Aeon America Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
813741044
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
3478712366
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Corporate Foundations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$864,664
Expenses
$864,664
Assets
$160,282
Liabilities
$160,247

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PAUL HAINS (DIRECTOR/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • ADAM D'ARPINO (HEAD OF VIDEO): $133,608 total reported compensation
  • SAMUEL DRESSER (DEPUTY EDITOR, AEON): $131,685 total reported compensation
  • SAM HASELBY (DIRECTOR/SENIOR EDITOR): $121,763 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The purpose of the corporation is to educate the public through making thought-provoking and scholarly pieces of writing and media covering a broad range of themes and disciplines more accessible in the united states and throughout the world.

What it reported doing in 2024

The principal activity of the corporation is supporting the charitable activities of aeon media group ltd., a registered australian charity, which educates the public by publishing articles in the areas of philosophy, history, science, art, and psychology, among other disciplines; commissions, produces, and distributes documentaries and other non-fiction films covering a broad range of themes; and creates innovative digital technology to connect its global audience with its articles and other media. The corporation shall also conduct the above-referenced charitable activities in the united states in addition to any other lawful activities that may be appropriate in carrying out the purpose noted above.

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 - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 50
  • Sustainability: 20
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 86.2%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $19.32 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

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: 33.3%; rating input score 33; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 55.3%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 86.2% of revenue deployed · 86.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 1 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $745K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $134K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.

  • Moderate — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 33/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 57/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 6/100.