Ema Foundation for Paper Based Communication

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
311487941
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Alexandria, VA, USA
Phone
7037392200
Rating
54
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Adult, Continuing Education

Reported finances

Revenue
$284,820
Expenses
$417,914
Assets
$9,641,293
Liabilities
$38,625

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Paul Siegle (Immediate Past Chair)
  • T Hunter Wilson (SecretaryTreasurer)
  • Cheryl Chapman (Trustee)

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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To identify and analyze major trends that affect the Envelope Industry, especially the health and future of the Postal Administrations in North America and throughout the World.

What it reported doing in 2025

The Institute for Postal Studies was created to conduct a comprehensive research and educational campaign on postal reform. The mission is to create educational tools and information that can be used in the reform or transformation of the USPS.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 90% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 11
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 14%; rating input score 14
  • Program expense ratio: 9.5%; rating input score 10
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -46.7%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 23.07; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.1% per year; rating input score 0; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.5% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 14% of revenue deployed · 9.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $40K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes grants
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 14/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 10/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 4/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 45/100.