Yellow Dot Studios Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
923299803
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone
3109141600
Rating
57
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Film, Video

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,613,196
Expenses
$1,809,971
Assets
$79,361
Liabilities
$16,370

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ADAM MCKAY (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • STEPHANIE ROBERTS-STEELE (MANAGING DIR/HEAD OF PRODU): $325,485 total reported compensation
  • ELIJAH ZARLIN (HEAD OF DIGITAL AND ENGAGE): $213,910 total reported compensation
  • ANNA N WENGER (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER): $200,877 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 primary activity of the organization will be to produce videos and other content to build awareness to the public of the push for urgent climate action.

What it reported doing in 2024

Yellow dot creates entertaining, memorable, and scientifically accurate videos and (other stuff) to challenge decades of disinformation pushed by oil companies and amplified by large swaths of elected leaders and the media. By shining a light on the urgency, responsible parties, and scientifically proven solutions, we aim to empower more people to be part of the conversation about what we're facing and what we can do about it. Yellow dot is funded by philanthropists, commissioned work, and regular people. The organization aims to support the creatives, organizations, scientists, and individuals who are similarly allied with the cause of continued human existence on earth.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 64% for direct work, and 36% for grants.

The verdict

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 39
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 12
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 46.1%; rating input score 46
  • Program expense ratio: 41.1%; rating input score 41
  • 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; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -12.2%; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.04; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.21; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 45.7%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 48.1% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 21.3% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -117.6% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 46.1% of revenue deployed · 41.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $744K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $325K · 9 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $112K reported
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 3 filed related-organization links
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 46/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 41/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • 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: Officer compensation ratio scored 2/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 31/100.