West Central Missouri Community Action Agency

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
430838410
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Appleton City, MO, US
Phone
660-476-2185
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$15,896,762
Expenses
$15,209,435
Assets
$11,686,153
Liabilities
$4,351,116

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

Leadership & pay

25 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRISTOPHER L THOMPSON (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (THRU 02/25))
  • MARY LOU SCHUSSER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER)
  • AARON R FRANKLIN (PRESIDENT AND CFO)

Highest reported compensation

  • CHRISTOPHER L THOMPSON (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (THRU 02/25)): $153,909 total reported compensation
  • AARON R FRANKLIN (PRESIDENT AND CFO): $102,345 total reported compensation
  • MARY LOU SCHUSSER (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER): $89,961 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Helping People, Changing Lives, Since 1965

What it reported doing in 2024

Community services served 1,029 individuals in 509 households through family and community engagement strategy services, with 93 percent of them achieving one or more outcomes. Ninety-nine point eight three percent of the 5,802 individuals receiving liheap assistance avoided a utility shut off. One hundred percent of enrolled seniors 65+ and 100 percent of those with disabilities were able to maintain independent living. Ninety-nine percent of individuals receiving food pantry distributions reported a better sense of food security. Workforce you continued to grow, engaging the community in addressing workforce barriers through focused events including a transportation summit, child care and mapping, and a housing mixer. Workforce you launched a ground breaking partnership with a local child care provider and school district, bringing 48 new openings at a licensed facility accepting state subsidy, and offering a sliding fee scale. Eight community partner mous were established to work jointly and build opportunities in the community. One foster care simulation with 14 community members and participants attending. One hundred percent of step up to leadership program participants increased skills, knowledge, and abilities to enable them to work with community action to improve conditions in the community. One hundred percent of program individuals receiving emergency rental assistance avoided eviction.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 43% for direct work, and 57% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 92
  • Transparency & Controls: 80
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.6%; rating input score 90
  • Program expense ratio: 93.7%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $415.84 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; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • 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: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 4.3%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.77; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.37; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -4% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.8% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 9 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 89.6% of revenue deployed · 93.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $14.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $154K · 25 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.5M reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 9 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, executive pay, and related organizations
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 13 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 51/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 27/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 39/100.