Tsem Rinpoche Foundation

Overview

Mission

To promote the understanding and practice of the buddhist religion in the local area.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization had been conducting the buddhist religious practice in the form of discussion sessions, education programs, offering cremonies and retreats at its santa clarita, California headquarters, together with ministry to relieve the suffering of the poor. Currently, the organization's activities are becoming dormant, but may resume when the board of directors returns to the united states. The organization currently operates a blog on buddhist religion.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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
464855702
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Phone
3472553620
Rating
56
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Religion Related N.E.C.
Affiliation
Buddhism

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,000
Expenses
$2,938
Assets
$343,439
Liabilities
$0

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: 16
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 85
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 14.4%; rating input score 14
  • Program expense ratio: 24.9%; rating input score 25
  • 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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: 51%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 116.9; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -33.1% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -33.5% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.9% per year; rating input score 100; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 14.4% of revenue deployed · 24.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $733 in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 12 of 12 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 10 annual filings from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 14/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 25/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Review — Grant Readiness: California registration: this organization could not be resolved against the register, so the check is unfinished.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

People named in this filing

  • CHUAH SU MING (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ELENA KHONG JEAN AI (SECRETARY)
  • THONG JIUNN PERNG (TREASURER)

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 2024.