Tompkins Community Action Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Tompkins community action is a private, not-for profit charitable organization that had its grassroots beginnings in 1964. Originally tompkins county economic opportunity corporation or eoc, as it was known until our official corporate name change to tompkins community action in 1999, began as a local coalition of concerned community members who wanted to improve the lives of low-income families in tompkins county. Formally incorporated in 1966, the agency became part of a national and state network of community action agencies. From a small not-for-profit human service agency, with a yearly budget of approximately $25,000 and a staff of 3.5 employees in 1966 operating two programs, eoc transformed itself and has grown into tompkins community action, a large, multi-faceted community action agency implementing and integrating 21 programs that serve low-income individuals, families, and community collaborations. As one of tompkins county's larger employers, the agency currently has a staff of 110 people who assist 4,000 low-income individuals yearly through a wide variety of programming. We enter this year with renewed commitment to our mission, vision, and strategies for ending cycles of poverty in tompkins county. Our head start and early head start programs serve 350 children and their families. Program delivery supported pregnant women, newborns, and children up to 5 years old in both classrooms and families' homes. We have 22 classrooms county wide as well as our collaboration with the ithaca school district serving as our delegate in an additional 9 prek classrooms. Children and families receive high quality developmentally appropriate education, individualization to enhance learning and community resources to prepare our children for a lifetime of learning. Implementing high scope curriculum, programming focused on the five domains identified to meet school readiness goals that prepare our children for kindergarten. Children's math and science skills increased by 29% and language literacy skills by 24% this program year. Child social relations skills increased by 28%; shows a strong indicator for school readiness and transition success. Family services included monthly socialization activities, parent action groups, trainings, secondary education opportunities and seminars throughout the year. We served 77,095 breakfasts, lunches and snacks to children and families this year and expanded program activities linking active movement to healthy nutrition, and our family home library program component provided 3,080 books. Funding for head start / early head start programing, from the us department of health & human services, totaled $4,469,088. Funding provided $3,168,669 in wages and fringe benefits, $797,735 for operations, $372,139 to support ithaca school district delegate and racker partnerships, and $68,695 for program consumables. Funding included $61,580 to support and expand staff and parent education and training. Our primary school support program worked closely with parents and school officials to strengthen collaborative efforts on behalf of children transitioning to kindergarten in elementary schools. Advocates provided support for families at parent/teacher conferences, coordinated service delivery for children with special needs and supported positive communication between families and school system staff.the emergency food pantry distributed 7, 002 boxes of nutritious food, personal hygiene products and household supplies to income eligible households. Our victory garden initiative provided vegetable and herb seedlings to 181 households with low incomes who participate in our programs. As the local administrator for nys homes and community renewal, we provided housing choice voucher program rental assistance to over 1,066 households. The total annual subsidy paid out to landlords was $7,674,524. A total of 78 individuals participated in our family self sufficiency program, with 42 people earning escrow monies

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 92.9%; rating input score 93
• Program expense ratio: 88.8%; rating input score 89
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • 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: -4.6%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.08; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.17; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 6.2% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings