Culture Wise Studies Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 472822152
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2018–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Camarillo, CA, USA
- Phone
- 8053832000
- Rating
- 84
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Arts, Culture, and Humanities N.E.C.
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $500,000
- Expenses
- $502,500
- Assets
- $46,664
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
4 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- THEODORE BAEHR (CEO AND PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- THEODORE BAEHR (CEO AND PRESIDENT)
- ROBERT BAEHR (BOARD MEMBER)
- THOMAS SNYDER (BOARD MEMBER)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Culture wise studies, inc is dedicated to promoting family and conservative values through the media by influencing entertainment industry decision makers, artists and craftspeople to produce more family-friendly, morally uplifting, inspiring entertainment and to equip the public, especially parents, grandparents and teachers, to improve the character development of future generations (including children, teenagers and young adults) through conservative, family-friendly, morally uplifting, inspiring entertainment.
What it reported doing in 2024
Inklings fellowship: an esteemed summer program initiated by good news communications, inc. Dba movieguide and the christian film & television commission was partially funded through culture wise studies, inc. To cultivate, mentor, and guide the next generation of content creators who aspire to uphold and incorporate christian values in the entertainment industry. Recognizing the power and pervasiveness of media, this fully funded and paid program is crafted to empower young leaders who are motivated to impact hollywood positively. The inklings fellowship spans from mid-june to september and is based in the los angeles area. During this period, a small, select group of fellows live together in a supportive community, where they are trained to navigate the complex world of entertainment media and understand how to bring a project from concept to screen. The fellowship emphasizes the business and producing side of filmmaking, positioning graduates to strategically influence industry trends. This past summer of 2024 we had seven fellows.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 100% of its reported program spending out as grants.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 89
- Transparency & Controls: 94
- Accountability: 68
- Sustainability: 38
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 99.5%; rating input score 100
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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; 76th percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.09; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 28.7% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 28% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 31.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 99.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 3 of 4 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $500K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 4 people listed
- Consistency: 14 of 14 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
- 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 34/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 5/100.