Media Network of Waterford Covert Center

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
383443828
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Waterford, MI, USA
Phone
2486820401
Rating
38
Verdict
REVIEW
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Education N.E.C.

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$307,991
Expenses
$287,252
Assets
$28,470
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Joshua Bowren (Executive Director)

Highest reported compensation

  • Joshua Bowren (Executive Director): $69,160 total reported compensation
  • Denise Mcleod (Operations Manager): $53,435 total reported compensation
  • Whitney Hunt (Senior Production Manager): $46,779 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

We train the community in all aspects of television production. Classes are offered free of charge, they are required to broadcast the television programs on Waterford Public Access WTV10. Media Network provides basic media materials to the residents so they may produce their own non-profit programing. Media Network produces programs as well to enlighten, enrich and entertain the Waterford Community.

What it reported doing in 2025

Media Network of Waterford trains Waterford Residents how to produce media programs for television, internet and radio. Waterford Residents are able to attend 4 classes teaching all aspects of television production. Media Network supplies camera gear, materials and instructons to residents free of charge. Residents can sign up for additional trainning as needed. Residents outside of Waterford Township may also sign up for classes for a donation to the Media Network of Waterford. Tee-shirts and DVDs of produced materials are available to residents for a donation.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 70% 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

REVIEW - The filed numbers largely add up. 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: 14
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 9
  • Sustainability: 35
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 15.3%; rating input score 15
  • Program expense ratio: 16.4%; rating input score 16
  • 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: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 22
    • 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.7%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.1; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 59%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -29.2% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -13.4% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 15.3% of revenue deployed · 16.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 5 board members independent · 2 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $47K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $69K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2020 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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 15/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 16/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 7/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 50/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.