Transit for Livable Communities

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411833066
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2016
Forms available
Form 990 2016
Location
Saint Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6517670298
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$599,018
Expenses
$774,424
Assets
$1,307,219
Liabilities
$119,483

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Beth Pfeifer (President)
  • Bob Aderhold (Vice President)
  • Jessica Treat (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Jessica Treat (Executive Director): $99,985 total reported compensation
  • Linnea House (Finance and Accounting Manager): $53,421 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2016. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Transform Minnesota's transportation system to strengthen communities, improve opportunity and health for all people, foster a sound economy, and protect natural resources.

What it reported doing in 2016

Policy & Law Transit for Livable Communities uses many strategies to change policy and law toward a transportation system that is more affordable, accessible with better health and environmental outcomes. In 2016, TLC continues to co-chair the transportation forward campaign, a statewide multimodal legislative transportation funding campaign. Our work in policy and law also includes holding the transit seat on the transportation advisory board of the metropolitan council, which allocates flexible federal transportation funds. TLC works for other policy changes related to transportation at the state legislature as well the city and county level. We are members of transportation for America and participate in efforts to secure more funding for transit, bicycling, and walking at the federal level.

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 - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.4%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 66.8%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.42 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 21; 21st 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -29.3%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.69; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.09; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.8%; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -11.2% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -14.4% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.4% of revenue deployed · 66.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $518K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2010 to 2016
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 12/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.