Amplio Network
Amplio Network
1904 3RD AVE STE 417
Seattle WA 98101-1150
Seattle WA | IRS ruling year: 2008 | EIN: 26-1335205
Mission not available
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1904 3RD AVE STE 417
Seattle WA 98101-1150
Seattle WA | IRS ruling year: 2008 | EIN: 26-1335205
Mission not available
Great
This charity's score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores: 80% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 10% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Rating histories are available for a growing number of rated organizations. Check back later to see if this organization has a rating history!
Amplio Network has earned a 100% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
This Accountability & Finance score represents IRS Form 990 data up until FY 2021, which is the most recent Form 990 currently available to us.
Learn more
Charity Navigator looks for at least 3 board members, with more than 50% of those members identified as independent (not salaried).
The presence of an independent governing body is strongly recommended by many industry professionals to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters.
Source: IRS Form 990
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
---|---|
$1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
$500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Liabilities to Assets Ratio | Amount of Credit Received |
---|---|
Less than 50% | Full Credit |
50% - 59.9% | Partial Credit |
60% or more | No Credit |
Source: IRS Form 990
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Program Expense Percentage | Amount of Credit Received |
---|---|
70% or higher | Full Credit |
60% - 69.9% | Partial Credit |
50% - 59.9% | Zero Points for Program Expense Score |
Below 50% | Zero Points for Both Program Expense AND Liabilities to Assets Scores |
Source: IRS Form 990
No Data Available
Revenue and expense data is not available for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
No Data Available
Key Persons data is currently unavailable for this organization. This data is only available if this charity has at least one year of electronically-filed Form 990 data filed within the last six years.
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Activity data not reported from the IRS
Foundation Status:
Organization that normally receives no more than one-third of its support from gross investment income and unrelated business income and at the same time more than one-third of its support from contributions, fees, and gross receipts related to exempt purposes. 509(a)(2) (BMF foundation code: 16)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (Amplio Network) or EIN (261335205) in the 'Search Term' field.
This organization was impacted by COVID-19 in a way that effected their financial health in 2020. This normally would have reduced their star rating. Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them, and doing this pauses our revision of their rating. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
Amplio Network reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
Fundraising Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Although we have not been able to travel or do live donor events in some ways COVID-19 has made us more nimble. In spring 2020, our donors stepped up to support an emergency COVID awareness campaign Amplio conducted in partnership with UNICEF and Ghana Health Service. Community health workers used Ampio Talking Books to deliver consisent and accurate local language health messages in 8 vulnerable districts in Ghana's Upper West Region. Our biggest challenge is that we signed a 5-year lease on our office space in February 2020, and we're not able to use the office due to COVID. Rent is a significant chunk of our budget for a small organization.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Our team adapted quickly. We work with international partners, so we're used to different time zones and remote consulting and collaboration. Moreover, our partners used our technology, the Amplio Talking Book audio device, to continue their important work and maintain social distancing. The Talking Book has a built-in speaker for group listening. The device is shared and rotated among households. Feld staff can sanitize the device between uses, leave it with farmer groups, community volunteers, etc., to share hours of content, with multiple topics and lessons. For example, in Liberia, Landesa used Talking Books to share local language messages on women's land rights. VSO Zambia used Talking Books to engage youth about sexual and reproductive health and rights. The World Bank and the Map & Match project listed the Talking Book as an existing digital solution that can be leveraged and adapted for learning and training, risk communication, and community engagement during COVID-19.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Our US team is working remotely from home. We're conducting remote training and have launched a community of practice. We also developed a suite of self-service tools to help our partners more efficiently and cost-effectively launch and run their own programs using our technology. Instead of attending conferences, we're hosting partner webinars and attending virtual events. Our Ghana staff has continued their program implementation work while adhering to their government's safety guidelines, using PPEs, etc. In 2020, they implemented a COVID-19 awareness campaign in partnership with UNICEF and Ghana Health Service, using Talking Books to reach 218,367 people in the Upper West Region with key health messages on COVID-19 and meningitis due to an outbreak in the region. We're continuing and expanding that partnership to support overburdened community health workers with public health education.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
We see less need to travel, so we can be more selective and strategic about international travel to save money and be more (environmentally) sustainable. We'll continue to conduct webinars, which are great for partner and donor engagement. Most of our in-country partners that work for smaller locally-led NGOs don't have the resources to travel to international development conferences, but they can participate in our virtual events! Our community of practice is just ramping up. We will continue to improve and build out our suite of self-service products, which includes an audio content manager, an app to update Talking Book content and collect data in the field, an interactive dashboard, and a learning portal with interactive lessons and job aids. That said, we definitely look forward to seeing people and working together in person again! Plus, we are launching a campaign to build a fund that will award Talking Book program grants to locally-led NGOs and IGOs.
Not Currently Scored
Amplio Network cannot currently be evaluated by our Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
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No 990 Program Data Found
Amplio Network has earned a 96% for the Culture & Community beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves.
Learn more
30% of beacon score
This organization reported that it is collecting feedback from the constituents and/or communities it serves. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Who are the people you serve with your mission? Describe briefly.
Amplio provides technology and consulting services to international development organizations, government agencies, and locally-led NGOs/development agencies in low-income countries. Through our partnerships, we serve the poorest, most marginalized, and hard-to-reach populations in remote rural areas, including women, men, and youth.
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings or town halls, Other means
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
With whom does your organization share the feedback you got from the people you serve?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners, Other means
How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship with them or shifted power - over decisions, resources, rules or in other ways - to them?
Talking Book user feedback lets us hear directly from those we serve in their own words, languages, and voices — their questions, comments, and ideas. This creates a community feedback loop with marginalized populations, so knowledge sharing goes both ways and has led to improvements for content and program delivery, as well as local resources and policies. Feedback from partners and prospective partners has shown how hard it is for locally-led organizations to secure donor funding to launch and run their programs. In 2022, we are exploring how to support and help build capacity for locally-led NGOs. We are looking at a new funding model — i.e., creating a fund to award Talking Book program grants to local organizations in low-income countries.
What challenges does your organization face in collecting feedback from the people you serve?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Briefly describe a recent change that your organization made in response to feedback from the people you serve.
Our technology, the Amplio Talking Book, collects usage data and user feedback from the communities we serve. Amplio and our partners use that data to monitor program engagement, identify issues and trends, and improve program and message delivery - as well as local resources and policies. For example, complaints about health discrimination and school child abuse in northern Ghana resulted in local systems and policies changes. In 2021, we launched a suite of products to help our partners more easily and cost-effectively launch and run their programs. We designed a better system for processing user feedback. In 2022, we're launching Talking Book V2 which has a better speaker and a rechargeable battery.
70% of beacon score
This organization's score of 95 is a passing score. The organization reported that it is implementing 9 Equity Practices. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective equity policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Equity Practices (4/7) | |
---|---|
We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race. | |
We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and/or portfolios. | |
We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization/'s programs, portfolios, and the populations served. | |
We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support. | |
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders. | |
We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured | |
We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Equity Policies and Procedures (5/7) | |
---|---|
We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity. | |
We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions. | |
We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization. | |
We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board. | |
We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability. | |
We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team. | |
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization. |
Amplio Network has earned a 100% for the Leadership & Adaptability beacon. See the metrics below for more information.
This beacon provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Learn more
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's mission
Amplio's mission is to empower the world's most vulnerable communities through knowledge sharing. Over 1 billion people lack access to information because of poverty, illiteracy, and where they live. Women and girls face greater barriers. Amplio creates innovative technology to bridge that gap. The Amplio Talking Book audio device is designed for low-literate users. The Talking Book delivers hours of content in any language. Users can play messages on demand and record their feedback. A built-in speaker allows families and groups to listen and learn together. A single device can serve 100 listeners or more! Because Talking Books collect usage data and user feedback, development organizations can monitor program engagement, identify issues and trends, and update their content for greater impact. Since 2007, Talking Books have reached over a million listeners, providing access to knowledge people can use to improve their lives.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
A world where everyone has access to the knowledge they need to address their most pressing needs.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: By 2024, two million people challenged by poverty, remoteness, or low literacy will have acquired knowledge to address their greatest needs.
Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.
Goal Two: By 2025, gross profit will exceed marketing and business development costs.
Goal Type: Invest in the capacity of our organization (financial, management, technical, etc.).
Goal Three: By 2023, a new fund is established to award Talking Book devices and services directly to locally-led NGOs and IGOs.
Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
All Amplio staff members have a dedicated allowance for leadership and skills development and can attend courses or workshops. For example, our executive assistant is working on her master's in nonprofit management. Our executive director works with a mentor and participates in the Miller Center's Global Social Business Impact Accelerator program. In Ghana, our colleagues have taken certificate courses. For example, our senior content manager recently completed and received accolades for a Farm Radio International broadcaster course. (He plans and produces local language audio content for Talking Books.) We use quarterly OKRs and meetings with our managers to discuss opportunities for professional development. Equally important, this past year we've really focused on engaging and developing our board of directors, which is quite exciting.
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Amplio works in the international development space. We participate in local membership organizations like Global Washington and Washington Global Health Alliance. We partner internationally with local NGOs, government agencies, and international organizations such as UNICEF, World Bank, UNESCO, etc. This past year, we established a high-level partnership with CARE International to make it easier for country offices to integrate Talking Books into their programs. (We now have projects with CARE Ethiopia, CARE Bangladesh, and CARE Haiti.) Our team regularly participates and presents at international conferences. Not least, our technology is designed with and for low-literate people living in remote areas of the world's least developed countries. Users can play messages on demand and record their feedback — which allows our partners to hear directly from those they serve. This feedback loop supports participatory monitoring and evaluation and strengthens program impact.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
Like everyone else, Amplio had to quickly adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our organization is small and nimble. We work in the international development space, so our US staff closed the office and everyone worked remotely. We moved to Zoom and Skype for meetings, training, and partner webinars. Our Ghana team continued to implement programs in the field. We worked with UNICEF Ghana and Ghana Health Service to conduct a COVID-19 public health campaign in 8 vulnerable districts in the Upper West Region and disbursed PPEs. We launched a suite of self-service products to help our partners more efficiently and effectively launch and run their Talking Book programs. We also created a community of practice to support learning and capacity building for our team and partners. Not least, we have worked with our board to build engagement and create a new funding model for Talking Book programs. Many smaller, locally-led NGOs and IGOs that work directly with last-mile communities (our focus area) don't have the capicity to secure government aid, foundation grants, and major donor funds. So, we're launching a campaign to build a fund that will award Talking Book program grants directly to local organizations that met a set of criteria. For each grant, Amplio will award 250 Talking Book devices, technology set up, training and support, program design consulting, monitoring and evaluation support, and capacity-building training and skills development for one year. Each program will reach about 25,000 people, providing access to knowledge to transform lives — across many sectors (agriculture and food security, global health, education, gender equality, nutrition, WASH, and more). If we meet our fundraising goal(s), we plan to award three grants in 2022 and thereafter 6 grants a year.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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