Action Tank

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
833099604
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Phone
2026972977
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Research Institutes and Public Policy Analysis

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$48,563
Expenses
$137,290
Assets
$0
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

People named in this filing

  • MICHAELA OLDFIELD (DIRECTOR)
  • RYAN SALZMAN (PROJECT DIRECTOR)
  • LAUREN WORLEY (COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR)

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 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Action tank is a think tank that partners with artists to research and promote new public policy solutions at the local government level. We focus on planning and policy solutions to advance opportunity in neighborhoods and working with residents to promote policy changes that best meet everyones needs. We use creative placemaking approaches, working with artists, arts organizations, and designers to conduct research, build awareness, engage residents, and more. We also work on civic engagement and best government practices, including transparency, evidence-based policy, accessible policymaking, and creative community engagement.

What it reported doing in 2023

Action tank academy is a set of free trainings and resources for engaged residents who are interested in running for cincinnati city council and/or want a deeper understanding of the city's government systems and practices to successfully champion new policy. Action tank academy participants engage with panelists representing government administration leadership and subject matter experts, political decision-makers, elected officials and their staff, journalists, council clerks, community leaders, and others who play critical roles in shaping local polity process and outcomes. Action tank academy also provides free informed voter guides for primary and general elections to the public.

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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 46
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 76
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67.6%; rating input score 68
  • Program expense ratio: 23.9%; rating input score 24
  • 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • 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: -182.7%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -48.3% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -19.5% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -22.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 67.6% of revenue deployed · 23.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $33K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2021 to 2023
  • 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: Program expense ratio scored 24/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.