Black Archives of Mid-america Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

The Year 2024 was filled with amazing growth and productivity for the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City. Still recovering from a near shut-down following the COVID 19 epidemic, we instituted new exhibitions, programs, and events that drew many people to our building. We also partnered with many people and organizations to bring valuable information in. We have worked diligently to stabilize our resources, build our staff and enhance our commitment to our community. Financial: Board Chair Marjorie Williams identified and wrote a successful grant proposal for $10,000 to the AIDS Service Foundation for outreach to women. Our first "reach" was to women at the UMKC Women of Color Leadership Summit. We also included AIDS/HIV education at our Red Table Top Women's Empowerment Summit. BAYCON leaders Marcus Bass and John McGee facilitated an informational table and dispersed fliers on HIV/AIDS at the Footprints, Inc at Christian Fellowship Baptist church. BAKC received eight NTDF grants: Black History Month Gala: $46,800, Find Your Folks: Genealogy Seminar: $5,500, National African American Quilt Conference: $19,200, Operation Hero Homecoming: $5000, Stop the Violence Basketball Tournament: $7500, The Wayne Miner Story: $16,800, Women's Empowerment Summit: $5200, and Salvaging the History of Black Churches: $12,500. The University of Kansas' Hall Center for the Humanities provided BAKC with a post-graduate summer fellow, who worked with staff on creating study guides. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation granted BAKC $75,000. The University of Missouri-Kansas City provided us with three summer fellowships. The Full Employment Council provided us with a worker to assist in the Black Coffee Cafe. Dr Carmaletta Williams presented at the Hall Center for the Humanities "Stories for All" conference, the final obligation on our grant from them. The City of Kansas City, MO granted the Black Archives $450,000 for operations. The State of Missouri appropriated $175,000 to BAKC. Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area awarded BAKC $2000 to purchase shelving and other necessities for the Collections area. The City of Kansas City, MO through its Public Improvements Advisory Council (PIAC) appropriated $127,271 to secure pillars in the Kauffman Exhibition Hall. The William T Kemper II Charitable Trust - Commerce Bank, Trustee awarded BAKC $5000 to be used for cataloging our collections. The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation graciously awarded BAKC a grant in the amount of $5000. We reached our goal of securing $100,000 for creation of a biopic based on Alvin Brooks' memoir "Binding Us Together." The University of Missouri-Kansas City was the recipient of a significant Mellon Foundation grant to preserve monuments. The Greater Kansas City Black Women Suffragist Committee, of which Dr Williams is chair, was a recipient of a $200,000 grant to aid with building the memorial. The Collections Department: completed 59 AC Collections; added 32 collections to Past Perfect; Library Section - cataloged 2210 books, 23 newsletters, 10 research papers, 478 journals, and 2448 magazines; Photos scanned into Subject Photo Data - 309; Total Research Requests - 66; New donations: 21 new collections; Genealogy Programs - 13; Other educational programs - 4; Exhibits - 9; Partnerships with other organizations - 3. Community Connections, Events, and Exhibitions: The Black Archives celebrated its 50th Anniversary with 500 people in attendance. The event was held at the KC Convention Center, was beautifully decorated, the food was good and our keynote speaker, Michael Harriott, author of "Black AF History" excited the crowd. The exhibition "Black Art: Eastside Artists," a powerful exhibit installed for one month in the Rotating Gallery, was well attended. Dr Williams addressed visitors to William Jewell University at its Freedom Walk Dedication Ceremony. The Whitney Museum opened "Edges of Alley," an extremely powerful exhibition of the Life and Legacy o

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 66.1%; rating input score 66
• Program expense ratio: 45.8%; rating input score 46
• Fundraising efficiency: $14.99 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 50; 50th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -45.3%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.9; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10.2%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 15.3% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.1% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings