Wisconsin Public Education Action Fund Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
873954281
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Madison, WI, USA
Phone
7153039896
Rating
58
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$254,474
Expenses
$132,739
Assets
$160,192
Liabilities
$170

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • HEATHER DUBOIS BOURENANE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • HEATHER DUBOIS BOURENANE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $138,037 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 champion public education through non-partisan support for public school resources, legislative measures that benefit all public school students, referenda that serve communities, and the election of public education advocates at all levels of government.

What it reported doing in 2024

Wisconsin's public education defense fund protects Wisconsin public school students against attacks on the freedom to teach and learn in safe, welcoming, joyful, inclusive environments that allow all students to thrive. Building a strong public education defense fund is key to fighting back against increasingly dangerous political agendas that threaten our students' right to shine and succeed in excellent public schools.Wisconsin's public education defense fund supports nonpartisan, nonprofit work to: support all students and protect them from hateful attacks; stop harmful and divisive private voucher programs; fight back against unfair funding by holding the state accountable for meeting its constitutional obligation to our public schools; protect public educators' freedom to teach the truth about our complicated history in a supportive environment, and support school boards and districts against attacks on equity and racial justice initiatives and policies that protect lgbtq+ students; recruit, elect and support public education champions; educate voters on all ballot questions that impact our students and their public schools; organize communities to take action at the state and local levels and fund grassroots community engagement efforts.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 87% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 30
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 66
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 18.2%; rating input score 18
  • Program expense ratio: 35%; rating input score 35
  • Fundraising efficiency: $38.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 47.8%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.21; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 17.7%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -35.8% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2% per year; rating input score 0; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15.6% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 18.2% of revenue deployed · 35% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $46K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $138K · 4 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $104K reported
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 18/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 35/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 46/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.