Carpenter Art Garden

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
822322015
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Memphis, TN, USA
Phone
9012493577
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Educational Services and Schools - Other

Reported finances

Revenue
$554,857
Expenses
$690,637
Assets
$678,022
Liabilities
$22,702

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DR RUSH WALLER (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • AYANNA MURRAY (PRESIDENT)
  • VANESSA CHAVEZ-ASFORIS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • VANESSA CHAVEZ-ASFORIS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $58,073 total reported compensation
  • KIERRA DAVIS (DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS): $24,236 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 mission of the carpenter art garden is to work with children and families of under resourced neighborhoods to promote each child's creative potential and self-worth through exposure to artistic, educational, and vocational programs. The garden's vision is to empower these children to create their best futures.

What it reported doing in 2024

Art educationthe art education program is the cornerstone of carpenter art garden (cag), serving youth ages 7-18. Through carefully designed curriculum and hands-on creative practice with professional teaching artists, the program nurtures imagination, self-expression, and personal growth. Students engage in small group art classes, murals, folk art, fashion design, photography, music, and performance arts, along with immersive multi-day art field trips. Visiting artists lead workshops that introduce students to the skills and knowledge of professional artists while fostering leadership, collaboration, and life skills that support success in any career. The program culminates in a public exhibition and performances of student work at our annual holiday show. Offered year-round, art education provides afterschool, spring break, and summer arts and mindfulness activities, emphasizing exploration, access, and healing through creative practice. Estimated individuals served 125

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 83% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. A relatively small share of total spending goes to programs and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 86
  • Sustainability: 26
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 73.9%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 58.6%; rating input score 59
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 21; 21st 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 6 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -24.5%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.98; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.9%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -3% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 73.9% of revenue deployed · 58.6% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 6 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $405K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $58K · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 26 of 26 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2017 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 21/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 9 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 42/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 31/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 57/100.