Open Media Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
061727461
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Denver, CO, USA
Phone
7202220159
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$806,337
Expenses
$595,644
Assets
$2,012,562
Liabilities
$54,968

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAN VAUGHAN (PRESIDENT)
  • ESTEBAN MORIN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • TONY SHAWCROSS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • TONY SHAWCROSS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $108,525 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Open media foundation (omf) is an innovative media and technology nonprofit organization dedicated to putting the power of the media in the hands of the people, enabling everyone to engage in their community and bring about the change they wish to see in the world.we empower nonprofits, governments, and individuals to shift the media conversation (and thus social awareness) from the corporate interests of our commercial media system towards the human interests of an open, diverse, engaged public. To accomplish our mission, we begin with providing affordable, high-end media and technology services. We follow up by offering training and tools that enable everyone to represent their own voice in the media conversation.

What it reported doing in 2025

Video and production: open media foundation produces videos that are expertly crafted to transform the reach and impact of your organization. As an integrated media agency specializing in nonprofit and public sector clients, we ensure that you connect with your unique audience through stories that resonate. With omf's 50% matching grant, our clients don't have to compromise on quality.we are here to:- produce high definition videos that help you train, motivate, raise funds and increase awareness- optimize your videos for maximum impact through social media, strategic web placement, and local tv- expand your voice by reaching new audiences and inspiring them to support your mission

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 61% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
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.

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 program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 70
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 68
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.4%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 92.2%; rating input score 92
  • Fundraising efficiency: $0.24 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: 26.1%; rating input score 79; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.38; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.2%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -7.3% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.4% of revenue deployed · 92.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $549K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $109K · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 2/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: CEO compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 50/100.