Prism Reports INC FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Oakland, CA501(c)(3)Since 2016EducationEIN 82-1772450Revenue $1.7M in FY2021

On file with the IRSprismreports.org1423 Broadway Ste 271, 94612-2054 · Oakland, CATax-exempt since Aug 2018Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
75¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$105K paid to officers and key staff.
Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · 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
1 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $98K a year · 6% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
75%
of spending
Looks good: 75% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$105K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
8 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 8.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
14
named funders · $1.4M
Looks good: 14 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$36K
3% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 3% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.7M
+0.4% vs prior year
Spent
$1.9M
To programs
75%
Net assets
$1.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.7M
FY2021+0.4%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$1.7M
FY2021$1.7M
FY2022$1.4M
FY2023$1.8M
FY2024$1.7M
FY2025$1.9M
Expenses
$1.9M
FY2021▲ +34%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$1.9M
FY2022$1.7M
FY2023$1.8M
FY2024$2.0M
FY2025$2.0M
Net assets
$1.3M
FY2021▼ -12%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$1.3M
FY2022$960K
FY2023$939K
FY2024$686K
FY2025$664K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 Aug 2018.

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

Where the money goes

75 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 75% · $1.4M Management & general 19% · $350K Fundraising 6% · $112K

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

5 people listed on the 990; $105K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Editor-In-Ch
$105,000Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Lara Witt’s $110K as Editor-In-Chief is at the 38th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3395 $1–10M 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Iara D Peng—————$138,000
Ashton Lattimore—$45,643$120,298$125,000$105,000$105,000
Caitlin Gaffin$99,682$111,312$108,708$111,250——
Lara Witt$109,713$111,239$100,047———

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.

See Prism Reports INC executive salaries →

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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

Reports on undercovered people, places, and issues, centering BIPOC and marginalized communities.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $1.4M · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Through our original reporting, analysis, and commentary, prism challenges dominant, toxic narratives perpetuated by the mainstream press and works to build a full and accurate record of whats happening in our democracy.

$901Kprogram expense
02

Through our democratizing philanthropy program area we help to build power and shift resources to communities and organizations on the frontlines of justice-seeking work through increasing their outreach and providing hands on support.

$500Kprogram expense
03

Through our reflective journalism project, prism trains aspiring writers, community leaders, and frontline social justice thinkers and organizers on the editorial process, with the goal of building a deep bench of content creators and growing the network of bipoc writers telling their stories, sharing their experiences, and reporting on…

$15Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 14 funders →
Grants paid · 3 grants · $534K · 2021–2023

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.7M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.5M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$139K
Other incomeLn 4–11$6K
Money outPt IX
$1.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.4M
Managementcol C$350K
Fundraisingcol D$112K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.3M
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.5M
Government grantsLn 1e$173K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$139K
Other incomeLn 4–11$6K
Total revenueLn 12$1.7M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$1.3M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.3M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$12K
Total assetsLn 16$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K
Net assetsLn 32$1.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 515
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.4M$1.3M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$8K$12K
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M$1.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K$36K
Net assetsLn 32$1.4M$1.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$503K$503K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$703K$407K$206K$90K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$122K$77K$31K$14K
Payroll taxesLn 10$68K$43K$18K$8K
Legal feesLn 11b$17K$17K
Accounting feesLn 11c$2K$2K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$373K$335K$38K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$21K$11K$10K
Office expensesLn 13$16K$4K$12K
Information technologyLn 14$24K$23K$662$50
TravelLn 17$351$271$80
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$7K$7K
InsuranceLn 23$1K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$19K$5K$14K$69
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.9M$1.4M$350K$112K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.9M$2.0M−$130K$664K 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.7M$2.0M−$250K$686K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.8M$1.8M−$24K$939K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.4M$1.7M−$289K$960K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $1.7M$1.9M−$182K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2020 $1.7M$1.4M$289K$1.4M 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,695,129 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,056,757$1,549,376
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $631,555$139,437
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $381$6,316
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,688,693$1,695,129
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$503,000
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $923,821$893,056
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $475,665$481,372
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,399,486$1,877,428
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $289,207−$182,299
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,695,129 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$172,800
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,376,576
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,549,376
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $139,437$139,437
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $6,316$6,316
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $139,437 · Excluded from tax $6,316$1,695,129
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,877,428 across 14 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $503,000$503,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $407,182 · Management $205,932 · Fundraising $90,000$703,114
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $76,681 · Management $31,364 · Fundraising $13,707$121,752
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $42,947 · Management $17,566 · Fundraising $7,677$68,190
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $17,054$17,054
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $2,450$2,450
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $335,380 · Management $37,500$372,880
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $11,445 · Management $9,721$21,166
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,499 · Management $11,980$16,479
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $22,855 · Management $662 · Fundraising $50$23,567
IX-17 TravelPrograms $271 · Management $80$351
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $6,972$6,972
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,068$1,068
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $5,034 · Management $14,282 · Fundraising $69$19,385
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,416,266 · Management $349,659 · Fundraising $111,503$1,877,428
Part X · Balance sheet $1,288,144 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $1,400,714$1,273,882
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $57,500$2,500
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $7,737$11,762
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,465,951$1,288,144
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $5,985$8,306
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $30,015$28,164
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $36,000$36,470
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,429,951$1,251,674
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,429,951$1,251,674
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,465,951$1,288,144
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,251,674 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,695,129
XI-2 Total expenses$1,877,428
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$182,299
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,429,951
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$4,022
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,251,674

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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