Chronicles of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
813741086
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Portland, ME, USA
Phone
9022103459
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Culture, and Humanities N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$85,031
Expenses
$90,971
Assets
$18,599
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • WALTER FORDHAM (PRESIDENT DIRECTOR)
  • PETER VOLZ (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • WALTER FORDHAM (PRESIDENT DIRECTOR)
  • PETER VOLZ (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • MARGUERTIE PRENTICE (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-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To celebrate the vidyadhara'a life; to expand the general knowledge and understanding of the life and teachings of chogyam trungpa rinpoche; to trace lis legacy and influences into the current era; and to foster a sense of community amoung people who share a common interest in his life and work. The activities of the chronicles of chogyam trungpa renpoche, a registered society in the province of nova scotia, canada ("chronicles canada"). The primary purpose of the applicant, which has the same name ("chronicles USA"), is to provide financial support for the activities of the chronicles canada and a means for trungpa reinpoche's students and followers in the united states to assist in this project. The board of directors of chronicles USA is not controlled by chronicles canada, and will exercise independent judgement in the application of the organization's funds.

What it reported doing in 2025

Third accomplishment - oral history: the original motivation for the chronicles was to record and preserve first hand accounts from people who knew trungpa reinpoche. Much of the content in the chronicles is from the oral history library. However, most of the library itself has not been published, primarily because these inteviews were not conducted for a public audience. They are, in many cases, deeply personal. Their value is conducting academic research, but significant passages are routinely published in the chronicles.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Transfer-based 990-EZ. The 990-EZ reports grants or member benefits, but it does not separate enough spending to show the nonprofit’s full delivery mix.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and assets have declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 55
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 87.5%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -7%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.2; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: -4.7% per year; rating input score 0; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -20.4% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 87.5% of revenue deployed
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 3 filed program accomplishments
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 6 of 6 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 2 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 18/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Automatic revocation: this organization had its federal tax-exempt status automatically revoked.