Form 990 for tax year 2022

Filed by RELIGION NEWS FOUNDATION.

Totals

Total revenue: $6,642,797
Total expenses: $3,022,930
Contributions and grants received: $6,260,479
Grants paid: $20,500
Program service revenue: $325,860
Investment income: $55,581
Other revenue: $877
Total assets, end of year: $6,441,621
Total liabilities, end of year: $192,088
Net assets or fund balances, end of year: $6,249,533
Program services expenses (Part IX): $2,433,714
Management and general expenses: $361,097
Fundraising expenses: $228,119
Program service expenses (Part III): $2,433,714

Program services were 80.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

$6,260,479
2a · Program service revenue: SUBSCRIPTION REVENUE

total $95,852 · related or exempt $95,852
2b · Program service revenue: ADVERTISING

total $93,726 · related or exempt $293 · unrelated business $93,433
2c · Program service revenue: PRESS RELEASE INCOME

total $82,167 · related or exempt $59,452 · unrelated business $22,715
2d · Program service revenue: CONTRACTUAL INCOME

total $49,500 · related or exempt $49,500
2e · Program service revenue: REPRINT INCOME

total $4,615 · related or exempt $4,615
3 · Investment income

total $57,294 · excluded $57,294
5 · Royalties

total $877 · related or exempt $877
7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

other assets $1,077
7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

other assets $2,790
7c · Gain or loss

other assets -$1,713
7d · Net gain or loss

total -$1,713 · excluded -$1,713

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

2 · Grants to domestic individuals

total $20,500 · program services $20,500
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

total $184,914 · program services $142,051 · management and general $22,800 · fundraising $20,063
7 · Other salaries and wages

total $990,573 · program services $760,958 · management and general $122,138 · fundraising $107,477
8 · Pension plan contributions

total $54,040 · program services $41,514 · management and general $6,663 · fundraising $5,863
9 · Other employee benefits

total $277,603 · program services $213,255 · management and general $34,228 · fundraising $30,120
11b · Fees: legal

total $28,349 · program services $18,316 · management and general $10,033
11c · Fees: accounting

total $69,377 · management and general $69,377
11f · Fees: investment management

total $353 · management and general $353
11g · Fees: other

total $1,059,904 · program services $952,801 · management and general $73,241 · fundraising $33,862
12 · Advertising and promotion

total $22,527 · program services $22,527
13 · Office expenses

total $6,835 · program services $5,250 · management and general $843 · fundraising $742
14 · Information technology

total $54,150 · program services $41,598 · management and general $6,677 · fundraising $5,875
16 · Occupancy

total $9,466 · program services $7,272 · management and general $1,167 · fundraising $1,027
17 · Travel

total $47,460 · program services $36,317 · fundraising $11,143
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

total $75,345 · program services $75,345
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

total $33,380 · program services $25,642 · management and general $4,116 · fundraising $3,622
23 · Insurance

total $22,675 · program services $17,419 · management and general $2,796 · fundraising $2,460
24a · Other expenses: LICENSE AND SUBSCRIPTIO

total $40,611 · program services $31,499 · management and general $4,847 · fundraising $4,265
24b · Other expenses: PROCESSING FEES

total $12,967 · program services $9,961 · management and general $1,599 · fundraising $1,407
24c · Other expenses: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMEN

total $10,125 · program services $10,125
24d · Other expenses: REGISTRATION FEES

total $1,776 · program services $1,364 · management and general $219 · fundraising $193

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

beginning of year $285,439 · end of year $2,919,911
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

beginning of year $348,506 · end of year $1,195,084
3 · Pledges and grants receivable

beginning of year $2,012,000 · end of year $2,193,608
4 · Accounts receivable

beginning of year $17,442 · end of year $29,381
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

beginning of year $48,563 · end of year $60,608
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

$38,296
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

$23,646
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

beginning of year $16,626 · end of year $14,650
14 · Intangible assets

beginning of year $55,563 · end of year $28,379
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

beginning of year $126,842 · end of year $175,740
19 · Deferred revenue

beginning of year $22,715 · end of year $16,348
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

beginning of year $482,114 · end of year $358,207
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

beginning of year $2,152,468 · end of year $5,891,326

Mission and programs · 2022

Mission

TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGION JOURNALISM.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO ADVANCE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGION JOURNALISM

EDITORIAL: ENHANCED RNS'S EDITORIAL EFFORTS BY FOCUSING ON BREAKING STORIES AND COVERAGE OF IMPORTANT ISSUES INCLUDING CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM, COVID-19, IMMIGRANT RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES VOLUNTEERING AND IMPACTING THEIR COMMUNITIES, RACIAL JUSTICE, AND VOTER PARTICIPATION; ENHANCED COVERAGE ON THE BLACK CHURCH, CATHOLICISM, HINDUISM, NONBELIEVERS, AND PAGANISM/WICCA; CONTINUED RELIGION HUB ON THE RNS WEBSITE; CONTINUED AN AWARD-WINNING PODCAST, SAVED BY THE CITY AND BEGAN BUILDING A PLATFORM THAT INCLUDES ADDITIONAL PODCASTS; BEGAN A PARTNERSHIP WITH REPORT FOR AMERICA; AND CONTINUED PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND THE CONVERSATION USA, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY/SCRIPPS HOWARD FOUNDATION/INN, INTERFAITH AMERICA, AND PUBLIC RELIGION RESEARCH INSTITUTE (PPRI); AND WON AWARDS, INCLUDING FROM RELIGION NEWS ASSOCIATION, THE RELIGION COMMUNICATORS COUNCIL, THE ASSOCIATED CHURCH PRESS, AND WILBUR AWARDS. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT: GREW WEBSITE TRAFFIC BY BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE RNS AUDIENCE TO DEVELOP A MORE LOYAL READERSHIP; ENLARGED RNS'S EMAIL LIST AND SOCIAL FOLLOWING; AND EXPANDED RNS'S DIGITAL FOOTPRINT, ACHIEVING MILESTONES IN WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA. REVENUE GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND DIVERSIFICATION: GREW AND DIVERSIFIED RNS'S REVENUE THROUGH INITIATIVES INCLUDING DEVELOPING A PLATFORM FOR SMALL INDIVIDUAL AND MAJOR DONORS; EXPANDED FUNDRAISING OUTREACH TO FOUNDATIONS AND HIGH NET WORTH INDIVIDUALS. ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS: ALIGNED RNS/S PROCEDURES WITH NONPROFIT JOURNALISM BEST PRACTICES AND IMPROVED RNS'S TECHNOLOGICAL/WEB CAPACITY. IMPACT: ENHANCED RNS'S REACH BY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OUR READERS' COMMENTS AND INCREASING CITATIONS AND REPUBLICATION IN OTHER PUBLICATIONS.

Expenses $2,433,714 · Grants $20,500 · Revenue $210,589

As filed on the 2022 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Deborah CaldwellDEBORAH CALDWELL

CEO AND PUBLISHER

Total calculated

$184,908

From this org

$175,644

From related orgs

$0

Other

$9,264

Hours/week

40

Schedule J breakdown matched by us

Base

$175,644

Bonus

$0

Other

$0

Deferred

$8,556

Nontaxable benefits

$708

Filer's total

$184,908
Besty ShirleyBESTY SHIRLEY

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1 + 1 related
Steven WaldmanSTEVEN WALDMAN

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1 + 1 related
Thomas LevinsonTHOMAS LEVINSON

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Kim WonKIM WON

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Dave RobersonDAVE ROBERSON

TREASURER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2
Dawn Araujo-HawkinsDAWN ARAUJO-HAWKINS

BOARD MEMBER

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1 + 1 related
John TerrillJOHN TERRILL

BOARD CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

2 + 1 related
Ken ChitwoodKEN CHITWOOD

VICE CHAIR

Total calculated

$7,200

From this org

$7,200

From related orgs

$0

Other

$0

Hours/week

2 + 1 related
Muhammed ChaudhryMUHAMMED CHAUDHRY

PAST BOARD CHAIR

Total calculated

$0

Hours/week

1
Paul O'DonnellPAUL O'DONNELL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Total calculated

$143,081

From this org

$108,370

From related orgs

$0

Other

$34,711

Hours/week

40
Roxanne StoneROXANNE STONE

MANAGING EDITOR

Total calculated

$113,729

From this org

$101,507

From related orgs

$0

Other

$12,222

Hours/week

40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

3 · Compensation survey or study
3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
7 · Other non-fixed payments
8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 3: IN SPRING OF 2023 A COMPENSATION REVIEW WAS PERFORMED BY BOARD CHAIR JOHN TERRILL. THE BOARD CHAIR CONDUCTED A 360-DEGREE REVIEW OF CEO DEBORAH CALDWELL. THIS REVIEW REQUESTED FEEDBACK FROM ALL BOARD MEMBERS, ALL MEMBERS OF THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND A SELF REVIEW BY THE CEO. COMPENSATION WAS DETERMINED BY REVIEW OF 360-DEGREE REVIEW RESULTS AS WELL AS A REVIEW OF THE MOST RECENT GUIDESTAR (CANDID) NONPROFIT COMPENSATION REPORTS AVAILABLE IN SPRING OF 2023. THIS REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED IN CLOSED EXECUTIVE SESSION. JOHN TERRILL COMPLETED CONTEMPORANEOUS SUBSTANTIATION OF THE DELIBERATION AND DECISION BY EMAIL TO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

RELIGION NEWS ASSOCIATION

501(C)(6) · MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION · VA

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Disregarded entities

Part I: entities that legally are the filer and file no return of their own.

RELIGION NEWS SERVICES LLC

CHARITY · OH · income $400,665 · assets $170,802

Directly controlled by RNF

Provenance

Return type: form_990
Tax year: 2022
Filed: 8 November 2023
IRS schema version: 2022v5.0
Source object: 202323149349302632

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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