West Harlem Development Corporation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
450722514
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2015
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
6464763394
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Economic Development

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,141,536
Expenses
$3,533,967
Assets
$57,127,934
Liabilities
$1,392,870

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ZEAD RAMADAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ZEAD RAMADAN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $224,286 total reported compensation
  • JOANNA CASTRO (SENIOR DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS): $129,746 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

West harlem development corporation's mission includes implementing the community benefits agreement by providing and supporting programs that promote economic development, education, environmental protection, transportation, employment, affordable housing, arts & culture, community facilities, historical preservation and the overall economic and social improvement of the community and residents of manhattan community district 9 (mcd9), otherwise known as west harlem.

What it reported doing in 2025

Grants and community services - west harlem development's priority is to support west harlem-based community projects by deploying funds contributed by columbia university pursuant to the cba through its annual community benefits grant (cbg) and other activities. Whdc's strategy is to address the needs of west harlem through collaborations and capacity enhancements of community based organizations and institutions.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 72% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and some filed totals do not add up.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 70
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 86.7%; rating input score 87; 2nd 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: 98%; rating input score 98; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • 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: -65%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 16.17; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10%; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.2% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.8% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 86.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $224K · 16 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes grants and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2011 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 103 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 102 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 1/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 33/100.