Traffic Jam Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
813059412
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Phone
3124500515
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Dance

Reported finances

Revenue
$303,750
Expenses
$261,818
Assets
$76,686
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • MELISSA RUTHERFOORD (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • KERRY KAPAKU (DIRECTOR): $16,593 total reported compensation
  • JOHN HOLMSTROM (SECRETARY): $16,385 total reported compensation
  • MELISSA RUTHERFOORD (PRESIDENT): $11,075 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Traffic jam swing inc.'s mission is to promote the education, history, and culture of swing dance in chicago by organizing events including, but not limited to, regularly occurring dances, classes, and weekend workshops.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education - traffic jam swing inc hosts progressive classes where students are able to learn new dance skills, the history and culture of swing dance in chicago.

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 total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 68
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100
  • 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: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.8%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.29; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 22%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 39.5% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 36.4% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -21% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.2% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $262K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $17K · 6 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.