Mezcla Media Collective LTD

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
831201956
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2022
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Rating
50
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Film, Video

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$350,404
Expenses
$212,840
Assets
$247,505
Liabilities
$9,173

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Colette Ghunim (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Naeema Torres (Executive Dir.): $38,400 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Mezcla Media Collective seeks to empower the next generation of filmmakers. MMC levels the playing field for new creatives by providing resources for hyper-local connection, instruction, learning and career advancement. Through our programming, we ensure women and non-binary filmmakers of color can actively participate in Chicago's bustling media production scene.

What it reported doing in 2024

Industry circles provide an engagement opportunity for members to casually connect, provide feedback on each other's projects, and network. Our Gear Access Program aims to increase accessibility to professional-level equipment and technical resources in our community, especially for BIPOC creatives that often lack these resources. Our annual retreat is a two-day production intesnive for up to 16 members. The retreat provides members with the opportunity to be in community and immerse themselves in a specific skill set, and features a high-profile keynote speaker.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 43
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 0
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 35.8%; rating input score 36
  • Program expense ratio: 59%; rating input score 59
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.18 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 9th 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • 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: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 39.3%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.16; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 136.3% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 33.3% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 37.4% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 35.8% of revenue deployed · 59% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 8 board members independent · 0 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 9 filed program accomplishments · $126K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $38K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 22 of 23 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 36/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 6 not reported.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 45/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 35/100.