Chopra Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
364793898
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2023
Forms available
Form 990 2023
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
9173910374
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health, General and Financing

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,266,873
Expenses
$1,736,507
Assets
$632,319
Liabilities
$417,713

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • POONACHA MACHAIAH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • POONACHA MACHAIAH (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $200,000 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL MCCARTHY (CFO): $6,298 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2023. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The chopra foundation is dedicated to improving health and well being, cultivating spiritual knowledge, expanding consciousness, and promoting world peace to all members of the human family.

What it reported doing in 2023

Symposiums, seminars and retreats - the foundation hosts various programs and events annually to fulfill its mission of improving health and well-being and promoting spirituality, consciousness, and peace to all of the human family. The journey into healing program focuses on bringing mind-body balance, health, and nourishment into life. The reset and rejuvenate retreat is a unique experience focused on physical well-being. Individuals have the experience of participating in the self directed biological transformation initiative, which studies the health benefits of lifestyle choices. The longevity retreat - the chopra foundation's three-day longevity retreat will include both a theoretical and practical understanding of the above principles and in particular, the shift of identity from body, mind, physical circumstances to the source of all experience, which is consciousness and awareness. Combining techniques from eastern wisdom traditions and western science, those attending this course will come away with a deep understanding of the new reality we can create. It is crucial that participants commit to the discipline of making the techniques a permanent habit. .sages & scientists symposium - a global symposium of world class researchers, scientists, artists, philosophers and policy makers. The focus of the symposium to explore the latest research and dialogue to foster personal, societal and planetary wellbeing. . Neveralone global summit - a global online symposium with thought leaders and mental wellbeing community experts collaborating to help people learn to build their resources and practices to promote their mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 91% 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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 12
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 98.3%; rating input score 98
  • Program expense ratio: 43.8%; rating input score 44
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.11 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • 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: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -37.1%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.36; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.66; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.9%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -4.3% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 98.3% of revenue deployed · 43.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $761K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $200K · 8 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2014 to 2023
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Program expense ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 12/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 30/100.