Namah Ensemble Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
810572832
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023, Form 990-N 2019
Location
Woodland Hills, CA, USA
Phone
3105927348
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Dance

Reported finances

Revenue
$204,120
Expenses
$265,311
Assets
$49,663
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • BANAFSHEH SAYYAD (DIRECTOR/PRE): $30,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The specific purpose of the corporation is to promote and educate the broadest possible public appreciation and interest in iranian and world performing arts, including dance, music and theater, through public performances, educational outreach programs, workshops, lectures and studio instruction.

What it reported doing in 2025

In first three months of 2025, namah ensemble presented a combination of free and inexpensive online events including courses, lectures, and performances led by banafsheh sayyad that served the mission of namah ensemble to educate 5500 individuals appreciation and interest in iranian and world performing arts. One of the online courses namah ensemble began in january 2025 was offered on a monthly basis, once a month through december 2025 which served to educate 550 individuals appreciation and interest in iranian and world performing arts. In february - may 2025, namah ensemble presented an online course in persian and world dance on the shift network taught by banafsheh sayyad online via zoom that served to educate 1350 individuals appreciation and interest in iranian and world performing arts. Throughout the year, namah ensemble donated 15 performances at events that were dedicated to raising awareness about the social situation in iran and for iranians in the united states. These performances served to educate more than 10,000 people appreciation and interest in iranian performing arts. In july 2025, namah ensemble presented a performance and multiple sessions taught by banafsheh sayyad in a 7-day seminar presented by the wisdom school of ubiquity university to educate the public appreciation and interest in iranian and world performing arts. 250 individuals attended this seminar. From november through december, namah ensemble presented in person dance classes in the los angeles area that served 400 individuals appreciation and interest in iranian and world performing arts.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 87
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 65
  • Sustainability: 19
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 94.4%; rating input score 94
  • 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: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -30%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.19; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.3%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 16.1% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 94.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $251K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $30K · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.