Western Native Voice Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
883015226
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2022
Forms available
Form 990 2022
Location
Billings, MT, USA
Phone
4068691938
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Urban, Community Economic Development

Reported finances

Revenue
$403,899
Expenses
$426,109
Assets
$149,332
Liabilities
$171,542

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2022. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Ronnie Jo Horse (Executive Dir.): $100,355 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2022. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Educate and increase involvement by Native Americans in civic engagement and voter participation and advocate for policies that protect Native American rights and/or address the needs of Native communities.

What it reported doing in 2022

Western Native Voice Inc (WNV), formed in July 2022 as an non-profit social welfare organization under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. We are committed to inspiring Native leadership so our communities flourish. We provide the information and tools necessary to empower citizens to have a voice and an impact on the decisions affecting their lives. We strive to protect the rights of Native Americans through leadership development, education, advocacy, and civic engagement to promote social, racial, gender, economic, and environmental justice to preserve our land, culture, and way of life for future generations.Native Americans make up 9% of Montana's population, with half of the population living off reservations. Native Americans are often overlooked in t lol lol he broader conversation among national groups doing progressive issue advocacy. Critical issues, such as Native civil rights, votingaccess, healthcare, and education, are often overlooked. WNV Inc fills this gap with focused outreach and engagement with tribal, state, and federal elected officials. In recent years, Montana and the United States have witnessed a concerted effort to roll back civil rights and voting rights, the worst assaults on voting rights in over 50 years. WNV Inc and its members are well-positioned to resist this rollback.1. Leadership Development - Western Native Voice uses a culturally relevant community organizing model to train emerging leaders and engage our members. Our training is tailored to meet the needs of attendees. Our customized training shares the principles and best practices of community organizing with respect to all indigenous identities.a. Western Native Voice: Expanding Horizons invests in Native American youth.Expanding Horizons consists of two components: first, our outreach with NativeAmerican and non-native youth in general through our middle school/high schoolpresentations, trunk or treat college tours, capitol visits, community events, conferences, All-American shootout collaboration, and summer camp. Second, ourcurrent 12-member student board.We distributed over 500 student ambassador applications to various urban andreservation schools. As well as handing out 75 posters to the schools in question. On the Western Native Voice website, Tracie Garfield allows for digital access to the application forms and a drop box for the applications. Over 50 emails were sentabout Expanding Horizons between Youth Program Manager Tristen Belgarde and High School Counselors. About 50 phone calls were made to high school counselorsand high schools about Expanding Horizons student ambassador opportunities.i. GOTV -1. Voters Contacted: 6,5222. Doors knocked: 3033. Phone conversations with voters: 1,5164. Text messages conversations with voters: 2,3295. Despite challenges, the Western Native Voice Get Out The Vote (GOTV) work helped to relay accurate election information, motivate voters to cast their ballot, provide assistance to voters, and ensure oversight of election services. All in all, voter turnout in our target precincts (precincts with over 50% Native voting age population) totaled 47%, an increase of 12% from the last comparable midtermelection. We are committed to work with all community stakeholders to ensure all eligible voters cast their ballot.ii. Voter Registration1. Stats -a. 1,261 Voters registered2. Voter registration portal -a. Our statewide voter registration work continued in 2022 with in person registration drives and use of the unofficial online voter registration portal. Western Native Voice partnered with Forward Montana Foundation, MontPIRG, Montana Women Vote, and Wild Montana to bring this service to Montanans.

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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 93
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 24
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94.7%; rating input score 95
  • Program expense ratio: 89.8%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $166.87 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 90; 90th 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.5%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.35; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.15; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 8.1%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 94.7% of revenue deployed · 89.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $382K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and related organizations
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 31/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 4/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 32/100.