The Codex Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
113763607
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2016
Location
Berkeley, CA, USA
Phone
5104047736
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Printing, Publishing

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$180,771
Expenses
$417,787
Assets
$1,857,962
Liabilities
$2,515

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

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • INGE BRUGGEMAN (EXECUTIVE DI): $85,500 total reported compensation
  • DINA POLLACK (MANAGING DIR): $34,843 total reported compensation
  • JONATHAN GERKEN (STUDIO MANAG): $34,843 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 codex foundation logan book arts center aims to be a vital part of the arts and culture community in berkeley and beyond, focusing on the book as a work of art-a dynamic crossroads between the visual and literary arts.

What it reported doing in 2024

The foundation organizes a biennial international exhibition and symposium to bring the community of makers, scholars, librarians, and curators with the public. The symposium features prominent speakers who are educators, writers, and artists, providing an opportunity to hear from the best in the field. The exhibition brings together artists, craftspeople, academics, independent scholars, teachers, and community book art institutions. It develops educational opportunities for these communities to better understand the field. This event involves student groups and offers both research scholarships and emerging artist fellowships. Community members can get involved as volunteers for free entry to the event, and we arrange additional events in collaboration with community organizations.

Operating model

Revenue model
Other-operating. 63% of the money available for current operations came from other operating 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

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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 81
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 74.5%; rating input score 75
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: -131.1%; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.45; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 55; 55th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 37.1%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.6% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.3% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 74.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $311K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $86K · 12 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 1/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 7/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 55/100.