Arts Connection

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
463088038
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2019, Form 990-N 2014
Location
San Bernardino, CA, USA
Phone
9093811900
Rating
51
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts Education

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,245,861
Expenses
$855,999
Assets
$723,730
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JENNIFER KANE (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ALEJANDRO GUTIERREZ CHAVEZ (Executive Dir.): $111,823 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The California arts council

What it reported doing in 2024

The California arts council awarded arts connection, the designated state local partner arts agency for san bernardino county to foster cultural development on the local level through a partnership between the state and arts connection. Through this program, county-designated local arts agencies receive general operating support and technical assistance from the California arts council. This grant will support our ongoing efforts in advocacy, arts nonprofits capacity building through our fiscal sponsorship program and program services for thr arts and cultural community in san bernardino county. As a local arts agency, we advocate and provide resources, skill-sharing, and infrastructure development across city and county policies, funding, and programming.additionally, the California arts council chose alejandro for the creative economy work plan, as they developed the first state wide creative economy strategic plans.arts connection also received $ 5,000 in poetry out loud funding to further promote arts and literary engagement.the inland empire community foundation, serving as a fiscal sponsor for the just san bernardino collaborative project funded by the james irvine foundation, awarded arts connection two amounts: $188,000 and $110,00. This funding supports the implementation of the people's plan for economic inclusion, which focuses on creating job opportunities and infrastructure development to foster equitable education and employment pathways in san bernardino. Arts connection is leading efforts to showcase how the arts is an economic driver and enhancing the professional pathways from cradle to career for the arts, media and entertainment sectors. Arts connection also helped place 5 creative sector interns across 4 different placement sites as part of that work. In the city of san bernardino, arts connection led the development of the sole alley redevelopment and commissioned 2 large scale murals done by 6 local artists. Also in san bernardino, arts connection partnered with institute for the future on California's 5th climate assessment as the regional partner. In addition, us bank supported the development of the artist microgrant and professional development series to support the entrepreneurial skill sets for artists by awarding arts connection a $20,000 grant. Arts connection also led the engagement efforts and research for the development of a downtown cultural district in san bernardino.

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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 0
  • Sustainability: 65
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 54.7%; rating input score 55
  • Program expense ratio: 79.5%; rating input score 80
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 31.3%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.85; rating input score 37; 37th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 13.1%; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 24.5% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 30.1% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 31.5% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 54.7% of revenue deployed · 79.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 8 board members independent · 0 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $681K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $112K · 9 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 23 of 24 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 55/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 7 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 37/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 28/100.