The Baseball Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
461856641
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Roxbury, MA, USA
Phone
6174427700
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Baseball, Softball

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$4,784,883
Expenses
$2,982,368
Assets
$5,979,621
Liabilities
$1,461,797

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • STEPHEN LEWIS (PRESIDENT & CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEPHANIE MONTEIRO-MERRITT (CHIEF ORGANIZATION OFFICER): $183,049 total reported compensation
  • STEPHEN LEWIS (PRESIDENT & CEO): $182,598 total reported compensation
  • LORI DIPINA (CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER): $119,398 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The base ball, inc. D/b/a the base is a not-for-profit organization working to shift the national mindset and re-imagine pathways to success for urban youth. Founded in roxbury, ma, the base operates in boston and on the westside of chicago, il. The base provides student athletes with year-round, superior athletic and academic training, access to college fairs and showcases, professional visits, and academic scholarships available through partnerships with several colleges and universities throughout the country. The base also trains and supports a growing network of coaches, many of whom are alumni of the base and its predecessor ballclub, the boston astros. The organization has built a strong set of relationships with government, private sector, community leaders, colleges and universities and other not-for-profits, private foundations and individuals.

What it reported doing in 2024

Academics & career: through the base college access program, all base student-athletes are provided personalized college application & enrollment support during their junior and senior years. This includes small-group and one-on-one counseling sessions to identify target schools, prepare for sats, and work on application checklists and personal statement essays, while also pursuing scholarships and financial aid. We arrange campus tours and attend college fairs throughout new england, and every winter we travel to the south and mid-atlantic to visit several historically black colleges & universities (hbcu's). As letters of acceptance arrive, our college advisor works with students and their families to ensure they understand their financial aid offers and consider all factors as they make their decisions. The base works with businesses of all kinds to introduce our student-athletes to the many industries and professions that make up the economic engine in greater boston. Through internships, career days, interactive workshops, worksite tours, and more, we ensure our student-athletes get to see and experience the kinds of professional opportunities that will be available to them as them continue their education and prepare for the future.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 99% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and reported officer compensation is a large share of total spending, which may reflect staffing concentration.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 59
  • Transparency & Controls: 75
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 65
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 47.8%; rating input score 48
  • Program expense ratio: 76.7%; rating input score 77
  • Fundraising efficiency: $22.36 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 37.7%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 23%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 9.5% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 11.5% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.3% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 47.8% of revenue deployed · 76.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $183K · 16 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 37 of 37 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 48/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 39/100.