Charity Search / CITY LIMITS NEWS INC
Public & Societal Benefit (W50) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

CITY LIMITS NEWS INC

EIN: 27-0218689 · NEW YORK, NY 10027-3811 · United States · FY 2023 Data
3 out of 5 54 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings
Financial strength (30%) 77/100
Reliability (20%) 50/100
Effectiveness (25%) 83/100
Impact (25%) No data yet
Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026
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Mission Statement

City Limits magazine was founded in 1976 by advocacy organizations to improve the information flow among communities hit hardest by the city's fiscal crisis. Over the years we developed both a print and an electronic presence. In 1996, City Limits established the Center for an Urban Future, a leading and now separate think tank. In 2012, City Limits became an all-digital operation. That same year, to expand its reach in New York City's underserved communities, City Limits launched the Brooklyn Bureau, with support from the Brooklyn Community Foundation and the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation, and acquired the Bronx News Network (BxNN), founded in 2006 by the Mosholu Preservation Corporation, which we re-launched in 2013 as the Bronx Bureau. Studies by the Federal Communications Commission and Pew Research Center have found that news agencies are devoting less time and fewer resources to the difficult but important job of investigative reporting. With the help of our supporters, City Limits is bucking that trend, publishing in-depth investigations on the causes and consequences of black male joblessness, flaws in the city's community planning system, lessons from 20 years of New York City firefighter fatalities, sexual abuse by guards in state prisons, the growing role of private consultants in shaping public policy and more. Our work has preceded reporting on those and other subjects by other media and prominent public policy research groups, and our coverage has garnered a number of awards, including the Society of Professional Journalists' award for publishing the top local investigative magazine story in the country in both 2010 and 2011. Reflecting a shared recognition of the importance and value of independent journalism to the city, the Community Service Society of New York has served as the fiscal parent for City Limits since 2009 and provides general support for its mission. In 2011, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proclaimed a "City Limits Day" for the organization's work as a "model for New York and for the rest of the nation."

Financial Overview — FY 2023
$1.1M
Total Revenue
$1.0M
Total Expenses
$361K
Net Assets
11
Employees
Revenue Sources
Expense Breakdown
Program Expense Ratio 73.9%
Fundraising Efficiency 191.8%
Operating Reserve 4.23x
Liability-to-Asset 13.3%
Revenue Diversification 94.9%
Executive Compensation $145K
Compared with Peers
FY 2023
Compared with 697 similar organizations (United States, Public & Societal Benefit, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2023.
This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median
Ratio This org Peer median Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio
Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better
73.9% 83.3%
P10P90
Bottom quarter
Admin expense ratio
Management and general / total expenses · lower is better
15.3% 12.0%
P10P90
Below median
Fundraising expense ratio
Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better
10.8% 1.0%
P10P90
Bottom quarter
Fundraising efficiency
Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better
191.8% 187.7%
P10P90
Below median
Operating reserve
Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better
4.2 mo 9.3 mo
P10P90
Below median
Liabilities to assets
Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better
13.3% 13.4%
P10P90
Above median
Revenue concentration
Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better
94.9% 95.5%
P10P90
Above median
Revenue growth
Year over year revenue growth
24.7% 7.9%
P10P90
Expense growth
Year over year expense growth
11.5% 12.3%
P10P90
Surplus margin
Surplus as a share of revenue
9.3% 2.0%
P10P90
Financial History
Year Revenue Expenses Net Assets Program % Staff
2023 $1.1M $1.0M $361K 73.9% 11
2022 $907K $920K $256K 68.8% 12
2021 $702K $818K N/A — 13
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Organization Details
EIN
27-0218689
State
NY
City
NEW YORK
ZIP
10027-3811
Classification
W50
Category
Public & Societal Benefit
Rating
3★
Coverage
A
Last Updated
Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year
1976
Foundation Code
15
Form 990
On File
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