Center for Documentary Expression and Art

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization realizes its mission by developing documentary projects that use some or all of the facets of documentary work, which is defined as: oral histories, photography, video, visual art, research, oral storytelling, and narrative. A project may use some or all the features of documentary work. For example, a project may develop a traveling photography exhibit with audio guides and a publication; or a project may rely on traditional oral histories with accompanying still photographs; or a project may aim to produce a series of short films with a website. There are many effective ways to present documentary work. Cdea projects that produce traveling exhibits are accompanied by multi- faceted, education-outreach programs and fall into two categories: (1) major exhibits created for large museums that contain national subject matter infused with significant human rights issues, and (2) educational exhibits designed primarily for use by Utah's k-12 public school students, community centers, libraries, and smaller museums that explore the state's and nation's multi-cultural history and environmental issues. Exhibits traveling inside Utah are presented under the title place-based education (pbe) and contain four-to-eight-week, place-based, artists/scholars-in- residence (asir) programs (pbe-asir). Documentary projects resulting in major exhibits the development of documentary projects resulting in a major stand-alone publication, or in a traveling exhibit with books and films is ongoing. On the average, documentary projects that result in a stand-alone publication or in a major exhibit take four-to-six years to research, develop, design, and produce. Between 2006-2011, the organization completed a major exhibit titled, this light of ours: activist photographers of the civil rights movement. This project presented the civil rights movement through the work and voices of eight men and one woman who documented the national struggle against segregation and other forms of race-based disenfranchisement from within the movement. The exhibit inaugurated the human rights gallery at the leonardo: an art, science, and technology center, in downtown salt lake city, in october 2011, and remained available to the Utah public for nine months, or until june 2012. The presentation of this light of ours included cell-phone accessible audio guides for youth and adults; a free, six-page brochure for use by students and the general public; a 53pg curriculum guide for grades 7-12; and a 251pg book published by the university press of Mississippi. The organization also organized a month-long symposia at three Utah universities and a community college involving local and national activists and historians. Cdea also partnered with Utah's pbs affiliate, kued-tv, to create Utah's freedom riders, a 30 minute film presenting Utah's civil rights activists. More than 58,000 people visited the display in Utah, with about thirty percent of visitors being k-16 students. In 2013, following the exhibit's debut, the organization's executive director was retained by the Utah state board of education (usbe) to create an eight-week, on-line course to introduce Utah public school teachers to the civil rights movement. Director kelen has taught the class on an intermittent basis since 2013. In fall 2013, this light of ours: activist photographers of the civil rights movement started traveling outside Utah. A five-year period (2013- 2018) was set aside for the exhibit's initial national tour. This touring period culminated with the exhibit's display at the irving arts center in irving, Texas, between january-march 2018. In may 2018, the organization partnered with the maltz museum of jewish heritage, located in cleveland, Ohio, to carry out a second five-year tour. The start of the tour was delayed by the 2019-2020 outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic, interfering with the february-august 2020 display at the bullock sate history museum, in austin, Texas. A second natio

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 70.9%; rating input score 71
• Program expense ratio: 82.6%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $27.11 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

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: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • 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: 15.5%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.18; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.11; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 31.1%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.7% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 5.6% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings