Urban Innovation21

What it reported doing in 2017

Pwas: since 2012, urban innovation21 has recognized the strong entrepreneurial spirit in the hill district and homewood communities by hosting a small business grant competition. In the spring of 2017, urban innovation21 expanded its business development programming to the northside community. To date, $650,000 in grants have been awarded to 75 businesses in those communities. In addition to grants, ui21 has provided these companies with a wide array of business support to help them grow their businesses. The fall 2016 grant competition awarded $120,000 in grants to winners of the inclusive innovation community-based business grant competition, and these grants were funded through support from the richard king mellon foundation and upmc health plan. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $10,000. Six hill district businesses won: living juicy, ans billing, and errands made easy existed previously while tdc contracting, communion llc, and tds productions entered as start-up companies. Nine businesses represented homewood: roland ford productions, the professional barber institute, knotzland, strong's cleaners, and big lulu's trucking were pre-existing and drafting dreams, natural choice, jazmeen style, and luminaria productions (film producers and studios) were start-ups. The spring 2017 northside grant competition awarded $50,000 to community based entrepreneurs, and these grants were funded through the support of neighborhood allies and our public private partnership. There were seven businesses that won the northside grant competition where the awards ranged from $5,000 to $10,000. Arnold's tea, malaika's learning center, and roxanne's catering won as existing businesses; while morris tires, resus technologies, the pit shop and revival chili won the competition as start-up companies. Hill districtas of september of 2017, urban innovation21 is pleased to announce that 79% of the businesses supported by ui21 through its hill district grant competitions are still in business. Of the 28 businesses that ui21 has supported through its community based grant competitions, 2 companies have gone out of business, 2 businesses are dormant, and 2 businesses are on hold. Twenty-two out of twenty-eight (22/28) companies are still in business. Our success rate of 79% is significantly higher than the national average, which ranges from 10% to 50%, depending on the source. The increase in gross revenue for the hill district business grant competition winners is $766,903 and the number of jobs created by these businesses is 27.our work in the hill district does not just involve providing grants and other entrepreneurial support to businesses. We have used our funding to leverage hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from other sources. For example, ui21 is a key partner in the greater hill district growth development fund. For the 2016 grant cycle, three hill district business were awarded a $10,000 grant to contribute to their business operations. The greater hill district growth development fund has contributed to major economic and cultural projects in the hill district since 2013 that include the jeron grayson community center, hill cdc, hill house, and shop-n-save grocery store. Hill district business associationthroughout '15-'16, the hill district business association hosted quarterly meetings in the hill district that were well attended and provided information on business opportunities that included grants and contracts. Currently, the officers selected for the business association are scheduling events to keep the community and members engaged throughout the calendar year. Meeting and mixers will be hosted in the hill district as well as surrounding communities i.e. Northside, downtown, and oakland to attract additional business to the hill district. The goal is to expand business interest and business-to-business deals to create awareness and promote businesses stemming from the hill district. In the fall of 2017, the president of the h

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 85.3%; rating input score 85
• Program expense ratio: 91.2%; rating input score 91
• Fundraising efficiency: $232.29 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: No; rating input score 0
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 6.5%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.49; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.67; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.9%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 13.5% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 16.1% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings