Dream Machine Innovation Lab

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
922955088
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
5104358818
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,890,500
Expenses
$4,319,773
Assets
$215,673
Liabilities
$54,762

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANTHONY VAN JONES (CEO AND DIRECTOR)
  • JAMIE LUNDER (PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANTHONY VAN JONES (CEO AND DIRECTOR): $402,260 total reported compensation
  • SOMER HUNTLEY (COO): $295,899 total reported compensation
  • ANDREA LICHTENFELD (CREATIVE DIRECTOR): $206,353 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dream machine innovation lab is building a network of unlikely allies to create a better future for overlooked communities. Our goal is to reinvent the failing systems that lead to excess prisons, poverty and pollution. Our obstacle is polarization.

What it reported doing in 2024

A.i. Academy: dream machine academy ensures that underestimated and overlooked communities are not just participants in the future - but architects, owners and leaders of it. Our a.i. Academy empowers underserved communities to become innovators and leaders in the a.i. Revolution. Accomplishments: delivered 30+ free workshops with measurable learning outcomes.engaged 1,000+ participants in hands-on workshops and bootcamps.addressed 6,000+ attendees for in-person sessions.reached over 2 million people online.(accomplishments continued in schedule o)collaborated with 30+ instructors, panelists and facilitators across sectors.engaged 30+ community partners to expand access and relevance.reached participants ranging from high school students to senior leaders in creative, nonprofit, tech and education fields.built strong partnerships with public libraries and civic tech leaders.cultivated sustained interest in a.i. Programming and exponential technology through culturally resonant learning experiences.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 72
  • Transparency & Controls: 77
  • Accountability: 81
  • Sustainability: 5
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 48%; rating input score 48
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -128.5%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.05; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.25; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 36.1%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 135% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -90.3% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -170.7% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 48% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 3 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $402K · 9 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $903K reported
  • Consistency: 29 of 30 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 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.
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 1/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 27/100.