Vaishnava Seva Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
770265253
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2018
Forms available
Form 990 2018
Location
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Christianity
Affiliation
Hinduism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$268,830
Expenses
$184,299
Assets
$1,098,622
Liabilities
$18,672

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2018. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SUSAN KIRKMAN (DIRECTOR VICE PRESIDENT)
  • THEODORE HARRIS (DIRECTOR PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • JASON HAWK (DIRECTOR TREASURER)
  • SUSAN KIRKMAN (DIRECTOR VICE PRESIDENT)
  • KATHLEEN BOWES (DIRECTOR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2018. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To propagate the process of krishna-consciousness (god-consciousness) and devotional service to krishna as taught in the ancient vedic scriptures of india (such as bhagavad-gita, srimad-bhagavatam, etc.) through various public outreach programs.

What it reported doing in 2018

We publish and distribute literature by our teachers and the sacred books of india.we give specific assistance to individuals who live as priests, monks, nuns and students in a renounced environment. They have dedicated their lives to the cultivation of their spiritual consciousness. We assist with some travel expenses: pilgrimage to india and for our teachers to travel to other centers to assist those members with their spiritual lives.we make grants for our missionary activities in india that help support religious pilgrims who visit and help support their charitable and religious programs.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 94% 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 most voting board members are independent. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and the required major-donor schedule is missing or incomplete.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 55
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 80
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 97.7%; rating input score 98
  • Fundraising efficiency: $179.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 50%; rating input score 50; 39th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 31.4%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.96; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -1.7% per year; rating input score 0; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.5% per year; rating input score 0; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 67% of revenue deployed · 97.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $180K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2012 to 2018
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 8 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Major donor itemization scored 0/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 50/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 50/100.