Arts Corps

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
912044679
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Phone
2067225440
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts Education

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,135,892
Expenses
$1,512,484
Assets
$1,875,822
Liabilities
$201,803

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Kim Darcy (Vice President)
  • Kris Bien (President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Shawn Roberts (Executive Dir.): $99,692 total reported compensation
  • April Leonard (CFO): $78,461 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Arts Corps mission is to revolutionize arts education by igniting the creative power of young people through culturally engaging learning experiences.

What it reported doing in 2024

New Futures: Arts Corps partners with Southwest Youth & Family Services for their expanded learning program, New Futures. The program focuses on: 1. Academic support for students in grades 1- 12 to help build skills needed for school success, and typically includes literacy and math tutoring, homework help, English Language Learner (ELL) services; 2. Enrichment activities such as arts, STEM, outdoor recreation, and field trips that increase access to opportunities while promoting social-emotional learning; 3. Youth development activities in which youth take on leadership roles in program planning, community service, and tutoring; 4. Family advocacy in which a dedicated Advocate works with families to meet their needs in areas such as translation, transportation, breaking down institutional barriers, and engaging in their childrens education. As part of the programs enrichment, Arts Corps offers 2 onsite arts classes per site every quarter during the school year, and 2-week intensive classes during the summer. The classes span a broad range of creative disciplines including dance, visual arts, theatre, music, and digital media arts, and they develop artistry, leadership, and other essential skills such as critical thinking, imagination, collaboration, creativity, and cultivate a growth mindset among youth participants. The New Futures holistic, place-based model allows Arts Corps to nurture meaningful connections with young people and their families. The program is part of Schools Out Washingtons Best Start for Kids.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.3%; rating input score 70
  • Program expense ratio: 51.9%; rating input score 52
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.61 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 11; 11th 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: 87.5%; rating input score 88; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -33.2%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.24; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.8%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.1% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 13.3% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.3% of revenue deployed · 51.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 8 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 6 filed program accomplishments · $785K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 52/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 11/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 50/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 41/100.