Center for Scholars and Storytellers

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
921663411
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Ventura, CA, USA
Phone
8056162510
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Social Science

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,713,526
Expenses
$987,629
Assets
$1,348,108
Liabilities
$1,776

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR YALDA T UHLS (CEO.DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR YALDA T UHLS (CEO.DIRECTOR): $142,758 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To bridge the gap between social science research and media creation by collaborating with and educating the creative community to create powerful storytelling that helps youth thrive and grow.

What it reported doing in 2025

Teens and screens research report sponsorship: our annual teens & screens report provides valuable insights into teenagers' perspectives on entertainment and social media. Each year, we survey american teens to understand: - the topics they want to see - what media they find most authentic - the reasons behind their preferenceswe compile these key findings into our comprehensive teens & screens report, which illuminates the shifting tastes of today's youth.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 79% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 68% for direct work, and 32% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 36
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 66
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 31%; rating input score 31
  • Program expense ratio: 52.7%; rating input score 53
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 14; 14th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 85.7%; rating input score 86; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 42.4%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.36; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 14.5%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 89.8% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 67.2% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 67% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 31% of revenue deployed · 52.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 7 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $520K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $143K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 31/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 53/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 14/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.