Meherana

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943179600
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Mariposa, CA, USA
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard

Reported finances

Revenue
$226,360
Expenses
$135,073
Assets
$1,600,691
Liabilities
$3,902

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ELIZABETH TALBOT (PRESIDENT)
  • RALPH BROWN (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • ELIZABETH TALBOT (PRESIDENT)
  • RALPH BROWN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ELLEN VAN ALLEN (SECRETARY)

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

Meherana is a universal center for spiritual renewal dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba and his principles of active love and service to both the Meher Baba community and all humanity. It is intended for the enhancement and strengthening of the spiritual life, without supplanting professed religious convictions or beliefs. The center is to be made available for Sahavas, meetings, and retreats, both group and individual, and for the development and support of service projects.

What it reported doing in 2024

Spring Sahavas May 2024. Three-day retreat with talks by guest speakers of their life experience with Avatar Meher Baba, devotional songs, prayers, media presentations, workshops, group sharings, and dramatic presentations plus children's programs including crafts and other activities. Staff were all volunteers. Expenses were incurred for food, supplies, equipment rental, site preparation and upkeep during the event, advertising and promotion, guest travel and accommodation. 160 attendees. The aim of the retreat was to enhance the spiritual life of participants.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 79% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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 - 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: 24
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 83
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 13.5%; rating input score 13
  • Program expense ratio: 22.4%; rating input score 22
  • Fundraising efficiency: $109.59 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 86; 86th 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: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 40.3%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 11.85; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -6.3% per year; rating input score 0; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 13.5% of revenue deployed · 22.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $24K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 23 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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 13/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 22/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Fund balance restriction sum did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.