Black Lemonade

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
862976641
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2022, Form 990-N 2021
Location
Nashville, TN, USA
Phone
6152007351
Rating
50
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Cultural, Ethnic Awareness

Reported finances

Revenue
$411,600
Expenses
$363,520
Assets
$133,037
Liabilities
$42,793

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

Leadership & pay

2 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Shanelle Cole (Secretary)
  • Michael Koester (Treasurer)

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

Mission At Black Lemonade we provide ongoing support to underserved youth by educating and equipping them with the tools they need to reach their full potential. By investing in those who face systemic barriers we create pathways for all youth to thrive-because when we uplift the most vulnerable we strengthen the entire community.

What it reported doing in 2025

A paid internship program designed to empower minority and underserved high school students by preparing them for a career field that continues to lack representation-technology. Throughout the program students explore multiple areas of tech including game design photography 3D design digital music and more. The latter part of the internship expands beyond technical training engaging students in specialized workshops mentorship and community partnerships. Interns connect with organizations leaders and mentors who guide them in navigating and shaping workplaces and schools. Students then apply their tech skills as a marketing and advocacy tool creating digital content that educates the broader community on the importance of leadership within the field

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 62% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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 revenue has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 22
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Accountability: 30
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 24.2%; rating input score 24
  • Program expense ratio: 27.4%; rating input score 27
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: 0%; rating input score 0; 8th 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: 11.7%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.37; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.32; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -34.8% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 32.6% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 74.9% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 24.2% of revenue deployed · 27.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 14 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $100K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 2 people listed
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 24/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 27/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 12/100.