irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $564KCHILDREN AND SCREENS' COMMUNICATION, OUTREACH, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED, ACTIONABLE INFORMATION ABOUT CHILDREN'S USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA AND ITS IMPACT ON THEIR HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT TO PARENTS, EDUCATORS, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS, ANDOTHER PROFESSIONALS AND STAKEHOLDERS. THESE PROGRAMS ALSO PROVIDE GUIDANCE REGARDING PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS' USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA AND ITS IMPACT ON CHILD HEALTH. THE INSTITUTE ACCOMPLISHES THIS FACET OF ITS MISSION THROUGH EXTENSIVE INFORMATION ON ITS WEBSITE, WORKSHOPS,SOCIAL MEDIA, PUBLIC SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, MEDIA INTERVIEWS, PRESS RELEASES, BLOGS AND PARTICIPATION IN CONFERENCES.
- #2 $351KCHILDREN AND SCREENS HAS A MISSION TO ADVANCE AND SUPPORT OBJECTIVE, RIGOROUS AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INTO THE IMPACTS OF DIGITAL MEDIA ON CHILD HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GRANT FUNDING, INTERDISCIPLINARY CONVENINGS AND CURATION AND PUBLICATION OF STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH. CHILDREN AND SCREENS ALSO WORKS ACTIVELY TO INCORPORATE QUESTIONS INTO EXISTING NATIONAL LONGITUDINAL STUDIES AND ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW QUESTIONS. IN 2023, GRANT FUNDS WERE AWARDED TO AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF EXPERTS TO AUGMENT ONGOING LONGITUDINAL STUDIES AND INVESTIGATE THE IMPACTS OF DIGITAL MEDIA USE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE INSTITUTE ALSO HOSTED "DIGITAL MEDIA AND THE DEVELOPING BRAIN," A RESEARCH RETREAT CONVENING WORLD-RENOWNED EXPERTS ON THE COGNITIVE IMPLICATIONS OF DIGITAL MEDIA USE THROUGHOUT DEVELOPMENT. IN ADDITION, THE INSTITUTE FUNDED THE PUBLICATION OF A SCOPING REVIEW, A SYNTHESIS AND SYSTEMATIC UNDERSTANDING OF PUBLISHED SCREENING TOOLS USED TO ASSESS PROBLEMATIC INTERNET USE TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MEDIA IMPACT SCREENING TOOLKIT FOR CLINICIANS AND RESEARCHERS.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Ask the Experts Webinar Series
Webinar series providing evidence-based guidance to parents, educators, and clinicians on digital media’s impact on child development; topics include parental controls, social media and body image, AI companions, and online marketing
Handbook of Children and Screens
Open-access comprehensive resource summarizing research on digital media’s impact on child development from birth through adolescence; has been downloaded over 3.4 million times
Impact Fellows Program
Fellowship program supporting early-career researchers in digital media and child development; fellows contribute to research, policy analysis, public education, and content development
Screen Deep Podcast
Webby-nominated podcast exploring digital media and child development research, reaching audiences in 100 countries
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Nonprofit Internship Programs 1 activity
- Building research and professional capacityHosts research retreats and operates an internship program that provides students with mentorship and job experience in digital media and child development research, media, or education.
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Youth and Community Research Initiatives 1 activity
- Conducting interdisciplinary research on digital media and child developmentConducts rigorous, objective research on the impact of digital media on children's health, learning, and well-being through interdisciplinary collaboration across medical and social science fields. Synthesizes and shares scientific literature to inform public understanding and guide policy.
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Medical Research & Education Dissemination 1 activity
- Hosting expert webinar series for public educationProduces the #AskTheExperts and "Tips for Parents" webinar series, hosting over 100 evidence-based sessions featuring interdisciplinary expert panels. Recordings are made freely available on demand, and certificates of attendance are provided for live participants.
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Scientific Conference & Symposium Management 1 activity
- Organizing scientific congresses and research retreatsConvenes recurring multi-day scientific congresses and research retreats that bring together international and interdisciplinary experts to examine digital media's effects on child development and set future research and education agendas.
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Academic Research Dissemination 1 activity
- Producing and distributing open-access research resourcesMakes key research outputs freely available, including the open-access Handbook of Children and Screens, which has been downloaded 3.4 million times, and publishes summaries of national congress proceedings and scoping reviews to support clinicians, researchers, and the public.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Producing public-facing digital content and podcastProduces the Webby-nominated Screen Deep podcast and distributes educational, data-driven social media content, reaching 28 million parents, educators, and clinicians in 2025 and audiences in 100 countries.
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Uncategorized 2 activities
- Advocating for child-centered digital media policiesMonitors national and state-level digital media policies, analyzes legislation, and engages federal agencies and legislators to advocate for child-centered design and safer online environments. Provides evidence-based resources to policymakers and advocates.
- Funding interdisciplinary research initiativesAwards grant funds to support longitudinal studies and seed grant initiatives on digital media use, including research during the COVID-19 pandemic, and funds the development of tools such as the Media Impact Screening Toolkit.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.31M
Contributions & grants$1.05M81%
Program service revenue$65K5%
Investment income$189K14%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$2.56M
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising9%
Salaries & benefits$1.38M
Grants paid out$373K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$5.16M
Cash$4.26M
Investments$801K
Liabilities$134K
Net assets$5.02M
Liquid reserves23.8 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +59.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KRIS PERRY | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO | 40 | $300K |
| JILL BRAUSTEIN | DIR OF COMM & STRATEGY | 40 | $132K |
| KATE BLOCKER | DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH & PROGRAMS | 40 | $131K |
| ROBERT CHARLES | PT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE/CFO | 20 | $67K |
board members · 3
- APRIL GLAD — SECREARY & DIRECTOR
- NANCY GOROFF — TREASURER & DIRECTOR
- PAMELA HURST-DELLA PIETRA — PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR
relationships · 22
Who they work with
- Capitol Hill Government — Engages in non-partisan advocacy efforts with federal policymakers on Capitol Hill.
- Children and Screens Evidence Council Network — Convened body of leading researchers and clinicians providing evidence-based guidance on children, adolescents, and digital media
- FTC Government — Engaged in educational and informational collaboration regarding digital media's impact on children.
- George Washington University Partner — Collaborates with faculty, including a clinical instructor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, on digital media and addiction topics.
- Interdisciplinary Team of Experts Partner — Collaborated with an interdisciplinary team of experts to investigate digital media use during the COVID-19 pandemic through augmented longitudinal studies.
- Johns Hopkins University Partner — Alma mater of Impact Fellow Emily Zhang, indicating academic collaboration through the fellowship program.
- National Institutes of Health Government — Engaged in educational and informational collaboration regarding digital media's impact on children.
- National Scientific Advisory Board Network — Group of multidisciplinary experts working with staff to advance organizational goals
- Springer Nature Partner — Collaborates to publish and distribute the Handbook of Children and Screens.
- The George Washington University Partner — Collaborates with doctoral students Lauryn Hoard and Emily Zhang as part of the Impact Fellows program.
- The University of South Carolina Partner — Collaborates with doctoral student Rosemary Odem as part of the Impact Fellows program.
- University of California, San Diego Partner — Collaborates with doctoral student Maura White as part of the Impact Fellows program.
- University of Massachusetts Amherst Partner — Collaborates with doctoral student Yesugen Baatartogtokh as part of the Impact Fellows program.
- University of Texas at Austin Partner — Alma mater of Impact Fellow Emily Zhang, indicating academic collaboration through the fellowship program.
- Université de Sherbrooke Partner — Collaborates with doctoral student Marie-Andrée Binet as part of the Impact Fellows program.
- child psychiatry Partner — Engages child psychiatry professionals in its interdisciplinary research and dialogue initiatives.
- child psychology Partner — Includes child psychology experts in its research and interdisciplinary discussions.
- communications Partner — Collaborates with communications scholars to study media effects on children.
- education Partner — Works with education professionals to understand and address digital media's impact on learning and development.
- neuroscience Partner — Integrates neuroscience expertise into its research on digital media and child development.
- pediatrics Partner — Collaborates with experts in pediatrics as part of its interdisciplinary research network.
- public health Partner — Engages public health experts in research and policy discussions on children's digital media use.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Human Capital Development Through Inclusive Research Trainingmethodology: human_capital_developmentBy integrating early-career professionals and students into interdisciplinary research via conferences, scholarships, and internships, the organization strengthens the field’s long-term capacity, because structured developmental opportunities create a pipeline of experts committed to digital media and child development.
- Immediacy of Gratification Framework for Behavior Changemethodology: immediacy-of-gratification frameworkBy targeting the psychological driver of immediacy of gratification, the organization addresses compulsive digital device use in children, because this core behavioral mechanism underlies addictive patterns more effectively than general awareness alone.
- Integrated Research-Education-Policy Translationmethodology: research-translationBy translating rigorous research into public education and policy advocacy through accessible storytelling and expert panels, the organization amplifies impact, because bridging science with practical guidance increases uptake by caregivers, educators, and policymakers.
- Interdisciplinary Research as Credibility Mechanismmethodology: interdisciplinary_researchBy integrating expertise from medical, neuroscientific, social science, and educational fields, the organization produces credible and comprehensive insights on digital media's impact on child development, because multidisciplinary collaboration strengthens research validity and real-world applicability.
- Research Independence Through Non-Industry Fundingmethodology: independent_funding_modelBy avoiding funding from technology companies, the organization maintains nonpartisan, evidence-based credibility in research and advocacy, because financial independence reduces bias and increases public trust in findings.