Creative Aging Memphis

Overview

Mission

Improve quality of life for seniors by stimulating their minds, creativity, and sense of self through arts programs that engage, educate, and entertain.

What it reported doing in 2025

Creative aging's 3 arts-based programs engage older adults at places they live or gather. Programs include the concert series, community performances, and studio courses. The 2025-26 concert series included 21 events featuring memphis' best arts organizations and individual artists. The concert series impacted older adults 6951 times. Community performances and study courses took place 1,870 times in over 110 locations across 36 zip codes in the greater memphis area, including senior centers, senior housing, libraries, museums, theaters and more. Combined 2025 programs engaged older adults a total of 61,192 times. Participants in creative aging's studio courses had opportunities to showcase their artwork at art shows held at theatre memphis, the memphis public library, and at various senior centers. Creative aging's programs help drive the local arts economy by paying 164+ artists and musicians who teach or perform as part of our classes and events. These performances and classes benefit seniors and the community as a whole by activating participants' creative capacity, building community and reducing the negative health consequences of social isolation and inactivity.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
270070615
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Memphis, TN, USA
Phone
9012723434
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Performing Arts Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$828,100
Expenses
$856,542
Assets
$678,528
Liabilities
$24,624

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 74
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 72
  • Sustainability: 29
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 82.3%; rating input score 82
  • Program expense ratio: 79.4%; rating input score 79
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.97 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.4%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.79; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.2%; rating input score 29; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 19.5% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 17.8% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 82.3% of revenue deployed · 79.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 13 of 13 board members independent · 3 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $680K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $59K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 annual filings from 2017 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 5 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 6 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 37/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 29/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 45/100.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CHRISTY BARZIZZA STARTED 5125 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $58,911 total reported compensation
  • MIA HENLEY 1125-51525 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $28,288 total reported compensation
  • SARAH HASCHER 1125-101525 (DIRECTOR): $18,007 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025.