Obelus INC FY2024 filing

Tax-deductible

Berkeley, CA501(c)(3)Since 2024Arts & CultureEIN 92-2954169Revenue $1.3M in FY2024

On file with the IRSasteriskmag.com2150 Shattuck Ave Floor 12, 94704-1345 · Berkeley, CATax-exempt since Jan 2024Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Obelus Inc. publishes Asterisk Magazine, a quarterly magazine covering science, emerging technologies, economics, politics, culture, global health, and threats to human development and flourishing.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
88¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$164K 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

FY2024 · 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 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $159K a year · 20% of revenue · last 2 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
88%
of spending
Looks good: 88% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$164K
to officers and key staff · 30% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 30% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
16 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 16.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $180K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$12K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 1 voting members
Concern: none of 1 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.3M
Spent
$543K
To programs
88%
Net assets
$725K
By yearFY2023–FY2025
Revenue
$1.3M
FY2024
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$0
FY2024$1.3M
FY2025$335K
Expenses
$543K
FY2024
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023Not on file
FY2024$543K
FY2025$742K
Net assets
$725K
FY2024
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$0
FY2024$725K
FY2025$315K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 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 Jan 2024.

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

Where the money goes

88 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 88% · $478K Management & general 12% · $64K

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

2 people listed on the 990; $164K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary
$86,177Pt VII · Sec A
Managing Editor
$77,953Pt VII · Sec A

Clara Collier’s $128K as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Secretary is at the 96th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024
Clara Collier$128,399$86,177
Jacob Copeland Eaton$118,254$77,953

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Publishes a magazine covering science, technology, economics, politics, culture, and global issues.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $478K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Obelus Inc. publishes a free magazine featuring deeply researched articles on subjects relating to policy, science, and emerging technology.

$478Kprogram expense

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
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$180K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.3M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Investment incomeLn 3$13K
Other incomeLn 4–11$13K
Money outPt IX
$543K
Ln 25
Programscol B$478K
Managementcol C$64K
Owns and owesPt X
$725K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$737K
Total assetsLn 16$737K
LiabilitiesLn 26$12K
PeoplePt VI, VII
2
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a1
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.2M
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Investment incomeLn 3$13K
Other incomeLn 4–11$13K
Total revenueLn 12$1.3M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$737K
SavingsLn 2$0
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$737K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$737K
LiabilitiesLn 26$12K
Net assetsLn 32$725K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$0$737K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0$0
Total assetsLn 16$0$737K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$12K
Net assetsLn 32$0$725K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$4K$4K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$234K$234K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$16K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$164K$140K$24K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$83K$83K
Office expensesLn 13$4K$4K
Information technologyLn 14$7K$7K
OccupancyLn 16$13K$13K
All other expensesLn 24e$13K$13K
Total functional expensesLn 25$543K$478K$64K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $335K$742K−$407K$315K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $1.3M$543K$725K$725K 990 PDF
FY2023 $0$0 990 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,267,723 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $0$1,241,829
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$13,393
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$12,501
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $0$1,267,723
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$3,785
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $0$251,993
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $0$287,045
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $0$542,823
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $0$724,900
Part VI · Governance 0 of 1 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body1
VI-1b Independent voting members0
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,267,723 across 11 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $12,501 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$0
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,241,829
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,241,829
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $13,393$13,393
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $12,501 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $13,393$1,267,723
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $542,823 across 11 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $3,785$3,785
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $233,739$233,739
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $1,938$1,938
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $16,316$16,316
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $3,418$3,418
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $139,780 · Management $24,097$163,877
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $82,853$82,853
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $3,514$3,514
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $6,874$6,874
IX-16 OccupancyManagement $13,019$13,019
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $13,490$13,490
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $478,411 · Management $64,412 · Fundraising $0$542,823
Part X · Balance sheet $736,542 assets, 22 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $0$736,542
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $0$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $0$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $0$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $0$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $0$0
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $0$0
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $0$0
X-14 Intangible assetsStart of year $0$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $0$736,542
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $0$11,642
X-18 Grants payableStart of year $0$0
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $0$0
X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $0$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$11,642
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $0$724,900
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $0$724,900
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $0$736,542
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $724,900 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,267,723
XI-2 Total expenses$542,823
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$724,900
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$0
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$724,900

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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