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www.smartstartcentraloklahoma.org
PO BOX 21505
Oklahoma City OK 73156-1505
Oklahoma City OK | IRS ruling year: 2003 | EIN: 42-1593360
THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION IS TO BUILD A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS AS A CHILD'S FIRST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL TEACHER.
Great
This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc. is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc. has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2020, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 10/10 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 10/10 - 25/25 pts
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Audit or Financial Review - Has Audit/Review - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Has Audit/Review - 20/20 pts
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
|---|---|
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Board Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Website - Listed - 3/3 ptsWebsite - Listed - 3/3 pts
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 4.91% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 4.91% - 15/15 pts
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
| Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| Less than 50% | Full Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
| 60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Ratio - 81.35% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 81.35% - 25/25 pts
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
| Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
|---|---|
| 70% or higher | Full Credit |
| 60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
| 50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
| Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc.) or EIN (421593360) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc. reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
We applied for and received a PPP loan which allowed us to employ a full-time staff.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
The cornerstone of Smart Start's programs is Early Birds, a series of parenting support classes designed to equip parents and caregivers to build school-readiness skills in their young children. During the height of the pandemic, Early Birds was shut down due to social distancing requirements. During the summer of 2020, Smart Start revamped its curriculum and updated its technology in order to offer Early Birds virtually. We launched virtual classes in September 2020 and the first classes were filled within 24 hours. We continue to offer a hybrid format that allows participants to choose the type of class they attend (virtual or in-person) based on their family's personal health and safety needs.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We created STEAM kits filled with learning materials, games, toys, and books to hand out via curbside service to families waiting in line for food donations to help parents keep their child's educational needs at the forefront of their minds during the lockdown. We revamped our parenting support classes to offer them virtually for the first time. It is so popular that now we offer both virtual and in-person classes to best serve the personal health and safety needs of Oklahoma families.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We will continue to offer our programs virtually. We will also limit the size of our classes in order to allow for more personalized instruction.
Not Currently Scored
Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc. cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc. reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
EARLY BIRDS IS A FREE SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN PRE-BIRTH TO FIVE YEARS, PROVIDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. PARENTS ATTEND ... (More)
EARLY BIRDS IS A FREE SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN PRE-BIRTH TO FIVE YEARS, PROVIDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. PARENTS ATTEND CLASSES THREE TIMES PER YEAR WHERE THEY LEARN ABOUT THEIR CHILD'S HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, DISCIPLINE STRATEGIES, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYDAY LEARNING. AT EACH CLASS PARENTS RECEIVE A KIT OF EDUCATIONAL TOYS AND BOOKS TAILORED TO THEIR CHILD'S AGE. IN 2019-20, EARLY BIRDS KITS WERE GIVEN OUT TO OVER 1,500 FAMILIES. PARENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN EARLY BIRDS REPORT READING AND PLAYING MORE WITH THEIR CHILDREN. FURTHERMORE, EARLY BIRDS CHILDREN CONSISTENTLY OUTPERFORM THEIR PEERS ON KINDERGARTEN ENTRY ASSESSMENTS. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
THE MARK TWAIN ELEMENTARY PARENT RESOURCE ROOM (PRR) PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS OF MARK TWAIN STUDENTS. A COORDINATOR HELPS LEAD SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMMING AND OTHER ACT ... (More)
THE MARK TWAIN ELEMENTARY PARENT RESOURCE ROOM (PRR) PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS OF MARK TWAIN STUDENTS. A COORDINATOR HELPS LEAD SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAMMING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS AND THEIR YOUNG CHILDREN. SSCO ALSO (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
THE COMMUNITY CONNECTOR IS A POSITION FUNDED BY A CONTRACT WITH THE OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IMPROVE THE COORDINATION OF HOME VISITING SERVICES IN OKLAHOMA COUNTY. SSCO CONDUCTS REGULAR ... (More)
THE COMMUNITY CONNECTOR IS A POSITION FUNDED BY A CONTRACT WITH THE OKLAHOMA STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO IMPROVE THE COORDINATION OF HOME VISITING SERVICES IN OKLAHOMA COUNTY. SSCO CONDUCTS REGULAR OUTREACH TO RECRUIT FAMILIES AND TO INFORM ALL MEMBERS O (Less)
Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc. has earned a 95% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 ptsConstituent Feedback - Data Available - 100/100 pts
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
Smart Start Central Oklahoma is a family engagement and support organization working to ensure Central Oklahoma's youngest children get the smart start they deserve. Smart Start’s focus is on children from prenatal to age eight, supporting influential individuals in young children’s lives such as parents, caregivers, older siblings, teachers, and childcare providers. Our mission is to build a community that equips parents and caregivers to serve as a child's first and most influential teacher.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Paper surveys, Suggestion box/email
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Our goal is to collaborate with parents and caregivers to help them understand the importance of making sure their children are ready for school and eager to learn. Studies show that children who begin kindergarten prepared are four times more likely to graduate high school than their peers who enter school with no previous educational experiences. Through open dialogue with the parents in our program, we have adapted our traditional in-person classroom model to a hybrid format which allows more families to participate at times more convenient to their schedules. We also take their suggestions into consideration when updating course curricula in order to meet the challenges facing families today.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Due to the ongoing pandemic and health and safety concerns of our clients, we now provide both a virtual and in-person option for our Early Birds classes. This allows each family to decide the type of class they would like to take based on their personal health and safety concerns. Additionally, we have altered the start times for our virtual classes based on feedback received from participants.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 93/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 93 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 8 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (4/7) | |
|---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Equity Policies and Procedures (4/7) | |
|---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. | |
Smart Start Central Oklahoma Inc. has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableMission - 10/10 ptsMission - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Smart Start's MISSION IS TO BUILD A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS AS A CHILD'S FIRST AND MOST INFLUENTIAL TEACHER.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Central Oklahoma is a supportive and involved community that works to ensure children are healthy, safe, eager to learn, and ready to succeed by the time they enter school.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals - 20/20 ptsGoals - 20/20 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: Develop a consistent programmatic growth strategy to effectively serve more children and families.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Diversify the revenue base to perpetuate the mission through strategic investments to ensure the long-term financial health of Smart Start Central Oklahoma.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: Expand outreach efforts to educate parents and caregivers, change-makers, and community decision-makers about the importance of building school-readiness skills in Oklahoma's young children.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Smart Start believes that the professional development of its staff positively impacts the services provided to children and families in Central Oklahoma. Smart Start is a member of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits and regularly sends employees, volunteers, and board members to training sessions conducted by the Center on a variety of subjects including board development, fundraising best practices, nonprofit accounting strategies, and Executive Director leadership think tanks. Additionally, the staff is encouraged to join civic groups and organizations that benefit and/or focus on their area of specialty (fundraising, women in communications, Rotary Club, for example) to help build connections.
Mobilizing for Mission - 15/15 ptsMobilizing for Mission - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Smart Start partners with several community organizations and nonprofits with a shared vision to make Central Oklahoma a community that supports the needs of children and families. For instance, we work with organizations supporting incarcerated mothers to prepare them to reunite with their children. We partner with a foster family organization to help with community outreach activities. These partnerships allow Smart Start to impact more families and serve more children. Smart Start utilizes its robust social media presence to raise awareness about the needs of families and children in Central Oklahoma. We provide information about school-readiness skills for young children and tips on how to prepare children for scholastic success.
Adaptability Story - 30/30 ptsAdaptability Story - 30/30 pts
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
During the height of the pandemic, families were isolated at home and experienced significant risk factors such as financial, situational, and emotional stress. Smart Start reimagined our Early Birds parenting support program to offer classes virtually to keep families safe and healthy, and distributed kits via curb-side service in coordination with our community partners. We added mental health resource information and self-care tips to help families learn to manage or alleviate stress. Registration for the first virtual classes filled within 24 hours proving how much families need this vital support. Our virtual classes are so popular with families and partners that we now provide a hybrid option of virtual and in-person classes so families may make choices based on their personal health and safety needs.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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