Nonprofit intelligence · Partnership with Kinetiq

The 5M's™
a structural read on nonprofit health

A scoring engine that produces a K-Score™ from 0 to 100 for any US nonprofit, grounded in five structural dimensions: Mission, Money, Movement, Measurement, and Machine. Built for foundations, DAF providers, turnaround consultancies, and boards running diligence on the organizations they fund, partner with, or steward.

In active development · Early access opening 2026
The framework

Five dimensions. One score. Risk signals before they become obvious.

Funding decisions often rely on 990 data that is 12 to 24 months stale. The 5M's framework reads the structural signals that indicate whether an organization is likely to remain operational, funded, and trusted three years from now, while there is still time to act.

M ission
Program ratio, outcome evidence, beneficiary feedback, stewardship clarity.
M oney
Revenue mix, funder concentration, operating reserves, fundraising efficiency.
M ovement
Donor retention, volunteer base, advocacy strength, community sentiment.
M easurement
Data infrastructure, 990 currency, asset inventory, governance documentation.
M achine
Board independence, ED tenure, succession, policies, audit status, pay ratio.
Example · How a score reads

What a 32 looks like before anyone else sees it

Consider a mid-sized nonprofit that looks stable from the outside. Underneath: revenue concentrated in two funders, reserves under 60 days, a board that cannot reach quorum, and 990s that trail reality by 18 months. Those signals are readable long before the public sees a problem. That is the point of the score: time to act while acting is still cheap.

K‑Score / 5M’s
Structural Health · v1

Meridian Youth Alliance

Mid-sized human services nonprofit · 501(c)(3)
Scored on
May 14, 2026
32/100
Critical
Structural signals point to acute near-term fragility.
32
CriticalFragileStableStrong
Where the score comes from
MissionProgram & outcomes
58
MoneyReserves & funder mix
21
MovementDonor & community
44
MeasurementData & 990 currency
18
MachineBoard & governance
22
Going Concern Horizon
3–6 months at current trajectory
*Composite example, not a scored client. Cureton × Kinetiq
Who it's for

Intelligence for funders, boards, and donors

Community Foundations

Monitoring grantee portfolios across programs and geography.

DAF Providers

Running diligence at scale across thousands of recommended grants.

Turnaround & Merger Consultancies

Embedding diagnostic intelligence in client engagements.

Boards & Donors

Pre-gift diligence on specific organizations before commitments are made.

Built in partnership

Three firms. One clearer way to read nonprofit risk.

Methodology & platform
Kinetiq

Measurement intelligence firm. Author of the 5M's framework and scoring engine. Operates the platform, publishes the intelligence, and stewards the K-Score methodology.

Sector expertise & narrative
Cureton Advisory Services

Shan Cureton brings lived operational expertise in distressed nonprofit governance, open-source stewardship, and sector-specific credibility with institutional buyers.

Go-to-market & distribution
Three Indigo

Management consulting firm co-founded by Nita Saint-Hilaire and Shan Cureton. Leads commercial strategy, consulting partnerships, and foundation and DAF relationships.

Early access

Get on the list for early K-Score access

We're opening early access to foundations, DAF providers, and consultancies through 2026. Tell us who you are and we'll reach out as cohorts open.

Partnership contact · contact@curetonadvisory.com