Dechen Rang Dharma Center

Overview

Mission

Dechen Rang Dharma Center (DRDC) provides biweekly teachings on Buddhism and ritual practices such as scriptural recitations and meditation. DRDC also provides individual and group spiritual counsulation as needed.

What it reported doing in 2017

Biweekly Dharma teachings and ritual practices such as scriptural recitations and meditation

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 80% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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
260589143
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2017
Forms available
Form 990 2017, Form 990-EZ 2014, Form 990-N 2012
Location
San Jose, CA, USA
Phone
4089568506
Rating
46
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Buddhism
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$290,571
Expenses
$71,414
Assets
$985,225
Liabilities
$83,000

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017. 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: 6
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 86
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 5.5%; rating input score 5
  • Program expense ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 10
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: No; rating input score 0
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 75.4%; rating input score 98; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 13.8; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -37.3% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.3% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.9% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 5.5% of revenue deployed · 9.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $7K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 annual filings from 2015 to 2017
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 5/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 10/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Major donor itemization scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Lama Drimed Lodro (President)
  • Iwen Wang (Vice President)
  • Cyril Huang (Vice President)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2017.