Sembramedia

Overview

Mission

Empower media sustainability to support editorial independence and impact.

What it reported doing in 2024

Gni startups lab: it is an independent digital media accelerator and incubation in spanish that supports the development of journalistic ventures and promotes the personal growth of its members. During the program, digital media outlets and media leaders create strategies to strengthen their organizations, expand their understanding of their audiences, and innovate in their team collaborations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 94% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 93% 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
475124565
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2018
Headquarters
Sacramento, CA, USA
Phone
3232525774
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Media, Communications Organizations

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 68
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78.9%; rating input score 79
  • Program expense ratio: 79.7%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: $20.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 84.7%; rating input score 85; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.3%; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.72; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.4%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 27.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 35.2% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78.9% of revenue deployed · 79.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 5 of 5 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $115K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 26 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 5 annual filings from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • JANINE WARNER CO-EXEC DIR (UNTIL 5/24, THEN EXEC DIRECTOR): $115,000 total reported compensation
  • MIJAL IASTREBNER (CO-EXEC DIRECTOR UNTIL 5/24): $35,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.