Institute for Contemplative Life DBA Inner Pathway Publishing

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
800272164
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Redlands, CA, USA
Phone
9098446355
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Counseling, Support Groups

Reported finances

Revenue
$102,847
Expenses
$99,851
Assets
$575,615
Liabilities
$715

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Fran Grace (President)

People named in this filing

  • Fran Grace (President)
  • Marsha Webb (Secretary)
  • Chris Johnson (Treasurer)

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

Our purpose is to support the inner pathway of all who come to us. By inner pathway, we refer to the innate qualities of the human spirit: love, joy, gratitude, forgiveness, compassion, inner peace, beauty, and humor. The inner pathway is timeless and open to all, free of dogma, dues, or membership. These inner capacities are the goal of every religion, yet religion is not required to access them because they lie within each person. We foster these inner qualities by presenting the teachings of all verified spiritual paths in a way that is of practical benefit. We do this through offering private sessions in spiritual direction, publication of unique books, podcasts, films, classes, retreats, workshops, and regular meditation gatherings.

What it reported doing in 2024

NEW BOOKS: 1 The Power of Love book was published in e-book format for the first time. 2 There Is No Time Not To Live: Interview About My Journey with Fran Grace was written, produced and published in print and e-book formats. NEW VIDEOS AND CONTENT: 1 Fran created 10 new videos that are available on Vimeo and YouTube. 2 Fran has written several REFLECTIONS aka blog posts in the last year. 3 Social Media: Facebook page and Instagram page, where we post inspirational messages and announcements, every few days. 4. Fran created one-third of the content for our new Power of Love online course to be launched in 2026. NEW ONLINE COURSE PLATFORM: Fran and web designer spent 8 months to establish a platform on our website for new online courses, which will be available to the public beginning in January 2026. NEW SPIRITUAL DIRECTION SERVICES: Beginning in December 2022, Fran now offers individual Spiritual Direction / Mentoring sessions by donation to The Institute. People can make the appointment online. https://innerpathway.com/about/spiritual-direction/ NEW EVENTS: 1 Fran began a year-long curriculum called Great Books of the Inner World, offered in two, 12-week semesters, every week at two different time sessions to accommodate global time zones. 2 Dream Workshops: Diane and Fran offered 1 workshop in 2024. 3 Fran offered a 4-day contemplative retreat in Inverness, CA, on topic The Path of the Mystic. 4. Fran started a new POL Study Group on Mondays every week for people who live in Europe and other time zones. CONTINUED ACTIVITIES: 1 Continuing since 2019: Fran and Board members Chris, Michelle and Lynde attend a weekly POL Study Group on Zoom with people who have completed her online course based on the book. 2 Continuing since 2020: Fran facilitates a weekly Loving Kindness Meditation on Zoom, in collaboration with the University of Redlands, and Board member Lynde Nottebaum assists.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 67% for direct work, and 33% for grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Revenue has declined or grown slowly and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 83
  • Transparency & Controls: 81
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 94.2%; rating input score 94
  • Program expense ratio: 91.5%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 84.6%; rating input score 85; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 83.4%; rating input score 83; 49th 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: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.9%; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.76; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -64.2% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 94.2% of revenue deployed · 91.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $91K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 26 current checks pass · 2 findings to review
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Grant-readiness screening is separate from the live rating, not a measure of program quality. Review the source records before making a grant decision.

  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.
  • High — Grant Readiness: Automatic revocation: this organization had its federal tax-exempt status automatically revoked.