Wellspring

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943210971
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
Menlo Park, CA, USA
Phone
6503288966
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Religion Related N.E.C.
Affiliation
Christianity

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,466,240
Expenses
$1,273,406
Assets
$1,629,883
Liabilities
$8,109

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RALPH HARNETT (PRESIDENT & BOARD CHAIRMAN)

Highest reported compensation

  • PATTI PIERCE (FOUNDER & BOARD MEMBER): $183,743 total reported compensation
  • RICHARD GOTTHARDT (SECRETARY): $171,657 total reported compensation
  • JAMES CCOLI (MANAGING PARTNER): $143,346 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To provide retreats and seminars to teach christian spiritual formation practices for people to enhance their relationship with god and others.

What it reported doing in 2024

Wellspring provided resources for developing personal spirituality and renewal to pastors, christian non-profit leaders and other lay people. Highlights of 2024 include:1. Wellspring's "soulcare" program for 36 bay area pastors and non-profit leaders met for nine months.2. Wellspring's "soulcare" program for 16 southern California pastors and non-profit leaders met for nine months. 3. Wellspring's "soulcare next" program for 8 pastors and non-profit leaders in the bay area. Monthly small group retreats meeting september - april.4. Wellspring's "soulcare communities" program for 10 pastors and non-profit leaders in the bay area. Monthly small group retreats meeting september - april. 5. Wellspring's "soulcare podcast" airing 6 episodes in 2024 on topics related to caring for souls.6. Held retreat for 85 soulcare alumni and spouses in march 2024.7. Two half-day lenten retreats attended by a total of 135 participants.8. Two half-day advent retreats attended by a total of 156 participants.9. Wellspring's "soul leadership" program for 20 pastors which met quarterly in the first half of 2024.10. Individual spiritual direction offered by 10 trained directors.11. Creation of online spiritual formation resources including downloadable personal retreats.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most filed governance safeguards are in place. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and a relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 65
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 58.5%; rating input score 58
  • Program expense ratio: 66.6%; rating input score 67
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.46 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 58.3%; rating input score 58; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 13.2%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.28; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 54.3%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 16.6% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 58.5% of revenue deployed · 66.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 12 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $848K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $184K · 12 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 6 filed money-flow records
  • 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: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 58/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.