Imagine Center for Conflict Transformation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
450618095
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
San Diego, CA, USA
Phone
9785784341
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
International Peace and Security

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$430,674
Expenses
$481,275
Assets
$147,924
Liabilities
$15,783

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

Leadership & pay

1 person listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PHILIP GAMAGHELYAN (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • PHILIP GAMAGHELYAN (PRESIDENT): $60,854 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The imagine center strives to 1) transform negative attitudes of conflict-torn societies towards the conflict and each other and promote a cooperative and mutually beneficial view of the conflict; 2) generate joint learning, analysis and, ideas that take the needs, concerns, and hopes of all sides into consideration, and that can be used in peace processes; and 3) create and sustain a network of professionals across conflict sides are committed to peace-building processes.

What it reported doing in 2024

Us embassy in tbilisi, multimedia, dialogue, and certificate grant - this project, titled "dialogue, multimedia collaboration, and mediation certificate in the context of conflicts in the south caucasus", expanded a regional network of emerging peacebuilders and journalists from the south caucasus through training in conflict resolution, mediation, and strategic communications. Participants engaged in a facilitated dialogue to build shared analysis of the conflict, strengthen cross-border relationships, and develop the skills needed to sustain constructive communication during periods of tension. The project supported the creation and dissemination of alternative peace narratives by young georgians, abkhazians, armenians, and azerbaijanis through targeted training in multimedia storytelling and public outreach. A certificate program further prepared select participants to design and implement confidence-building measures and conflict resolution initiatives within their communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 86% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 94
  • Transparency & Controls: 55
  • Accountability: 21
  • Sustainability: 21
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 97.4%; rating input score 97
  • Program expense ratio: 87.2%; rating input score 87
  • Fundraising efficiency: $4,348.23 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: -11.7%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.31; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.6%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.9% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 20.9% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 97.4% of revenue deployed · 87.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 1 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $419K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $61K · 1 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors and foreign activity
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 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.
  • 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.

  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.