Topa Institute Pka Yiddishkayt

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
954076358
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
Ojai, CA, USA
Phone
3104240274
Rating
63
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$457,437
Expenses
$952,212
Assets
$745,633
Liabilities
$3,026

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ROBERT ADLER PECKERAR (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ROBERT ADLER PECKERAR (CEO): $109,298 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 topa institute is an arts, culture, and educational retreat center & land sanctuary set atop an awe-inspiring ridge in the upper ojai valley. Topa institute hosts creative workshops, classes, and gatherings facilitated by leading teachers, artists, and culture makers in their fields. The institute's programmatic offerings fall under three interconnected umbrella categories: arts and culture, land connection, youth education.

What it reported doing in 2024

Arts and culture programs: the institute crafts projects that engage with intercultural history.to find models of creativity, interconnection, and vibrance in the face of challenge, loss, and trauma. We incubate new arts programs inspired by our unique point of view and residential retreats led by leaders in contemporary arts and culture.arts and culture programs: topa institute hosts residential artist programs that bring together a broad, transdisciplinary alliance of artists.to celebrate and explore the everyday and historical intersections, particularly focused on work where marginalized cultures, languages, and people make contact.arts and culture programs: the organization fosters and promotes cultural awarenessand education of yiddish and minority cultures in a contemporary setting.the organization produces concerts, film screenings, lectures, performances, andworkshops for free or offered at a subsidized low cost.nature connection programs: the institute offer programs that provide education inregenerative land and water practices, ecology, permaculture, seed-keeping, herbalism, fire-safety clearance, and natural building.holistic sustainability programs include opportunities to tend the land and engageparticipants of all ages in historical practices and future possibilities formutually beneficial human relationships with land.nature connection programs: additional nature connection activities include guidednature walks and exploration, plant identification, awareness games, crafts utilizing what we find in our natural environment, and exploring ecosystems.educational programs: we offer multi-day retreats designed to support schools, individuals, and groups, to help mark life transitions. Such programs by combiningdeep listening practices with nature-based activities, group building, and fun,"passageways" programs challenge participants to invest in themselves, find meaningin the changing stages of their lives.educational programs: holistic educational programming offers a unique combination of social-emotional and environmental education practices that bring together deep and empathic listening practices with nature-based activities.outreach: topa institute publishes a series of online publications aimed atpromoting arts, culture, and education via its website and electronic newsletters.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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 - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 34
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 47.2%; rating input score 47
  • Program expense ratio: 23.7%; rating input score 24
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -108.2%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.78; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.5%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.8% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 26.9% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 47.2% of revenue deployed · 23.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $225K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $109K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 47/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 24/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.