Society of Professional Journalists

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
232274322
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2010–2012
Forms available
Form 990-EZ 2012
Location
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Phone
3025623813
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Professional Societies, Associations

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,642
Expenses
$1,820
Assets
$41,162

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2012. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

2 people listed

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2012. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

As a journalism advocacy organization, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

What it reported doing in 2012

Public, Society Benefit Programs, General/Other: We have about 300 members from the Greater Philadelphia area including southern New Jersey and northern Delaware. Our members include reporters, editors, photographers, graphic artists, broadcasters and other media professionals. We sponsor several programs a year including panels on topics and workshops timely to the profession. In recent years, many of our programs have been held at the Pen & Pencil Club, 1522 Latimer St. in Center City Philadelphia. We also run a scholarship program and an annual excellence in journalism contest that culminates with an awards banquet in June.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 83% 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 total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 82
  • Sustainability: 72
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 46.1%; rating input score 46
  • Program expense ratio: 100%; rating input score 100

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Limited

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 50%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 22.62; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
  • Officer compensation ratio: Limited

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 150% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 54% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 46.1% of revenue deployed · 100% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 2 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2010 to 2012
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 46/100.