Access Humboldt
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 204881299
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Eureka, CA, USA
- Phone
- 7074761798
- Rating
- 75
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Television
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $532,694
- Expenses
- $608,252
- Assets
- $209,990
- Liabilities
- $28,035
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
14 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- SEAN MCLAUGHLIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
- CHRISTINA JEFFERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
- JANE CALLAHAN (Vice President)
- MOLLY CATE (President)
Highest reported compensation
- SEAN MCLAUGHLIN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $103,315 total reported compensation
- CHRISTINA JEFFERS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $15,164 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To provide support support and community based media programs to the public. Access Humboldt establishes and operates a community media access center and serves access viewers with programming reflecting the activities, concerns, diversity and interests of Humboldt County, CA. This is accomplished in a manner that promotes a free exchange of ideas and information.
What it reported doing in 2024
Access Humboldt manages local cable franchise benefits on behalf of the County of Humboldt, California and the Cities of Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, Rio Dell, Ferndale and Blue Lake. A local Board of Directors convenes regular public meetings, provides accountability and sets governing policy to guide the organization. Operational accomplishments include: cable access TV channels; a wide area broadband network with dedicated optic fiber connections to twenty locations serving community anchor institutions; broadband access wireless networks; a Community Media Center with TV studio and other production equipment and training on the Eureka High School campus; and ongoing operational support for public, educational, and governmental access media services.Access Humboldt also serves as lead agency for broadband deployment and adoption efforts for Humboldt County and participates in regional, state and federal advocacy for universal access to open networks.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 86% 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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 83
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 42
- Sustainability: 17
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 97.8%; rating input score 98
- Program expense ratio: 85.7%; rating input score 86
- 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: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -14.2%; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.35; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 19.5%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 4.2% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.7% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 97.8% of revenue deployed · 85.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 0 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $521K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $103K · 14 people listed
- Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 13/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 15/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.