May 19, 2009

National Storytelling Network: 2009 Annual Budget Released

The National Storytelling Network has, for what may be the first time in its history, published its annual budget on its public web site (link). Thanks, NSN!

It has also released its IRS 990 tax statement for tax year 2007 (as a nonprofit, NSN's tax returns are public information. If you knew where to look, you could find this information). It's not that easy to locate though, so, here's a VERY brief summary of NSN's finances over the past years. I collected this information from its publicly available IRS tax returns.






.

Tax Report datedRevenueExpensesExcess or deficit

.

oct 31 2000$519,281$464,248$55,033

.

oct 31 2001$603,478$510,590$92,888

.

oct 31 2002$671,926$559,091$112,835

.

oct 31 2003$659,593$650,004$9,589

.

oct 31 2004$653,516$636,889$16,627

.

oct 31 2005$656,323$728,608-$72,285

.

dec 31 2006$610,903$610,263$640

.

oct 31 2007$573,350$631,182-$57,832


I'm not sure when NSN files, but I'll find out when the 2008 tax return will be available.

(I got the announcement via NSN's e-newsletter to members, at approx. 382 days after the organization's finance chair publicly announced the finances would be available "soon." I haven't stopped the clock yet on the widget below until I know more about if and when the 2008 audit will ever be published).

3 comments:

RRR said...

Hello from over the pond...please can you enighten me on the significance of the NSN and its tax status?
Have there been great rumblings and concerns?

Tim said...

Rachel,
most of the details in my previous post, here.

The National Storytelling Network is the de facto national organization for storytellers in the United States, and the rumblings and concerns began at the end of 2007, when the Finance Chair let it be known that the organization's bookkeeping practices were a mess and that the organization could run out of money. In 2008, in addition to making needed changes in accounting practices, NSN's Board made the decision to eliminate several staff positions, including that of the Executive Director, and the organization budget was cut nearly in half.

Cheerful announcements were made that a disaster had been diverted, but there were no financial statements proffered to back up that claim.

About Sean Buvala said...

Okay, props to the NSN for publishing something of the budget.