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Albuquerque NM | IRS ruling year: 1973 | EIN: 85-0222386
THE MISSION OF NATIVE FORWARD SCHOLARS FUND IS TO BUILD, PROMOTE AND HONOR SELF-SUSTAINING AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND LEADER ... (More)
THE MISSION OF NATIVE FORWARD SCHOLARS FUND IS TO BUILD, PROMOTE AND HONOR SELF-SUSTAINING AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 90%, 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: 32% Accountability & Finance, 50% Impact & Results, 7% 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 As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Native Forward is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations.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.
Native Forward 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.
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Full Credit
Partial Credit
No Credit
Not ApplicableBoard Composition - 9/9 - 25/25 ptsBoard Composition - 9/9 - 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 - Audited - 20/20 ptsIndependent Audit or Financial Review - Audited - 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 - 26.15% - 15/15 ptsLiabilities to Assets Ratio - 26.15% - 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 - 91.27% - 25/25 ptsProgram Expense Ratio - 91.27% - 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:
Other school related activities (BMF activity code: 059)
Scholarships (other) (BMF activity code: 040)
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 (Native Forward) or EIN (850222386) 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.
Native Forward reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Staffing
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Covid-19 did not affect our organization financially, we were very fortunate to retrieve a generous donation during this time. The donation resulted in a well-structured strategic plan focused on growth in our organization, despite challenges with the ongoing pandemic.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Fortunately, Covid-19 did not affect our delivery of programs. We were able to successfully work with institutes to retrieve ACH payment information. We were also capable of seamlessly able to switch all staff to remote work.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
We successfully had the ability to switch all staff to remote work. We adapted to a remote structure for the office by purchasing laptops, providing all staff with office phone hardware, and switching to ACH payments for scholarships.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We plan to continue to send scholarship payments through ACH payments and to provide remote work options to staff.
Native Forward has earned a 80% for the Impact & Results beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon estimates the actual impact a charity has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
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Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot Applicable
Program
Scholarships & Student Programming
Activities
The nonprofit grants scholarships to beneficiaries.
Program Type
Postsecondary Scholarships
Beneficiaries Served
Program Geography
Time Period of Data
7/1/20 to 6/30/21
Outcomes: Changes in the lives of those served by a nonprofit. They can be caused by the nonprofit.
Costs: The money spent by a nonprofit and its partners and beneficiaries.
Impact: Outcome caused by a nonprofit relative to its cost.
Cost-effectiveness: A judgment as to whether the cost was a good use of resources to cause the outcome.
Outcome Metric
Increase in income for a scholarship recipient
Outcome Data Source
Ratings are based on data the nonprofit itself collects on its work. We use the most recent year with sufficient data. Typically, this data allows us to calculate direct changes in participants' lives, such as increased income.
Output data collected during the program. The nonprofit submitted data on the dollar value of all scholarships it grants and the number of scholarship recipients, which we use to calculate the additional income that the nonprofit's scholarship program generates.
Method for Attributing Outcomes
We don't know if the observed changes were caused by the nonprofit's program or something else happening at the same time (e.g., a participant got a raise). To determine causation, we take the outcomes we observe and subtract an estimate of the outcomes that would have happened even without the program (i.e., counterfactual outcomes).
We estimate the increase in income caused by a nonprofit's scholarship program in two steps. First, we compare the estimated postsecondary graduation rate of its scholars to that of comparable students who did not receive a scholarship (the “counterfactual”). Our estimates are drawn from rigorous social science studies of similar scholarship programs. The result is the number of scholars whose graduation was caused by the nonprofit. Second, we compare the earnings of graduates to non-graduates based on publicly available census data, matching on student demographic characteristics. We apply the earnings boost owing to a degree to those scholars whose graduation was caused by the nonprofit. Both steps are necessary to properly net out counterfactual successes from observed successes. Otherwise, we would be attributing changes (increase in graduation rate and increase in earnings) to the nonprofit when they would have happened anyway. Few nonprofits estimate the counterfactual themselves, so we construct our own counterfactual estimate based on research and publicly available data.
Cost Data Source
After estimating the program's outcomes, we need to determine how much it cost to achieve those outcomes. All monetary costs are counted, whether they are borne by a nonprofit service deliverer or by the nonprofit’s public and private partners.
Program cost data reported by the nonprofit. Partner and beneficiary costs reported by the nonprofit or estimated by Charity Navigator.
Cost Calculation
$13,966,219 program costs + $484,143 partner costs + $484,143 beneficiary costs = $14,934,506 total costs
We calculate impact, defined as the change in outcomes attributable to a program divided by the cost to achieve those outcomes.
Impact Calculation
$14,934,506 total costs / $18,779,842 additional income = roughly $12,000 increases income for a scholarship recipient by $15,000.
Benchmark for Rating
Impact & Results scores of postsecondary scholarship programs are based on income generated relative to cost. Programs receive an Impact & Results score of 100 if they increase income for a recipient by more than $1.50 for every $1 spent and a score of 80 if income increases by more than $0.85 for every $1 spent. If a nonprofit reports impact but doesn't meet the benchmark for cost-effectiveness, it earns a score of 65.
Determination
Cost-effective
Native Forward reported its two largest programs on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
DISBURSEMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS TO NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE STUDENTS, PRIMARILY THOSE SEEKING GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL DEGREES. 1,223 WERE SUPPORTED DURING THE YEAR.
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
PROVIDE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES AND RESOURCES PROGRAMS THAT ENGAGE STUDENTS AND PROVED RESOURES TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS. THIS INCLUDES KNOW BEFORE YOU GO AND EMPO ... (More)
PROVIDE STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES AND RESOURCES PROGRAMS THAT ENGAGE STUDENTS AND PROVED RESOURES TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS. THIS INCLUDES KNOW BEFORE YOU GO AND EMPOWERING SCHOLARS SUMMIT COLLEGE READINESS FOR HIGH SCHOOL (Less)
Native Forward 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.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditNot ApplicableConstituent Feedback - Data Available - UnscoredConstituent Feedback - Data Available - Unscored
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.
We provide financial support for American Indians and Alaska Natives seeking higher education, and support them in attaining undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.)
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 inform the development of new programs/projects
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
Our staff, Our board
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?
The feedback has allowed us to provide resources that have changed with our students and their current needs, such as creating a Student Relief Fund. The Student Relief Scholarship is designed to assist Native Students who are facing financial hardships and challenges by providing them with a one-time relief scholarship. The fund will be utilized to help support students in emergency situations that include, but are not limited to: food insecurity, emergency travel costs, emergency housing costs, educational technology or technology - related resources, or other educational expenses.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Note: The organization reported no challenges faced.
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
We added specific programming to address the wellness needs of our scholars, from the indigenous perspective, in our programming.
Equity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 ptsEquity Practices - Data Available - 100/100 pts
100% 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. | |
Native Forward 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
We provide financial support for American Indians and Alaska Natives seeking higher education, and support them in attaining undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. We partner with Tribes, the federal government, foundations, corporations and individuals to ensure the growth and sustainability of scholarships.
Vision - 10/10 ptsVision - 10/10 pts
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
Building on a 50-year legacy, American Indian Graduate Center will continue to be the premier national resource in funding and empowering the next generation of Native leaders across all sectors, by meeting the unmet need of every Native student.
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: To reinforce scholarships and student supports.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: To expand AIGC's external presence and influence.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: To build a more sustainable funding model.
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
We provide professional development training for the leadership team and staff, as well as plan and attend an annual full staff and leadership retreat and have staff trainings as needed. Our leadership team also attends a bi-weekly meetings to discuss upcoming events, conferences, updates, and other topics pertaining to our organization.
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
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
We publish a magazine every fall and spring and have active social media accounts. The accounts include but are not limited to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. We also have a podcast on Spotify called Inspired Podcast and recently started a 45-minute webinar via Facebook live. This webinar is where students can join in on conversations covering multiple topics from being a student, to topics pertaining to mental health. We also provide a youth leadership summit that students can attend through a video conference via Zoom. Our Chief Operating Officer, Angelique Albert, also testifies with the House Appropriations Committee, and certain individuals also attend conferences, such as the NIEA, NASPA, etc.
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.
We were able to provide students with an emergency student funding scholarship during the challenging months of Covid-19. This provided students funds for housing, food, gas, assistance with paying bills and other essentials. Despite Covid-19, we were able to successfully switch staff to hybrid-remote schedules. We have fortunately had a successful switch and were able to provide all staff with necessary tools and devices to successfully accomplish tasks and continue helping our students.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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