The Narrative Method Group
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 992168435
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2024–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990-EZ 2024
- Location
- Encino, CA, USA
- Phone
- 4242569755
- Rating
- 76
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Mental Health, Crisis Intervention N.E.C.
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $186,445
- Expenses
- $194,501
- Assets
- $5,390
- Liabilities
- $13,446
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
9 people listed
People named in this filing
- RICHARD FOOS (Chairman)
- NEVILLE JOHNSON (Director)
- ROBERT JOHNSON (Director)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The purpose of the organization is to confront the epidemic of loneliness and isolation by empowering self-expression and activating social connection, and to carry on other charitable and educational activities associated with this purpose.
What it reported doing in 2024
The organization operates free online creative writing salons and distributes resources that educate and empower individuals to better express themselves and forge stronger connections with others. The salons and resources teach "the narrative method," a research-based group experience that focuses on storytelling, relational exercises, and creative writing in order to increae awareness of one's self and greater empathy for the experience of others, resulting in a more united world. The materials distribted include card decks containing conversation and writing prompts based on the narrative method and journals designed to encourage personal journaling. The applicant is also planning to publish a book on the narrative method in order to educate a wider audience. In additionl to its free online educational progras, the applicant will also provide educational trainings for individuals and groups for a tuition fee. The applicate also plans to develop longer-term partnerships to bring its programs to charitable constituents who could benefit from its trainings, including veteran groups, unhoused communities, and student populations.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent revenue detail to tell how this nonprofit funds its work.
- 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 a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Expenses are high relative to revenue and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 71
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Sustainability: 20
- Growth: NotEnoughData
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 72.1%; rating input score 72
- Program expense ratio: 69.1%; rating input score 69
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -4.3%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.03; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.49; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: Limited
- Asset growth: Limited
Details
- Where the money goes: 72.1% of revenue deployed · 69.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $134K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 9 people listed
- Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
- 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 23/100.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 5/100.
- High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.