Think Like a Genius Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
453829652
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2019
Forms available
Form 990 2019, Form 990-N 2011
Location
Englewood, CO, USA
Phone
7209888854
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Leadership Development

Reported finances

Revenue
$50,449
Expenses
$64,640
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2019. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHARLES ST JOHN (President)

People named in this filing

  • RICK BALLI (Trustee)
  • CYNTHIA MADDEN LEITNER (Secretary)
  • CHARLES ST JOHN (President)

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 2019. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The me model and roadmap to success program enables youth to build two essential, interrelated skills for life-long personal success: (1) understanding themselves, and (2) setting and achieving goals.

What it reported doing in 2019

Tlag foundation-provided programming to 150 youth, youth leaders and other individuals and organizations interested in our work. We continue to build our relationships with: boys & girls club of metro denver (bgcmd), girls, inc. Of metro denver, force elementary boys & girls club, Colorado uplift, college track-aurora, project pave and other new youth leader and mentor organizations throughout denver. We lauched our 5th annual tlgf challenge and have grown the exposure of this challenge, reaching many more youth organizations throughout denver. We have also expanded our youth leadership board. The executive director continues to donate a majority of his time and efforts, to continue the success of the programs. The executive director contributes an average of 50 hours a week and mileage costs, to allow this program's message to benefit, as many lives as possible.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 95% 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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 25
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 88.2%; rating input score 88
  • Fundraising efficiency: $28.31 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd 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 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -28.1%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -6% per year; rating input score 0; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -11.5% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 88.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $57K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 18 of 18 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2013 to 2019
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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 — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 2/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.