Shift Design Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Shift collective continues to support the archiving the black web (atbw) project on a three-and-a-half-year $2.5 million investment from the mellon foundation to develop warc school, a web archiving training program for archivists and memory workers at black collecting organizations; a research initiative that will attempt to map and define the black web; and create several opportunities to increase web archiving collections documenting the black experience. Archiving the black web is driven by an urgent call to action to establish a more equitable and accessible web archiving practice to effectively document the black experience online. In partnership with the college of wooster, spelman college archives, the auburn avenue research library on african american culture and history, and (continued on schedule o) the southern California library. In 2024, shift collective continued its work on a two-year research project with the council on library and information resources (clir) to retrospectively assess clir's recordings at risk program. Recordings at risk is a national regranting program funded by the mellon foundation and administered by clir to help preserve "rare and unique audio, audiovisual, and other time-based media of high scholarly value through digital reformatting," according to clir. Over the past year, shift collective has designed and administered a comprehensive survey to learn more about the experiences of those who have considered applying for, applied for, or received a recordings at risk (rar) grant. We have also conducted interviews with grant recipients and other applicants, the program's independent review panel, clir's staff, and other stakeholders to evaluate the program's impact on collecting organizations and the communities they serve. Our research aims to shed light on the persistent challenges faced by stewards of fragile and obsolete audiovisual media and help guide future endeavors by clir and others "committed to the safekeeping of rare and unique audiovisual materials." in 2025, shift collective will publish a public-facing report documenting our findings.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 72.8%; rating input score 73
• Program expense ratio: 99.1%; rating input score 99
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • 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: 27.5%; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.46; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 18.2% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 20.7% per year; rating input score 100; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 29.8% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings