Institute of Chung Hwa Buddhist Culture

Overview

Mission

Religious institution

What it reported doing in 2024

The institute provided Meditation retreats, buddhist philosophy classes, personal guidance and counciling to numerous individuals all over the world.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
112503369
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Elmhurst, NY, USA
Phone
7185926593
Rating
49
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Affiliation
Buddhism

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,921,039
Expenses
$385,203
Assets
$28,013,352
Liabilities
$11,340

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

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: 3
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 92
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 1.8%; rating input score 2
  • Program expense ratio: 6%; rating input score 6
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 83.3%; rating input score 83; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • 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: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 79.9%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 72.72; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0.6%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -12.1% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.2% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 1.8% of revenue deployed · 6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $23K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 23 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 annual filings from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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 2/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 6/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D expense reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D revenue reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Guo Xing Fa Shi (Vice pres., Board Member): $1,200 total reported compensation
  • Chang Hwa Fa Shi (Director, Board Member): $1,200 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024.