Initial Research Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 333790282
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2025–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- New York, NY, USA
- Phone
- 6469236386
- Rating
- 56
- Verdict
- MIXED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $217,804
- Expenses
- $125,244
- Assets
- $92,560
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
3 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- YIQIN CHANG (PRESIDENT/FO)
Highest reported compensation
- YUAN FU (SECRETARY/DI): $19,938 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Mission and program description initial research inc (EIN: 33-3790282) is a New York-based nonprofit organization recognized under section 501(c)(3), dedicated to supporting the early stages of artistic inquiry through research, experimentation, and collaborative exchange. The organization provides educational and charitable programs that cultivate emerging artists, scholars, and cultural practitioners by offering structured opportunities for interdisciplinary exploration, knowledge generation, and community engagement. In 2025, initial research inc successfully carried out its primary program initiative, the initial research fellowship, a year-long cohort-based program designed to support early-stage, research-driven artistic practices. The fellowship provides participants with dedicated time, space, and structural support to develop new ideas and projects, while fostering collaboration, critical dialogue, and public engagement. Through this program, the organization advances artistic
What it reported doing in 2025
Mission and program description initial research inc (EIN: 33-3790282) is a New York-based nonprofit organization recognized under section 501(c)(3), dedicated to supporting the early stages of artistic inquiry through research, experimentation, and collaborative exchange. The organization provides educational and charitable programs that cultivate emerging artists, scholars, and cultural practitioners by offering structured opportunities for interdisciplinary exploration, knowledge generation, and community engagement. In 2025, initial research inc successfully carried out its primary program initiative, the initial research fellowship, a year-long cohort-based program designed to support early-stage, research-driven artistic practices. The fellowship provides participants with dedicated time, space, and structural support to develop new ideas and projects, while fostering collaboration, critical dialogue, and public engagement. Through this program, the organization advances artistic innovation and contributes to broader cultural and educational discourse.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 65% for direct work, and 35% for 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: 28
- Transparency & Controls: 93
- Accountability: 69
- Sustainability: 62
- Growth: NotEnoughData
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 24.7%; rating input score 25
- Program expense ratio: 42.7%; rating input score 43
- 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 42.5%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.74; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 15.9%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: Limited
- Asset growth: Limited
Details
- Where the money goes: 24.7% of revenue deployed · 42.7% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $53K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $20K · 3 people listed
- Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes grants
- 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: Mission deployment rate scored 25/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 43/100.
- High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 33/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 22/100.