Future Roots Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
510665121
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
3236038187
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Radio

Reported finances

Revenue
$984,247
Expenses
$1,038,181
Assets
$1,324,538
Liabilities
$532

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BRYAN YOUNCE (DIRECTOR, VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SARAH SHEWEY (DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ALEJANDRO COHEN (DIRECTOR, SECRETARY/TREASURER): $76,100 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Dublab cultivates and supports local cultural ecosystems worldwide. Through community-generated radio, dublab promotes curiosity, experimentation, inclusivity, and connection.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024 dublab produced approximately 180 unique live radio shows that air monthly, directly serving approximately 220 individual artists, and reaching approximately 300,000 listeners per month via broadcasts and radio archive playback. Dublab radio is programmed continuously online, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. With a combination of unique and archive shows, dublab airs approximately 4,000 radio shows per year. In addition to broadcasting, dublab produces over 50 events per year in los angeles, including public art exhibitions, multimedia, and concerts. Attendance per event varies from 50 to 1,000+ people and serves diverse publics. Our programming showcases innovative music and art, fostering a strong community for collaboration, sharing, and enjoying these art forms.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 79
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 41
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 88.1%; rating input score 88
  • Program expense ratio: 83.2%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.12 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.5%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.28; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 7.3%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18.4% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 19.1% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 32.7% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 88.1% of revenue deployed · 83.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 12 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $864K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $76K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2014 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 18/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 46/100.