Trilith Institute Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Workshops - workshops were developed to support and cultivate creative talent at all ages. K-12 learners had access to workshops covering topics from writing in a weekend writers' workshop to performance in a musical theatre workshop taught by professional actors, to gear demonstrations, camera and grip, and electric equipment demonstrations from leaders in the film industry. Other k-12 workshops included: silent film, traditional storyboarding, babies off book and family storytelling. Adult learners and aspiring filmmakers participated in workshops to sharpen their distribution skills in the prepping for film festival workshop. We hosted a variety of other workshops including a pa series in which attendees learned how to survive the first days as an office, set, or post pa. Other workshops included: sound design, perfect the pitch with wifta, comedy writing, acting for camera, improv, voice acting, and our two part directing workshops.utopian - the organization provided a grant to utopian academy for the arts trilith, which provides an academically rich educational environment with creative digital arts pathways. This grant allowed the utopian academy of the arts to lease facilities near trilith, allowing students toexperience studio tours, expert guest speakers, and film equipment demonstrations from trilith institute industry partners.wrg - after hiring a part-time consultant to serve as program manager for the writers room of Georgia (wrg), our members gained new opportunities to showcase their writing and connect in person at a holiday mixer. With the program manager's support, we updated our business plan to better serve wrg members and continued building partnerships within the television and film industry. We also expanded our online presence through enhanced website and social media efforts and launched a discord server to foster virtual collaboration. These initiatives have helped us grow to approximately 316 memberslocal Georgia writers whose creativity and talent continue to thrive within our community.student experience & education collaborative - the organization established an integrated education and workforce collaborative at trilith designed to enrich the student experience and strengthen connections across all levels of learning, from k12 through mfa programs. This dedicated team lead strategic analysis, design, development, and implementation of initiatives to facilitate educational programming. This work included working with local schools and universities, forming partnerships, and budgeting for long-term execution.through the collaborative, the organization offers educational entities access to resources, facilities, programming, guest speakers, and tours that connect learning directly to the film and television industry. For example, mfa students received exclusive opportunities to network with working television directors, heads of production, and other industry leaders, gaining mentorship and professional insight while completing their thesis projects. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 students and educators participated in field trips at trilith, where subject-matter experts lead talks and demonstrations providing hands-on exposure to potential career paths in entertainment. Together, these initiatives foster a supportive and purpose-driven environment that prepares students at every level for success in creative industries.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 78.7%; rating input score 79
• Program expense ratio: 86.3%; rating input score 86
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• 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: 50%; rating input score 50; 8th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 9%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.95; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 25.9%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 82.6% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -12.4% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 15.7% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings