Museum of Design-atlanta Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
581829492
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone
4049796455
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Art Museums

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,285,937
Expenses
$1,359,575
Assets
$243,415
Liabilities
$573,380

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

Leadership & pay

19 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JESSE FRASIER (CO- PRESIDENT)
  • KATE ARORA (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LAURA HENNIGHAUSEN (CO- PRESIDENT)
  • LAURA FLUSCHE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • LAURA FLUSCHE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $92,419 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Museum of design-atlanta's mission is to empower people to design a better world. We pursue this mission because we envision a world that celebrates design as a creative force that inspires change, transforms lives, and makes the world a better place.

What it reported doing in 2024

Exhibitions: in 2024, moda mounted three in-museum exhibitions that explored the intersection of creativity and functionality, highlighting design as a powerful tool for social impact. These exhibitions demonstrated how design can inspire change, transform lives, and contribute to a better world. Together, they welcomed approximately 22,000 visitors.youth education: moda offered dynamic education for children and teen through camps, classes, and field trips. These programs introduced young learners to the fundamentals of design and empowered them to apply creative thinking to real-world challenges , encouraging the next generation of changemakers.adult programs: for adults, moda hosted a robust calendar of lectures, panel discussions, and hands-on workshops. These programs showcased how designers are using their skills to solve complex problems, equipping participants with new ways to think critically, act creatively, and engage with the world through design.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 73% 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

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 19
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 77.9%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 72.3%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.3 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 22nd 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.7%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.18; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.36; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.8%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.7% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.3% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 77.9% of revenue deployed · 72.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $983K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $92K · 19 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 8/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 48/100.