Nonprofit · EIN 85-1154363
MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC
Tax-exempt · CHARLESTON, WV 25301
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $1,314,503 | $1,203,766 | $110,737 | $779,795 | $90,109 | $689,686 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $1,196,121 | $1,277,366 | -$81,245 | $695,621 | $116,672 | $578,949 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 (amended) | $973,619 | $1,080,972 | -$107,353 | $877,429 | $139,031 | $738,398 |
| December 31, 2022 | 990 (amended) | $1,123,213 | $955,903 | $167,310 | $1,039,145 | $193,394 | $845,751 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,292,509
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $18,692
- Other revenue
- $3,302
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $238,956
- Other salaries and wages
- $529,004
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $891,563
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $6,838
- Occupancy
- $66,984
- Travel
- $18,426
- Depreciation
- $9,634
- Program services (functional)
- $778,200
- Management and general (functional)
- $341,643
- Fundraising (functional)
- $83,923
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $695,621
- Total assets, end of year
- $779,795
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $90,109
- Net assets, end of year
- $689,686
- Land, buildings and equipment
- $32,155
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $576,661
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $113,025
- Gross receipts
- $1,314,503
- Employees
- 0
- Year formed
- 2020
- State of legal domicile
- WV
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Ward Jr | President Officer | 40 | $120,774 | $774 |
| SARA CRICKENBERGER | Executive Dir. Officer | 40 | $102,681 | $14,727 |
| BENJAMIN L BAILEY | Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| SUZANNE M WEISE | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 0.35 | $0 | $0 |
| Maryanne Reed | Director Trustee or director | 0.17 | $0 | $0 |
| AMAR RAJWANI | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
| Elizabeth Greer | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| Margaret Hutchison | Director Trustee or director | 0.2 | $0 | $0 |
| Stan Cavendish | Director Trustee or director | 0.17 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 7 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SARA CRICKENBERGER | Executive Dir. Officer | 40 | $103,012 | $13,411 |
| Ken Ward Jr | President Officer | 40 | $105,582 | $774 |
| BENJAMIN L BAILEY | Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| SUZANNE M WEISE | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| STEVEN D CANTERBURY-end 5-2024 | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
| AMAR RAJWANI | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Elizabeth Mobley | Director Trustee or director | 0.25 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 8 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Ward Jr | President Officer | 40 | $99,573 | $723 |
| Ellen Allen-end 7-2023 | Executive Dir. Officer | 40 | $53,697 | $7,566 |
| SARA CRICKENBERGER-beg 11-2023 | Executive Dir. Officer | 40 | $19,127 | $1,103 |
| BENJAMIN L BAILEY | Chairman Trustee or director, Officer | 2 | $0 | $0 |
| SUZANNE M WEISE | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| STEVEN D CANTERBURY | Director Trustee or director | 1.5 | $0 | $0 |
| AMAR RAJWANI | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 5 | $0 | $0 |
| ELIZABETH MOBLEY | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2022: 6 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Allen | Executive Dir. Officer | 40 | $79,447 | $15,385 |
| Ken Ward Jr | President Officer | 40 | $70,576 | $3,044 |
| BENJAMIN L BAILEY | Chairman Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| SUZANNE M WEISE | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| STEVEN D CANTERBURY | Director Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| AMAR RAJWANI | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 170 SUMMERS ST STE 210, CHARLESTON, WV 25301-2210
- In care of
- % GREG MOORE
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- Ken Ward Jr, 170 Summers Street Suite 210, Charleston, WV 25301
- Signed the 990
- Ken Ward Jr, President
- Phone
- (304) 220-6080
- Website
- mountainstatespotlight.org
- Return prepared by
- Tovella Dowling PC
Mission
To serve the general public as an independent, civic news organization that tells stories of importance to West Virginians about issues and challenges facing their communities.
Program accomplishments
- Operation of digital news room serving universally-accessible information focused on major issues facing West Virginians, including public health threats, economic development challenges, environment issues, and government accountability. In 2025, the Organization continued its investigation of West Virginia's troubled foster care system, finding that state officials were returning millions of dollars meant to help foster youth transition to adulthood by providing assistance with educational opportunities, housing, and other needs. Following the Organization's reporting, state lawmakers passed a bill requiring foster care system officials to "maximize" their use of those federal funds and file a public report on their progress. The Organization reported extensively on data centers proposed around the state, lifting up the concerns of citizens about those projects, and published stories about ways the state's budget is shortchanging community needs, such as reducing funds for public schools while spending $300 million on a private school voucher program. The Organization also wrote repeatedly about the need to help West Virginians with rising costs of child care services, and lawmakers responded by passing legislation that addresses parts of that crisis. At the end of 2025, the Organization's website had an average monthly readership of 50,000 visitors and its weekly email newsletter had 15,000 subscribers, with stories continuing to be republished by newspapers and other online outlets around the state.Expenses $778,200
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 85-1154363
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2021
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Arts, culture and humanities (A30)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $779,795
- Income (IRS master file)
- $1,314,503
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $1,314,503 | $1,203,766 | $779,795 | XML |
| 990 | December 2024 | $1,196,121 | $1,277,366 | $695,621 | XML |
| 990 | December 2023 | $973,619 | $1,080,972 | $877,429 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $1,123,213 | $955,903 | $1,039,145 | XML |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 85-1154363).
Questions about MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC
- What is the EIN of MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC is 85-1154363.
- Is MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2021.
- Are donations to MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Ken Ward Jr.
- Who are the officers and directors of MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 9 people; 2 received compensation from the organization, the highest $120,774 (Ken Ward Jr, President).
- How much revenue does MOUNTAIN STATE SPOTLIGHT INC have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $1,314,503, expenses of $1,203,766 and total assets of $779,795 at year end.
Other nonprofits in CHARLESTON
- CLAY CENTER FOR THE ARTS & SCIENCES OF WEST VIRGINIA INC EIN 55-0702401 · last filed 990 for 2025
- WEST VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA INC EIN 55-0339426 · last filed 990 for 2025
- AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF WEST V EIN 55-0681531 · last filed 990 for 2025
- MISSIONS 3 16 EIN 62-1191811 · last filed 990 for 2024
- FRIENDS OF WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING INC EIN 31-0974074 · last filed 990 for 2025
- WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING FOUNDATION INC EIN 55-0719285 · last filed 990 for 2025
- WEST VIRGINIA ALLIANCE OF RECOVERY RESIDENCES EIN 84-2900907 · last filed 990 for 2025
- CHARLESTON LIGHT OPERA GUILD INC EIN 55-0346301 · last filed 990 for 2024
All nonprofits in CHARLESTON · West Virginia · Arts, culture and humanities