Three Pillars Anew

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
851249057
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Detroit, MI, USA
Phone
2484396228
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Student Services, Organizations of Students

Reported finances

Revenue
$26,240,962
Expenses
$25,782,542
Assets
$6,830,156
Liabilities
$6,330,984

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • W CLARK DURANT III (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/PRESIDENT)
  • ANRIUS ANUZIS (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MARGARET DURANT (CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER): $199,832 total reported compensation
  • ANRIUS ANUZIS (PRESIDENT): $199,344 total reported compensation
  • DAVID BOLOGNA (DEVELOPMENT OFFICER): $170,018 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 provide quality educational, operational, financial and management services to public school academies and other institutions.

What it reported doing in 2024

Three pillars provides comprehensive operational servicesto charter schools operating in the metro detroit area. Theseactivities allow these charter schools to maximize their effectivenessin providing a quality education to all students at the lowest possiblecost. Three pillars specializes in creative educationalprogramming that focuses on the concept that learning comes frompassion. This process is constantly evolving to mirror educational, individual, and societal shifts, providing a high-tech, engaginglearning experience designed to help children on all levels.three pillars supplies every program and service necessary to ensurestudent success, including specialized instruction in the areas ofcharacter and community service education. At three pillars, we are motivated by a desire to see students thrive and fulfill their uniquepotential. We also serve as the employer for the charter schools'staff, which provides a mechanism for the schools to generate employeebenefit programs in a cost effective manner.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 100% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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

SUPPORTED - 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: 75
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 83.5%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 85%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.7%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.26; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.93; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.2%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 83.5% of revenue deployed · 85% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $21.9M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $200K · 10 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 22 of 22 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes executive pay
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • 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: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 6/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 8/100.