Academy of the Lost Arts Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 990967978
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2024–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Westminster, MD, USA
- Phone
- 9152495833
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Human Service Organizations
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $11,971
- Expenses
- $45,518
- Assets
- $786,968
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
3 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Gabrielle Balassone (President)
People named in this filing
- Gabrielle Balassone (President)
- Amanda Green (Treasurer)
- Gina Palermo (Secretary)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Academy of the Lost Arts Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a deep connection between individuals and the natural world through immersive, nature-based education and experiences. Our year-round, nature-based preschool will serve as a space for children to develop curiosity, creativity, and environmental stewardship through outdoor, play-based learning. In addition, our retreat center will provide a serene environment for individuals and groups to pause, reflect, and rejuvenate. Through these educational and community-focused activities, we aim to cultivate a future generation that values and protects the environment, while also offering a restorative space for people of all ages to connect with nature.
What it reported doing in 2025
Retreat Facility: This program will eventually operate as a weekend retreat facility focused on nature connection, wellness, and environmental education for adults and families. It will offer workshops, seasonal gatherings, and overnight retreats on the same site as the nature-based preschool. 2025 Accomplishments: In 2025, the organization purchased and maintained the real estate that will host both the preschool and the retreat facility. It began architectural planning for shared-use spaces, and paid property-related taxes and fees. These activities laid the groundwork for dual use of the site for educational and retreat programming. No expenses are shown because all expenses are shared under the Nature-Based Preschool)
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Other-operating. 100% of the money available for current operations came from other operating revenue.
- 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
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and program spending has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 86
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 41
- Growth: 0
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
- Program expense ratio: 91.5%; rating input score 92
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Missing
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: -280.2%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 17.29; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -178.4% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -194.7% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: -4.2% per year; rating input score 0; 21st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 91.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 3 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $42K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
- Consistency: 41 of 41 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 9/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
- High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.