Ear Community Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
460923897
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2021
Location
Broomfield, CO, USA
Phone
3036467126
Rating
49
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Ear and Throat Diseases

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$402,744
Expenses
$234,674
Assets
$896,396
Liabilities
$753

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Shannon Culbertson (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Melissa Tumblin (Executive Dir.): $100,000 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Promote educational and public awareness about Microtia and Atresia and hearing loss, in an unbiased manner, while promoting advocacy and connecting individuals in the same situation.

What it reported doing in 2025

We host family events called "picnics" that help bring individuals together who were born with missing ears (microtia), hearing loss due to the absence of an ear canal (atresia), and facial challenges. These picnics provide an educational opportunity for families to learn about their medical options, share experiences, mingle with medical professionals to get the facts about surgical options and prosthetics, and learn more about hearing loss and hearing devices. Events: Ear Community has hosted over 135 events that bring the microtia and atresia community together. Hearing device donations: Ear Community has donated nearly 200 bone anchored hearing devices to those in need since 2012. Scholarships: Ear Community has awarded 30 college scholarships to date to date. Genetic research: Ear Community has championed genetic research resulting in new findings of what causes microtia and atresia. Paxs Ear Fund: A fund dedicated to helping give the gift of hearing by reimbursing audiologists for the fitting/programming fee for hearing devices when insurance denies this service. Paxs Eyewear Fund: A fund dedicated to helping children receive eye and sunglasses that stay on when ears are not there to hold them up.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 96% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 67% for direct work, and 33% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 39
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 0
  • Sustainability: 69
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 36.3%; rating input score 36
  • Program expense ratio: 57.4%; rating input score 57
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 77.3%; rating input score 77; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 41.7%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.82; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 42.6%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 15.1% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 30.4% per year; rating input score 100; 90th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 36.3% of revenue deployed · 57.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 8 board members independent · 0 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $135K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 20 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2017 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 36/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 6 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 57/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 5/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.