Clay Arts Guild of Helena

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
810533908
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2024
Location
Helena, MT, USA
Phone
4064496080
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Visual Arts Organizations

Reported finances

Revenue
$415,470
Expenses
$159,309
Assets
$395,349
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BETSY ANDERSON (PRESIDENT)
  • ALICIA PICHETTE (VICE PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • BETSY ANDERSON (PRESIDENT)
  • ALICIA PICHETTE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • STEPHANIE RICHARDSON (SECRETARY)

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

The guild's mission is to promote the ceramic arts within helena and the surrounding community by providing support and education through individual and community workspace, classes, seminars and shared resources. We are governed by an all-volunteer eight member board which meets about once a month. Each may an annual membership meeting is held to perform annual elections, information sharing and for major business decisions.

What it reported doing in 2025

The guild is at full capacity with 104 members and a long waiting list to join. A variety of classes were offered to both members and community clay artists in 2025. The guild continued its long collaboration with the veterans administration hospital offering weekly therapeutic pottery classes for veterans receiving both inpatient and outpatient services. In 2024 the guild provided approximately 150 bowls to helena food share for their annual empty bowls fundraiser, and a similar number to the missoula community food bank for their empty bowls full souls fundraiser. Until its closure late in 2024, the guild continued its tradition of hosting pottery enrichment sessions for clients graduating from the career training institute. Members of the guild again made and donated planters for the rocky mountain head start spring fundraiser. The guild also donated approximately 300 pieces of pottery to the alberton Montana senior community center for an upcoming fundraiser. Two years ago, donated pottery from the guild to the alberton public library resulted in approximately $3,000 raised during their fundraiser. The guild also hosts a one-night retreat for the margaret stuart youth homes staff, who cares for teens in crisis at their helena shelter.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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 total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 62
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 80
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 36.2%; rating input score 36
  • Program expense ratio: 94.2%; rating input score 94
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1,593.39 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 98; 98th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: 61.7%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.48; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.9% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 36.2% of revenue deployed · 94.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 8 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $150K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 36/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.