Igda Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
205991931
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2023, Form 990-N 2014
Location
Washington, DC, USA
Phone
3106639998
Rating
65
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$210,829
Expenses
$203,610
Assets
$290,206
Liabilities
$15,220

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

People named in this filing

  • ED FRIES (BOARD CHAIR)
  • MITZI MCGILVRAY (TREASURER)
  • NEIL KIRBY (SECRETARY)

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

The igda foundation is a global charitable organization serving underrepresented and marginalized developers and individuals interested in a career within the gaming industry. Our mission is to make the game industry more diverse and inclusive by providing professional development and opportunities for every person who wants to be a part of the gaming industry.

What it reported doing in 2024

Empowering underrepresented game developers at the game developers conference (gdc): in 2024, the igda foundation provided financial support and programming to empower over 60 individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to attend the game developers conference in san francisco. This initiative included travel grants, conference passes, and tailored professional development sessions, enabling participants to access industry networking, mentorship, and career opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible. The program directly advanced our mission to foster diversity and inclusion in the global game development community by removing barriers to entry for emerging talent. (continued on sch. O)virtual exchange career advancement program: the foundation designed and delivered the virtual exchange, a six-week online professional development program that served over 70 grantees from around the world. Participants engaged in workshops, mentorship, and collaborative projects aimed at enhancing their skills, expanding their professional networks, and progressing their careers in the video game industry. The virtual exchange provided a scalable, accessible platform for international participants, many of whom face geographic or financial barriers to traditional in-person events.spark program skills development in africa: through the spark program, the foundation provided more than 160 individuals across africa with targeted training and resources to kickstart careers in game development and technology. The program included technical workshops, career coaching, and industry networking opportunities, directly addressing the skills gap and supporting economic empowerment in underserved regions. Spark's impact is measured by participant career progression, new job placements, and the creation of new games and technology projects by alumni.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 80% for direct work, and 20% for grants.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - 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 the filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 49
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59.2%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 61%; rating input score 61
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 50%; rating input score 50; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: 3.4%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.43; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.3% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -5.8% per year; rating input score 0; 9th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.3% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59.2% of revenue deployed · 61% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $124K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 22 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 59/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 32/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Foreign grants require schedule f did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 32/100.