Michelson Medical Research Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
954551615
IRS 990-PF coverage
2019–2024
Forms available
Form 990-PF 2024, Form 990-T 2022
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
3108069700
Rating
90
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Private Grantmaking Foundations

Reported finances

Revenue
$17,401,936
Expenses
$113,369,932

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

Overview

Mission

Private Grantmaking Foundations

What it reported funding in 2024

The foundation reported 8 filed grant rows totaling $40,310,700. The stated grant purposes included benefit of animals through multiple animal welfare programs, including the michelson prize and grants in reproductive biology, the microchipping program, the adoption program, the start-up accelerator program, the spay/neuter program and others toward the michelson found animals foundation, inc.'s purpose of reducing euthanasia rates in los angeles area animal shelters., carry forth multiple educational programs, including educational and success programs, future of work and workforce development programs, smart justice programs, programs to increase educational awareness on topics related to intellectual property, and programs intended to support private-sector solutions to issue within the education sector., and carry forth programs and provide administrative support for affiliate foundations, the michelson 20mm foundation and the michelson found animals foundation., plus 5 other reported purposes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Investment-supported. 100% of the foundation's positive operating resources came from recurring investment income.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The foundation distributed 99% of its reported charitable disbursements as grants.
  • Includes asset-sale income: Asset-sale income is shown separately from recurring resources when classifying the revenue model.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes to charitable grants and the filing identifies who received its grants. Assets provide a limited cushion relative to annual grants and the filing reports one or more activities that warrant closer review.

Rating breakdown

  • Grant Deployment: 100
  • Cost Efficiency: 99
  • Transparency: 100
  • Compliance: 98
  • Endowment Health: 2

Detailed rating inputs

Grant Deployment

  • Grant deployment ratio: 100%; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Cost Efficiency

  • Grant expense ratio: 99.1%; rating input score 99; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency

  • Grant recipient disclosure: Yes; rating input score 100

Compliance

  • Foundation activity disclosures: 18 of 19 controls in place; rating input score 95
    • Property sale or exchange with a disqualified person: Pass
    • Borrowing from or lending to a disqualified person: Pass
    • Goods, services, or facilities involving a disqualified person: Pass
    • Compensation paid to a disqualified person: Pass
    • Assets transferred to a disqualified person: Pass
    • Payment to a government official: Pass
    • Uncorrected prior self-dealing: Pass
    • Prior-year undistributed income: Pass
    • Excess business holdings: Pass
    • Investments that may jeopardize charitable purposes: Pass
    • Uncorrected prior-year jeopardizing investments: Pass
    • Attempt to influence legislation: Pass
    • Attempt to influence an election: Pass
    • Individual grants for travel, study or similar purposes: Pass
    • Grants outside qualifying charitable organization categories: Fail
    • Spending for a noncharitable purpose: Pass
    • Funds received for a personal-benefit contract: Pass
    • Premiums paid on a personal-benefit contract: Pass
    • Prohibited tax-shelter transaction: Pass
  • Filing consistency checks: 10; rating input score 100

Endowment Health

  • Endowment-health comparison: 2.23; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Grants: 100% of grant recipient detail disclosed
  • Payout: At least 100% grant deployment rate
  • Trustees: Filed trustees detail
  • Self-dealing: 100% of reviewed questions answered “No”
  • Investments: 2th percentile for endowment coverage
  • Consistency: 10 of 10 current checks pass
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2019 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 17 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 — Endowment Health: Endowment-health comparison scored 2/100.
  • Review — Compliance: Foundation activity disclosures: Grants outside qualifying charitable organization categories not reported.