Free the Work EIN 81-4846057

Free the Work

EIN  81-4846057 Public charity (501(c)(3)) New York, NY
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Size
$100K–1M
What they do
Fights systemic inequality in media to expand access for underrepresented creators.
Leadership
Pamala Buzick · Executive Dirrector · $116K
Money in and out
$227K revenue, $1.2M expenses
Bottom line
58% program efficiency

Fights systemic inequality in media to expand access for underrepresented creators. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $227K in revenue, $1.2M in expenses, and $49K in net assets.Pt I

Where the money goes · FY2024
Total revenue
$227K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$1.2M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$49K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expenses (Pt I · Ln 19): −$957K
Where spending went · Part IX cols B–D
Program services $0.58 Management & general $0.30 Fundraising $0.13
Program efficiency
58%
of spending reaches programs▼ -14% vs prior filing year
Operating runway
0.5mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate▼ -88% vs prior filing year
Surplus margin
-422%
revenue over expenses, this year▼ -3456% vs prior filing year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2024 · Form 990
Revenue
$227K
FY2024▼ -91%
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2024▼ -60%
Total assets
$49K
FY2024▼ -95%
Total liabilities
$0
FY2024
Total revenue
$227K
Pt VIII · Ln 12
Total expenses
$1.2M
Pt IX · Ln 25
Net assets
$49K
Pt X · Ln 32
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$957K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$49K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B58%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 31
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 41
Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $686K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Free the work is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to identifying systematic equalities in film, television, advertising and media and finding actionable solutions to expand access for under represented creators.

$686Kprogram expense

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Identity & Classification

Form 990 Header · IRS Business Master File
Legal nameHdr · item CFree the Work
EINHdr · item D81-4846057
Principal addressHdr · item CNew York, NY
WebsiteHdr · item Jfreethework.com
Year of formationHdr · item Lpending
State of legal domicileHdr · item MNY
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
NTEE classificationIRS BMFCommunity Development (S81)
Ruling yearIRS BMFMar 2017

Governance & Policies

Part VI
Voting members of the governing bodyPt VI · Ln 1a1
Independent voting membersPt VI · Ln 1b1
Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13Yes
Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14Yes
CEO/top-official compensation independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Family or business relationships among officers/directorsPt VI · Ln 2No

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Dirrector
$116,177Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Pamala Buzick’s $116K as Executive Dirrector is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1711 $100K–1M community development 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020FY2019
Pamala Buzick$327,656$218,440$282,265$169,730
Emma Reeves$230,802$173,894
Pamala Buzick$116,177
Alma Harel$62,214$97,115

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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Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$111K · 49%
Program service revenue$97K · 43%
Investment income$17K · 8%
Other revenue$2K · 1%
Contributions & grants49%$111K
Program service revenue43%$97K
Investment income8%$17K
Other revenue1%$2K
Total revenueLn 12$227K

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.58 Management & general $0.30 Fundraising $0.13
Program services58%$686K
Management & general30%$350K
Fundraising13%$149K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$19K
Total assetsLn 16$49K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$0
Total net assetsLn 32$49K
Months of cash on handcomputed0.2

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2024 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $49K · Operating expenses/yr $1.2M
0.5 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $686K · Total expenses $1.2M
58%
Management & General
Management & general $350K · Total expenses $1.2M
30%
Fundraising
Fundraising $149K · Total expenses $1.2M
13%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (3-yr avg) $350K · Solicited contributions (3-yr avg) $1.6M
$0.23 to raise $1 (3-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $111K · Total revenue $227K
49%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $227K
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $97K · Total revenue $227K
43%
Investment reliance
Investment income $17K · Total revenue $227K
+8%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $97K · Total expenses $1.2M
8%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $227K · Prior year $2.6M
-91%
Revenue CAGR
FY2018 $2.4M · FY2024 $227K
-32%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $49K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $227K · Expenses $1.2M
-422%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $49K
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $49K · Total assets $49K
100%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) $30K · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $49K
61%
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Pamala Buzick · Reported title EXECUTIVE DIRRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $116K · Total expenses $1.2M
10%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $602K · Total expenses $1.2M
51%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 58%
Overhead ratio 30%
Fundraising cost ratio 135%
Revenue growth -91%
Legal fee ratio 2%
Accounting fee ratio 1%

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2023
See all 6 funders →
Grants paid · 3 grants · $56K · 2018–2024
Women Inspiration & EnterprisFY2018$7,500

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Filings & Schedule Manifest

Part IV
III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
FY2024 (Latest)$227K revenue · viewing · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2023$2.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2022$2.6M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2021$183K revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2020$1.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF
FY2019$2.4M revenue · ⤓ 990 PDF

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2024IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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