2018-08-07T11:04:05-05:00 2017-12-31 EISNERAMPER LLP 750 THIRD AVENUE NEW YORK NY 100172703 990 2017-01-01 462265729 Solutions Journalism Network Inc % JULIA POWER BURNS SOLU 6467191443 79 MADISON AVENUE Suite 224 NEW YORK NY 10016 JULIA POWER BURNS CFO 6467191443 2018-08-06 true CANDICE METH P01306891 2129498700 2017 2022-09-23 18:48:47Z JULIA POWER BURNS 79 MADISON AVENUE224 NEW YORK NY 10016 5200748 false X www.solutionsjournalism.org X 2013 DE TO ESTABLISH SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM AS A CORE FUNCTION IN JOURNALISM CONFORMING TO THE PROFESSION'S HIGHEST STANDARDS OF INDEPENDENCE AND ACCURACY. 8 6 17 0 0 4886200 5158674 42500 37761 1416 1523 140 2790 4930256 5200748 959496 143500 0 0 1264970 1546597 0 27885 202206 1572664 1483319 3797130 3201301 1133126 1999447 4595394 5902930 1190214 498303 3405180 5404627 X Solutions Journalism Network, Inc. works to define, legitimize and spread the practice of "solutions journalism" - rigorous, unbiased reporting about credible responses to social problems. The Organization's mission is to establish solutions journalism as a core function in journalism, conforming to the profession's highest standards of independence and accuracy. In keeping with journalism's historic responsibility to spotlight and contextualize significant activity in the public interest, solutions journalism will circulate reliable information about how society is confronting and adapting to major social, economic, and environmental challenges. false false 1362984 143500 Newsroom Practice Change (formerly known as "Practice Change): The Organization leverages its curriculum to catalyze and sustain the practice of solutions journalism in news organizations. It cultivates relationships with individual outlets or with groups of outlets, often resulting in high-impact solutions-focused reporting projects. Representative recent collaborations include those with The Houston Chronicle, Kansas City Public Television, and Ms. Magazine, as well as with collaborations of multiple news organizations in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, New Mexico, and Montana. Ongoing projects include WEWS-Channel 5 in Cleveland and the Pamplin Media Group in Oregon. These relationships typically begin with a workshop introducing newsroom staff to the solutions approach. The Organization then provides research and editorial consulting support to reporters, producers, and editors. In many cases, the Organization also offers modest financial resources to support reporter travel and other high-value activities. In 2017, the Organization supported projects focused on education and other topics. Having built a network of 140 news outlets, the Organization is now also focused on ensuring the sustainability of the solutions-journalism technique in these newsrooms and on fostering shared-learning across its newsroom partners. In certain special relationships, cases that promise to generate great visibility, impact, and learning, the Organization invests in longer-term, higher-impact newsroom projects. In 2017, it extended its "Education Lab" collaboration with The Seattle Times for a fifth year. "Education Lab" has generated dozens of prominent feature stories, hundreds of blog posts and interactive features, and a series of live events - which together have increased audience engagement around education issues and catalyzed notable policy changes. As a fiscal sponsor, the Organization also has also supported Honeyguide Media, a start-up online news organization that produces solutions-oriented coverage of education, health, and international development issues. 428373 Knowledge Dissemination - (formerly known as "Pattern Change"): In August 2017, The Organization launched a new version of the "Solutions Story Tracker," which contains over 2,800 stories tagged by issue and problem-solving approach and mapped by the location of the reported effort. It also launched "SolutionsU," a suite of tools to help educators and students easily find, integrate, and share solutions stories, to support teaching and learning in social innovation and other topics. The Organization supports faculty in developing and sharing teaching materials based on solutions-journalism stories in a range of disciplines. Since the original "Story Tracker" launched in 2016, 37 faculty members have used solutions journalism stories in 56 courses - including 30 courses in the most recent semester alone, in disciplines ranging from anthropology to business to public policy. Since August 2017, the Organization has delivered six student and faculty workshops at five different universities, reaching nearly 350 teachers and learners. Our community of registered educators and students grew to 170 and 345, respectively. In addition, it has launched SolutionsU-branded Twitter and Facebook channels and a monthly educator newsletter. gaining significant traction with its social media communities. In 2017 on Twitter, the Organization's following increased by 24% over six months, with monthly mentions of its handle up 65%. Its Facebook group averages 8% growth per month. Community building: The Organization's volunteer-led communities continued to grow in 2017, including six U.S.-based groups and the first international community in Paris. Additionally, interest in the solutions concept continues to grow outside of the United States, with projects beginning to launch in Latin America, Indonesia, East Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe. The Organization held its first large-scale gathering in November 2017, bringing together 89 journalists and journalism-school professors. Feedback from this anchor event was strong: 87% of attendees who responded to our survey said it exceeded their expectations. Journalism schools: The Organization works to integrate solutions reporting into journalism-school curriculum, creating a base of young journalists who have been exposed to the approach early in their careers. The Organization has established relationships with 22 university-based journalism schools that have committed to incorporating the solutions approach into their curricula. 605435 Journalist Practice Change - (formerly known as "Mass Spread"): Complementing its work with news organizations, the Organization seeks to advance the adoption of the solutions approach by individual journalists. Online network: The Organization relaunched its website in August 2017, introducing new learning resources, a revised member area, and a redesigned version of the Solutions Story Tracker, an archive of solutions stories. On average, users spent 21% longer on the site than in 2016, and total visits increased by 11%. The Organization's online member platform, the Hub, reached 1,075 users by the end of 2017 and continues to grow at a rate of 10% per month. The Organization is gaining significant traction with its social media communities. In 2017 on Twitter, the Organization's following increased by 24% over six months, with monthly mentions of its handle up 65%. Its Facebook group averages 8% growth per month. Community building: The Organization's volunteer-led communities continued to grow in 2017, including six U.S.-based groups and the first international community in Paris. Additionally, interest in the solutions concept continues to grow outside of the United States, with projects beginning to launch in Latin America, Indonesia, East Africa, and Central and Eastern Europe. The Organization held its first large-scale gathering in November 2017, bringing together 89 journalists and journalism-school professors. Feedback from this anchor event was strong: 87% of attendees who responded to our survey said it exceeded their expectations. Journalism schools: The Organization works to integrate solutions reporting into journalism-school curriculum, creating a base of young journalists who have been exposed to the approach early in their careers. The Organization has established relationships with 22 university-based journalism schools that have committed to incorporating the solutions approach into their curricula. 103974 37761 2500766 true true false false false false false false false false false false false false false true true false false false false false false true false false false true false true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 77 0 true 17 true false false false false false false false false false false false false X 8 6 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true true false CA CT DE FL IL MD MA MI NH NJ NY PA UT WA X X JULIA POWER BURNS 6467191443 79 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK NY 10016 DAVID BOARDMAN CHAIRMAN 2.0 0.0 X X 0 0 0 SUSAN DAVIS VICE-CHAIR 2.0 0.0 X X 0 0 0 DAVID BORNSTEIN CEO(as of 6/17)/DIR/CO-FOUNDER 55.0 0.0 X X 156338 0 6183 COURTNEY MARTIN CO-FOUNDER / SECRETARY 5.0 0.0 X X 3560 0 0 DEAN FURBUSH TREASURER 2.0 0.0 X X 9044 0 0 TINA ROSENBERG VARENIK CO-FOUNDER / DIRECTOR 30.0 0.0 X 113975 0 30 NATHALIE LAIDLER-KYLANDER DIRECTOR (as of 1/22/17) 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 TRABIAN SHORTERS DIRECTOR 2.0 0.0 X 0 0 0 KEITH H HAMMONDS PRESIDENT AND COO 55.0 0.0 X 164195 0 30 JULIA POWER BURNS CFO AND GENERAL MANAGER 55.0 0.0 X 154720 0 15439 maria elisa gross DIR NEWSROOM PRACTICE CHANGE 55.0 0.0 X 110423 0 5440 712255 0 27122 5 false true false KIWI PARTNERS INC 237 W35TH STREET SUITE 1101 NEW YORK NY 10001 ACCOUNTING SERVICES 124146 1 5158674 5158674 PROGRAM TRAINING 611430 37761 37761 37761 1523 1523 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OTHER REVENUE 813990 2790 2790 2790 5200748 40551 1523 143500 143500 0 0 0 601832 394634 113907 93291 0 784259 597017 141392 45850 0 55679 39325 11688 4666 104827 74540 21346 8941 0 23075 16450 4076 2549 139352 111042 28310 0 27885 27885 0 568056 503720 61086 3250 0 16334 13016 3318 9500 7570 1930 0 102106 82106 20000 176147 135253 31202 9692 0 95269 94688 581 0 0 74208 52919 21289 21392 12005 9021 366 NEWSROOM/JOURNALIST FEES 103378 103378 CURRICULUM/TRAINING/RESEARCH 47602 41229 6373 WEBSITE DESIGN/MAINTENANCE 40657 40505 152 OTHER FEES 43661 23603 19020 1038 22582 14266 3638 4678 3201301 2500766 498329 202206 382957 1109166 2188177 1993158 0 0 1941593 2576516 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8784 73801 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 73883 150289 4595394 5902930 134348 206286 1050866 292017 5000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1190214 498303 X 546299 604489 2858881 4800138 0 0 3405180 5404627 4595394 5902930 1999447 X false true X true false X 844608 2457697 2869020 4886200 5158674 16216199 0 0 844608 2457697 2869020 4886200 5158674 16216199 8525746 7690453 0 768 1360 1416 1523 5067 0 0 815 14 140 2790 3759 16225025 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 0 X 5311623 110875 110875 5200748 5200748 3312176 110875 110875 3201301 3201301 FORM 990, SCHEDULE D, PART X, LINE 2 The Organization is subject to the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (the "FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 740, Income Taxes, as it relates to accounting and reporting for uncertainty in income taxes. Because of the Organization's general tax-exempt status, management believes ASC Topic 740 has not had, and is not anticipated to have, a material impact on the Organization's financial statements. 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ORGANIZATIONAL STAFF EVALUATE ALL PROPOSALS SUBMITTED BY NEWSROOMS, INDIVIDUAL JOURNALISTS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR ALIGNMENT WITH THE PRACTICE OF SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM. UPON APPROVAL OF A GRANT APPLICATION, AND WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A GRANT, THE ORGANIZATION MONITORS THE FINANCIAL REPORTING AND JOURNALISM PRODUCED BY THE GRANTEE THROUGHOUT THE GRANT PERIOD FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE ORGANIZATIONS GRANT AGREEMENTS. RECORDS OF GRANTS, INCLUDING BUDGETS AND SUBSEQUENT DELIVERABLES ARE KEPT IN A CENTRAL DATABASE. FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017, THE ORGANIZATION DID NOT AWARD ANY GRANTS TO INDIVIDUAL JOURNALISTS THAT MEET THE REPORTING THRESHOLD ON SCHEDULE I. FORM 990, SCHEDULE I, PART III, LINE 1(H) GRANTS ARE AWARDED TO SUPPORT THE TRAINING IN, AND PRODUCTION OF, SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM. X X false false false false false false false false false DAVID BORNSTEIN CEO(as of 6/17)/DIR/CO-FOUNDER 156338 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6183 0 162521 0 0 0 KEITH H HAMMONDS PRESIDENT AND COO 164195 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 164225 0 0 0 JULIA POWER BURNS CFO AND GENERAL MANAGER 154720 0 0 0 0 0 10000 0 5439 0 170159 0 0 0 FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4D, OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: Curriculum - (formerly known as "Education"): The Organization has created a core curriculum designed to introduce its distinctive approach to journalism professionals and students; and to further develop and strengthen the skills of those who already integrate solutions-oriented reporting into their work. The Organization provides an online suite of courses, the "Learning Lab," which is free to access. It includes core training in solutions journalism, as well as specialized guides for editors and reporters focusing on specific beats, such as violence, education, and health. These resources, in addition to a growing archive of thousands of model-solutions stories, are intended to advance the understanding and practice of solutions-journalism for reporters and editors who do not have access to its direct trainings. Working with partners, the Organization is translating some of these resources into multiple languages, making them accessible to non-English-speaking constituents. EXPENSES $103,974 INCLUDING GRANTS OF $0 REVENUE $37,761 FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 11B: The Chief Financial Officer and General Manager, the President and Chief Operating Officer review the Form 990. Upon their satisfaction, the Form 990 is distributed to the full board of directors for review and approval prior to the electronic filing of the form with the internal revenue service. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 12C: The conflict of interest policy is distributed annually to be reviewed and signed by all members of the board of directors and staff. The annual notification states that all directors and staff are required to disclose any conflicts to the organizations designated compliance officer or the Chief Executive Officer. As a part of the Organizations ongoing monitoring of compliance with the policy, all directors and staff are asked to remain cognizant of their activities. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION B, LINE 15: The independent members of the Organizations board of Directors review the New York Salary data published in Guidestars annual non-profit compensation report to assist in evaluating compensation levels for all officers and key employees of the organization. In addition, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE of the board of directors reviewS all salary offers extended to newly-hired key employees and officers to determine appropriate levels of compensation. Following a review of the aforementioned data and inputs, compensation for those key employees and officers of the organization are discussed and set in an executive session meeting of the independent members of the board of directors. FORM 990, PART VI, SECTION C, LINE 19: The organizations financial statements and public disclosure copy of the form 990 are published on the organizations website and are available upon request. The organization does not make any of its governing documents available to the general public. FORM 990 PART IX LINE 11G DESCRIPTION:PROGRAM CONSULTING TOTAL FEES:473990 FORM 990 PART IX LINE 11G DESCRIPTION:GENERAL/ADMIN CONSULTING TOTAL FEES:53585 FORM 990 PART IX LINE 11G DESCRIPTION:RECRUITING TOTAL FEES:40481