Wide Angle Youth Media Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
522276602
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Baltimore, MD, USA
Phone
4437596700
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts Education

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,397,267
Expenses
$3,310,100
Assets
$9,795,324
Liabilities
$2,760,372

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PATRICK ORAY (BOARD PRESIDENT)
  • LARRY SIMMONS (BOARD VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SUSAN MALONE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • SUSAN MALONE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $144,075 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Through media arts education, wide angle youth media collaborates with and amplifies the voices of baltimore youth to engage audiences across social divides. Our programs inspire creativity and instill confidence in young people, supporting them to navigate school, career, and life. Since 2000, wide angle youth media has worked with over 8,295 youth from across baltimore city who have produced thousands of media projects about their lives and communities. Wide angle youth media is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

What it reported doing in 2024

Our workforce pathway includes two core components:1. High school & summer programs: high school workshops are semester-long, with tracks in design, video, photography, animation, and screenwriting, to provide 55+ high school students each term with 40+ hours of instruction. Summer opportunities continue through mediaworks, our employment program for young people ages 14-21.2. Employ (enrichment, mentoring, professional development & learning for older youth): paid media internships and registered apprenticeships for emerging creatives ages 18-26, offering hands-on client experience, mentorship, and career-aligned training.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 53
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 80.2%; rating input score 80
  • Program expense ratio: 81.5%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.87 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 8 of 8 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: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.6%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.96; rating input score 73; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.28; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.4%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 18% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.5% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 30.8% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 80.2% of revenue deployed · 81.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $144K · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 11 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 43/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 36/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.