRETARY)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of safe is to provide all members of our community with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary for financial success throughout all phases of life.

What it reported doing in 2024

We offer our own programs and resources -- such as our scholarship program -- and also provide financial education to individuals at a variety of ages, income levels, and life stages by partnering with other non-profit organizations.most notably in 2024, safe awarded a total of $55,000 in scholarships to 11 individuals with established plans to take the next step in their education, development, or career, including vocational studies and military enrollment. Recipients are chosen based on their contributions toward helping people, serving the underserved, and making an impact in and giving back to their communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Membership-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from membership dues.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 94% of its reported program spending out as grants.

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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 92.5%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 90.2%; rating input score 90; 54th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -194.2%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.27; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.6% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -85.3% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -13.2% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 92.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $90K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 18 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 42/100.