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5824 CLOVER DR
Oakland CA 94618-1623
Oakland CA | IRS ruling year: 2015 | EIN: 47-4997229
Organization Mission
CREA inspires Nicaraguans to empower themselves and their communities by providing educational resources.
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, weighted as follows: 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 As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Nicaraguan Education Resource Center is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Nicaraguan Education Resource Center 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 - 8/8 - 35/35 ptsBoard Composition - 8/8 - 35/35 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 - N/A - 0/0 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - N/A - 0/0 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 - 5/5 ptsConflict of Interest Policy - Listed - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsBoard Meeting Minutes - Documented - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsDocument Retention and Destruction - Listed - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsWhistleblower Policy - Listed - 5/5 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 - 5/5 ptsWebsite - Listed - 5/5 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 - 2.26% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 2.26% - 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 - 90.11% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 90.11% - 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
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
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 (Nicaraguan Education Resource Center) or EIN (474997229) in the 'Search Term' field.
Not Currently Scored
Nicaraguan Education Resource Center 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.
Learn More
Nicaraguan Education Resource Center reported its three largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Academic Success. The Academic Success Initiative provides educational opportunities to children and youth who otherwise would have little access. Academic Enrichment at CREA and the local schools pro ... (More)
Academic Success. The Academic Success Initiative provides educational opportunities to children and youth who otherwise would have little access. Academic Enrichment at CREA and the local schools provide primary, secondary, and university academic support. The College Entrance and Exam program prepares young people from rural communities to take the university entrance exams at Nicaraguas public universities in Managua. The Course Coaching: Acceleration and Remediation program provides extracurricular help to those at risk of dropping out of school. (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Youth Development. The Youth Development Initiative is designed to create the leaders of tomorrow, today. Through the Leadership Development and Community Health programs, and the Social Empowerment, ... (More)
Youth Development. The Youth Development Initiative is designed to create the leaders of tomorrow, today. Through the Leadership Development and Community Health programs, and the Social Empowerment, English Literacy, and Cultural Literacy Projects, youth (Less)
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
Library Services. The Library Services Initiative creates a love for reading in the rural communities served by CREA programming. In addition to loaning books, the Library Access for All, Reading Club ... (More)
Library Services. The Library Services Initiative creates a love for reading in the rural communities served by CREA programming. In addition to loaning books, the Library Access for All, Reading Clubs, and Mobile Library programs specifically target child (Less)
Nicaraguan Education Resource Center has earned a 100% 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.
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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.
Through three integrated initiatives, our programming includes a series of educational and learning-focused efforts that target rural, economically disadvantaged indigenous children and youth ages 6 months to 25 years old. Our initiatives operate in full collaboration with local community leaders, schools, and organizations.
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, Community meetings or town halls, Suggestion box/email
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
We don't actively use collected feedback
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we 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 staff and community partners in particular have been able to be much more involved in decision making for the organization.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Other means
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, CREA made its services remote for 2020 in order to be able to service our population without having them risk their health by taking public transportation to our facility.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 pts
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 100 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 12 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 (7/7) | |
|---|---|
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 (5/7) | |
|---|---|
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. | |
Nicaraguan Education Resource Center 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
To inspire rural Nicaraguans through literacy and education.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Minds Wide Open
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: Strengthening current programs of the three core initiatives of Youth Development, Education Outreach, and Library Services to reach remote communities.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: CREA will invest in staff development over the next three years to grow personnel in their profession as it applies to CREA’s mission in serving the communities of Tola.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: The development of the facilities and land will encourage learning, reading, and environmental stewardship.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Leadership Development - 15/15 ptsLeadership Development - 15/15 pts
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Believing that education is a pathway out of poverty, CREA promotes professional development for all its employees in order to strengthen the capacity of our team and set good examples for our participants and the community. The majority of our employees are engaged in higher education programs.
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
CREA has strategic partnerships with organizations in the Tola region. We work together to carry out the mission of each organization. Additionally, through Global Fund for Children we are interconnected with organizations with similar missions in Central America, sharing ideas and strategies to achieve our missions. Community building and training are part of the work we do through our Academic Success, Library Services, and Youth Development Initiatives.
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.
• Distribution of 2,600 hygiene kits to economically disadvantaged families Immediate creation and distribution of education packets to keep children and families engaged in their formal education; • Formation of telephone helplines to provide support for each primary grade on the educational guides and to provide support for secondary students; • Implementation of a university student program to enable higher education students to access Internet and support from trained CREA staff for online classes; • Formation of a “gap year” program for CREA university scholarship students who were unable to safely and/or adequately continue their studies in order to reinforce core subjects and create an environment of continuous learning; • Implementation of library programming through mobile library services delivering books and reading exercises to 7 communities weekly in ways that support public health; • Solidarity telephone calls as part of mentoring between Youth Development Initiative participants to foster well-being; • Support for teachers and local schools by providing prevention materials and classroom cleaning supplies as well as the production of distance learning resources; • Provision of essential medicines and supplies to the local public health clinic that lacked medicine, even Tylenol for fever reduction, to provide relief for Covid-19 symptoms;
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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