The Lens FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

New Orleans, LA501(c)(3)Since 2010EducationEIN 27-2072772

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To educate,engage and empower the residents of the city of new orleans and the gulf coast by providing information and analysis necessary to advocate for more accountable and just governance.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$195K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $13K a year · 2% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$195K
to officers and key staff · 45% of spending
Concern: pay to officers and key staff is 45% of spending; over 30%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
11
named funders · $310K
Looks good: 11 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$418K
Spent
$431K
To programs
71%
Net assets
$64K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$418K
FY2020
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$418K
FY2021$444K
FY2022$438K
FY2023$692K
FY2024$651K
FY2025$561K
Expenses
$431K
FY2020
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$431K
FY2021$435K
FY2022$456K
FY2023$520K
FY2024$641K
FY2025$641K
Net assets
$64K
FY2020
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$64K
FY2021$73K
FY2022$55K
FY2023$227K
FY2024$237K
FY2025$157K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Dec 2012.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $307K Management & general 6% · $28K Fundraising 22% · $96K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

9 people listed on the 990; $195K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chief Operating Officer
$68,965Pt VII · Sec A
Founder/Director
$65,167Pt VII · Sec A
$60,902Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer/Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director/Co-Founder
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chair/Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Anne M Mueller’s $87K as Chief Operating Officer is at the 76th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Anne M Mueller$87,045$75,815$72,204$69,769$68,493$68,965
Katy Rechdahl—$75,000$75,000———
Karen Gadbois$73,500$73,500$68,426$66,118$64,909$65,167
Marta Jewson—$64,785$61,700$55,560——
Charles Maldonado———$47,622$60,660$60,902

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Empowering residents with information to advocate for accountable and just governance.

Provided by the organization

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1 program service account for $307K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2020.
01

The lens spent on providing hundreds of unique, public-interest journalism articles that educate the citizens of new orleans on matters of interest in the areas of criminal justice, land use, schools, government and politics and the environment.

$307Kprogram expense

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Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
See all 11 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$418K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$417K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$200
Other incomeLn 4–11$21
Money outPt IX
$431K
Ln 25
Programscol B$307K
Managementcol C$28K
Fundraisingcol D$96K
Owns and owesPt X
$64K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$42K
Total assetsLn 16$64K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$417K
Government grantsLn 1e$57K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$200
Investment incomeLn 3$12
Other incomeLn 4–11$21
Total revenueLn 12$418K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$42K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$42K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Total assetsLn 16$64K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$64K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 511
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$55K$42K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$78K$64K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$78K$64K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$195K$135K$12K$49K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$133K$92K$8K$33K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$750$750
Payroll taxesLn 10$25K$17K$2K$6K
Legal feesLn 11b$4K$4K
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$10K$10K
Office expensesLn 13$3K$2K$440$777
Information technologyLn 14$9K$5K$1K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$8K$8K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$690$414$104$172
InsuranceLn 23$4K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$36K$31K$358$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$431K$307K$28K$96K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $561K$641K−$80K$157K 990 PDF
FY2024 $651K$641K$10K$237K 990 PDF
FY2023 $692K$520K$172K$227K 990 PDF
FY2022 $438K$456K−$18K$55K 990 PDF
FY2021 $444K$435K$9K$73K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $418K$431K−$13K$64K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2020 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $417,510 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1b Membership dues$80,929
VIII-1e Government grants$57,100
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$279,248
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$417,277
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $200$200
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $12$12
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $21$21
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $221 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $12$417,510
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $430,932 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $134,573 · Management $11,702 · Fundraising $48,759$195,034
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $91,996 · Management $8,000 · Fundraising $33,332$133,328
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $750$750
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $17,442 · Management $1,517 · Fundraising $6,319$25,278
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $4,500$4,500
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $1,746$1,746
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $10,311$10,311
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $2,164 · Management $440 · Fundraising $777$3,381
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $5,124 · Management $1,281 · Fundraising $2,135$8,540
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $7,811$7,811
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $414 · Management $104 · Fundraising $172$690
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,579$3,579
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $31,200 · Management $358 · Fundraising $4,426$35,984
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $307,110 · Management $27,902 · Fundraising $95,920$430,932
Part X · Balance sheet $64,072 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $54,511$41,677
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $5,775$22,395
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $0$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $77,686$64,072
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $77,686$64,072
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $77,686$64,072
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $77,686$64,072
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $64,072 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$417,510
XI-2 Total expenses$430,932
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$13,422
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$77,686
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$193
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$1
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$64,072

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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