Wireless Neighborhoods

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
200557748
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Phone
4123631914
Rating
85
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Management & Technical Assistance

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,521,490
Expenses
$1,611,473
Assets
$1,295,213
Liabilities
$193,863

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

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kashif Henderson (Executive Director)
  • Denise Head (President)
  • Amanda Bothwell (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Kashif Henderson (Executive Director): $120,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Neighbohood Learning Alliance exists to improve the lives of lower income and African-American families of the City of Pittsburgh through strategic partnerhips with community and faith organizations.

What it reported doing in 2024

Wireless Neighborhoods, dba Neighborhood Learning Alliance, has been a trusted provider of high-quality afterschool and youth development programming for Pittsburgh and first ring suburban lower income communities since 2003. For more than two decades, NLA has focused on expanding educational access and opportunities for students through comprehensive programming delivered outside of the traditional school day. In FY 2025, NLA served more than 600 elementary and high schools students, providing consistent, structured support during critical afterschool hours when students are most vulnerable to academic disengagement. Programming reached more than 500 elementary students, with a strong emphasis on early literacy, academic enrichment, and social-emotional development. More than 100 high school students participated in post-secondary access, workforce preparation, and career development programming designed to support successful transitions into college or trade schools, workforce training programs, and living-wage careers. NLAs model is rooted in collaboration. The organization partners with other community-based organizations, corporations, public school districts, and post-secondary institutions to deliver real-world learning experiences that reinforce school-day instruction while exposing students to future pathways and supportive networks. These cross-sector partnerships ensure that all programming remains responsive to their needs and connected to long-term outcomes for students and their families.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 72% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 84
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.8%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 91.4%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.9%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.8; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.4%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.6% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.4% per year; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.8% of revenue deployed · 91.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $120K · 20 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 22/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 36/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 45/100.