Mobile Satellite Services Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
991335197
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2023
Location
San Ramon, CA, USA
Phone
9252756687
Rating confidence
Limited
Sector
Alliance/Advocacy

Reported finances

Revenue
$495,000
Expenses
$463,218
Assets
$112,835
Liabilities
$81,053

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

Leadership & pay

6 people listed

People named in this filing

  • MARK DANKBERG (CHAIR)
  • JACQUES LEDUC (TREASURER)
  • JOHN JANKA (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

Mssa's primary mission is to: (1)support open interoperable architectures and standards for use in multi-orbit satellite systems, ground infrastructure, and end user equipment,(2) define specifications, reference architectures, implementation guidelines and standardized agreements to promote seamless global roaming between terrestrial and multi-orbit networks (3) maximize scarce multi-orbit space and spectrum resources and employ sustainable network design and operation to enable affordable advanced ntn services,(5) advocate for policies, laws and regulations that advance the purposes of the association, (5) provide a neutral forum to facilitate collaboration among members for coordination of 3gpp and other international standards activities, and (6) support the integration of space networks into national telecommunicaitons infrastructure via trusted local partners and within sovereign regulatory and national security frameworks.

What it reported doing in 2024

Established strategic memberships or collaborative agreements with industry-related governmntal and association partners, citel (inter-american telecommunication commission), 5g automotive association (5gaa), gsma, and european space agency (esa).

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 100% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

- The available evidence is not sufficient to produce an overall rating for this filing. This is not a warning sign.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: NotEnoughData
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: Limited
  • Program expense ratio: Limited
  • 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: 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: 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: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 6.4%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.24; rating input score 13; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.72; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $312K reported
  • Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 1 filed schedules
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • 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: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 13/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 53/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 8/100.