Baltimore Beat Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
871953122
IRS 990 coverage
2022–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Baltimore, MD, USA
Phone
4102313241
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Media, Communications Organizations

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$832,886
Expenses
$828,872
Assets
$500,331
Liabilities
$24,618

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LISA SNOWDEN MCCRAY (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • LISA SNOWDEN MCCRAY (PRESIDENT): $124,494 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Baltimore beat provides thoughtful, dogged reporting with a focus on the ignored and under-represented; provides journalism and investigative reporting, writing exclusive stories on local, city and state agencies, state government, and u.s. Government and federal agencies; provides news coverage of government meetings, activists, and social justice events; provides news coverage of the arts and entertainment, including music, theatre, poetry, visual arts, television, social media, and photography about baltimore city; publishes poetry from students in baltimore city schools and support young writers in high school and summer programs; and provides reviews of food markets, restaurants, food, and beverages.

What it reported doing in 2024

Local news coverage and investigative journalism baltimore beat provides critical local news coverage with a focus on underserved and underreported communities in baltimore. Through investigative journalism, the organization highlights key issues such as police reform, housing, civil rights, and the allocation of city resources. Their in-depth reports on police accountability, mass incarceration, and social justice bring transparency and hold local government and institutions accountable, giving a voice to those often neglected in mainstream media. This work has helped shift public awareness on critical social issues, promoting informed civic engagement in the city. Community engagement and partnerships baltimore beat has a deep commitment to community engagement, working directly with local grassroots organizations, activists, and the public to address the needs of the community. The organization hosts events, town halls, and workshops, creating forums for public dialogue and civic engagement. By forming partnerships with community groups, baltimore beat strengthens its role as a media entity that not only informs but also mobilizes and empowers baltimores citizens. Their collaboration with other nonprofits amplifies issues of racial justice, police reform, and local governance. Youth and educational initiatives baltimore beat is dedicated to fostering the next generation of journalists and activists through youth and educational programs. They offer mentorship, internships, and journalism training to local youth, helping them gain skills in reporting, storytelling, and media production. These initiatives are vital for developing new talent, particularly among baltimores black and underserved communities, and contribute to the sustainability and diversity of the journalism field. By investing in youth, baltimore beat not only educates but also provides pathways for young people to contribute to and shape the future of journalism in the city.

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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 83.7%; rating input score 84
  • Program expense ratio: 83.8%; rating input score 84
  • Fundraising efficiency: $15.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
    • 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: 0.5%; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.6; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 54th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 11.9% per year; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 83.7% of revenue deployed · 83.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $694K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $124K · 4 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $129K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2022 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 51/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 37/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 23/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.