Zero Debt Massachusetts Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
841728379
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2023, Form 990-EZ 2025
Location
Canton, MA, USA
Phone
6172400891
Rating
92
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Consumer Protection

Reported finances

Revenue
$44,288
Expenses
$62,754
Assets
$21,488
Liabilities
$1,092

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • VANESSA SNOW (PRESIDENT)
  • CISNELL BAEZ (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • MELVIN MILLER (EDITOR IN CHIEF)
  • CLAUDIO MARTINEZ (EXEC. DIR (UNTIL 7/2025), DIRECTOR)
  • CARLOS RIOS (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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Zero debt Massachusetts organizes students, parents, and community members to amplify the voices and leadership of those most impacted by the burden of student debt in our cities and state. We are a network of inter-generational activists and organizations fighting for student borrowers' protections, reinvestment's in public higher education and a zero debt higher education finance system free from student debt.

What it reported doing in 2025

The greater boston news bureau (gbnb) is a start-up nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering high-quality, in-depth journalism that addresses issues impacting greater boston's black, latinx, and asian american communities. Since joining ajp's local news incubator, gbnb has refined its mission through extensive research and community engagement, conducting listening sessions, establishing partnerships with local media, and expanding its reach through active engagement with foundations and individual donors. Gbnb has also completed a comprehensive survey of the local media landscape and is working to strengthen democracy and civic engagement, education, and community development. Zero debt Massachusetts, inc. Acts as a fiscal sponsor on behalf of the gbnb.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 97
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 16
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 92.6%; rating input score 93

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -41.7%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.34; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.05; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 84.7%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -11% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 15% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 92.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 2 filed program accomplishments · $58K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 8 of 8 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • 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 14/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 25/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 18/100.