Media Ecosystems Analysis Group

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
822956461
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Arlington, MA, USA
Phone
6177976657
Rating
76
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Printing, Publishing

Reported finances

Revenue
$574,416
Expenses
$786,930
Assets
$1,249,593
Liabilities
$46,229

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • FERNANDO BERMEJO ACOSTA (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • FERNANDO BERMEJO ACOSTA (PRESIDENT): $125,832 total reported compensation
  • EMILY BOARDMAN NDULUE (DIRECTOR): $97,860 total reported compensation
  • LOREEN LEJEUNE (SECRETARY): $63,660 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Conducting research with non-profits, for-profits and governmental organizations and educating them in the effective use of communication in support of social change, public health and human rights agendas

What it reported doing in 2024

General program using state of the art tools and methodologies in the nascent field of quantitative media studies to produce research and teach researchers in academic and nonprofit sector to understand and leverage media to achieve social change.

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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 34
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 50%; rating input score 50; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 11
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -37%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.59; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 36.5%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 23.8% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 19.4% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 6 board members independent · 1 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $728K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $126K · 6 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $130K reported
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 8 of 9 not reported.
  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 4/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 4/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 56/100.