World Around Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
853707451
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2020
Location
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Phone
9179221795
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Reported finances

Revenue
$707,493
Expenses
$792,310
Assets
$38,422
Liabilities
$99,906

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

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BEATRICE GALILEE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • BEATRICE GALILEE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $120,165 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 world around is a global nonprofit platform with a simple but ambitious mission: to make the best new ideas in architecture accessible to all. The world arounds critically acclaimed public programs share the now, near and next of contemporary architecture and design culture with a focus on interdisciplinary, progressive, actionable ideas and climate justice.

What it reported doing in 2024

General programs - the world around's general programs are designed to extend the organization's mission year-round, beyond its flagship events like the summit and in focus series. These programs include the maintenance of a comprehensive newsletter that keeps a global audience engaged with the latest in architecture, design, and environmental discourse, as well as the creation of multimedia content that amplifies key messages and projects. A cornerstone of the general programs is the young climate prize, which impacts 25 exceptional individuals under the age of 25 by pairing them with mentors from the design industry. This initiative not only nurtures young talent but also provides grants to three winners and fully funds their trip to New York city, where they present their work at the annual summit. Additionally, general programs support vital organizational infrastructure, including staff development and fundraising activities, ensuring the world around continues to be a sustainable and dynamic force for promoting dialogue and innovation in the built environment.

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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 69
  • Sustainability: 11
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.9%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 63.3%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 5; 5th 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -12%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.05; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.6; rating input score 1; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 15.2%; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 22.7% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -70.4% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.9% of revenue deployed · 63.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 2 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $502K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $120K · 3 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $135K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2021 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 15/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 3/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 1/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 23/100.