4 Elements Studio Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
834550059
IRS 990 coverage
2021–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020
Location
Utica, NY, USA
Phone
3157656923
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Art Museums

Reported finances

Revenue
$425,617
Expenses
$413,247
Assets
$595,450
Liabilities
$374,198

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

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • PETER BLANCHFIELD (PRESIDENT)
  • DANA KELSEY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • VARTAN POGHOSIAN (FOUNDER): $63,585 total reported compensation
  • DANA KELSEY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $62,854 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

4 elements studio is a community arts center dedicated to engaging and educating the community through a range of artistic experiences and programming. We strive to provide opportunities and resources to artists, the community, and individuals with a wide spectrum of disabilities by offering workshops, gallery space, exhibitions, work space, and equipment to the public.

What it reported doing in 2025

4 elements studio is a community arts center dedicated to engaging and educating the community through a range of artistic experiences and programming. They strive to provide opportunities and resources to artists, the community, and individuals with a wide spectrum of disabilities by offering workshops, gallery space, exhibitions, work space, and equipment.

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.

The verdict

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

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 63
  • Sustainability: 37
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 69.9%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 72%; rating input score 72
  • Fundraising efficiency: $8.32 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 1 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 11
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 2.9%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.44; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.63; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 30.6%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14.6% per year; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 46.8% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 69.9% of revenue deployed · 72% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 4 of 4 board members independent · 1 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $297K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $64K · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2021 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 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.

  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 33/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 7/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 10/100.