The Walden School Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 231713166
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2009–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Media, PA, USA
- Phone
- 6108928000
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Kindergarten, Preschool, Nursery School, Early Admissions
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $2,611,488
- Expenses
- $2,596,456
- Assets
- $2,241,371
- Liabilities
- $906,894
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- DANIEL NEUBERT (PRESIDENT)
- MICHELE QUINN (VICE PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- ROBERT THOMAS (HEAD OF SCHOOL): $122,195 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The walden school engages in the education of preschool through 5th grade children using a montessori based philosophy.
What it reported doing in 2024
The montessori preschool/kindergarten is most comprehensively described as freedom in a prepared environment. Following the principles of order, beauty, and simplicity, this environment is prepared with materials designed by maria montessori to accommodate each developmental stage. Children learn according to their own periods of interest and readiness. While there is respect for the child's individualism, the environment in which he operates is well structured, providing opportunities for active learning, development of self-discipline, building of self-confidence, and responsible social behavior.the walden school's elementary and middle school embraces a guiding philosophy that blends montessori values with 21st century skills. Students in the elementary and middle school program at walden are active participants in their learning as teachers consistently create and re-create to individualize instruction in a responsive and respectful classroom community. Children move naturally between independence and inter-dependence as needed and are consistently challenged to achieve their best. Active participation in the community prepares students to participate as critically thinking and caring citizens of the ever-changing world.the guiding principles of collaboration and peaceful conflict resolution ready walden students to be leaders in the 21st century. Teaching and learning at walden is joyful and engaging. Students who graduate are confident, responsible, and love learning.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Earned-program. 97% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 95% 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.
The verdict
STRONG - 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 74
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 100
- Sustainability: 36
- Growth: 80
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 82.7%; rating input score 83
- Program expense ratio: 82.9%; rating input score 83
- Fundraising efficiency: $0.95 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 2; 2nd 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; 72nd 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: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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: 0.6%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.86; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.4; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 4.7%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: -1.2% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 82.7% of revenue deployed · 82.9% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.2M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $122K · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 15 filing years from 2009 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- 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.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 2/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
- High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 32/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 26/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.