Religion News Foundation
Religion News Foundation
PO BOX 1808
Columbia MO 65205-1808
Columbia MO | IRS ruling year: 2017 | EIN: 31-1650883
TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGION JOURNALISM.
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PO BOX 1808
Columbia MO 65205-1808
Columbia MO | IRS ruling year: 2017 | EIN: 31-1650883
TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGION JOURNALISM.
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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: 90% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability. 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!
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Accountability & Finance score for Religion News Foundation is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
Religion News Foundation 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 2020, 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
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2020
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:
509(a)(3) Type I (BMF foundation code: 21)
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 (Religion News Foundation) or EIN (311650883) 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.
Religion News Foundation reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Fundraising Capacity
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
Religion News Foundation received federal stimulus funding during the pandemic.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
Our nonprofit journalism is distributed online, so COVID-19 did not impact delivery.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
Our organization remains flexible in order to adapt to changing conditions.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Our organization will continue offering online events and high-level panel discussions in order to provide content to readers, donors and supporters across the world.
Not Currently Scored
Religion News Foundation 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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Religion News Foundation reported its largest program on its FY 2020 Form 990 as:
Spent in most recent FY
Percent of program expenses
TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION BY MEANS OF, AMONG OTHER THINGS, INFORMATIVE PUBLICATIONS, PROGRAMS, INCLUDING CONFERENCE SEMINARS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS FOR REPORTERS, EDITORS, OTHER M ... (More)
TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION BY MEANS OF, AMONG OTHER THINGS, INFORMATIVE PUBLICATIONS, PROGRAMS, INCLUDING CONFERENCE SEMINARS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS FOR REPORTERS, EDITORS, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SECULAR NEWS MEDIA AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. (Less)
Religion News Foundation cannot currently be evaluated by our Culture & Community methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its Constituent Feedback or Equity Practices strategies.
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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Religion News Foundation 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
To advance the public understanding of religion and the development of religion journalism.
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
To be the most trusted resource for news, features, and commentary about religion and spirituality, where people come together to understand each other’s beliefs.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: To break more news, go deeper in our investigations, and create more commentary, interactives, podcasts, and videos
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: To create a digital hub to connect, learn, and share religious beliefs
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: To build a diverse, creative future for journalism about religion and beliefs
Goal Type: Focus on core programs to achieve mission and scale back on programs not seen as core.
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
RNS regularly supports the professional development of its staff and journalism, including monthly professional development seminars, led by field experts.
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
RNS regularly works to establish national partnerships in support of its nonprofit journalism.
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
RNS regularly adapts to external changes in order to address breaking news stories that are relevant to religion journalism. In the last year, we have worked to increase our financial sustainability, implement new resources for our journalists and have completed a long-term strategic plan.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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