Creative Downtown Appleton Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
471568601
IRS 990 coverage
2015–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Appleton, WI, USA
Phone
9209549112
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$175,874
Expenses
$138,098
Assets
$105,350
Liabilities
$0

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

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • LYSSA KING (PRESIDENT)
  • STEVE LONSWAY (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LAURA VARGOSKO (PAST PRESIDENT)
  • JENNIFER STEPHANY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JENNIFER STEPHANY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $100,248 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To create and enhance the cultural environment of downtown appleton by providing opportunities for community access to arts, music and cultural activities.

What it reported doing in 2024

Arts and creative placemaking and public art is another main focus. Cda coordinates the mobile parklet on Washington street which includes public seating. Images of world music instruments and fresh herbs for the public. Cda is a partner in street music week, make music day, chalk walk, and other small scale art projects throughout the year. We assisted in raising the dollars and coordinating logistics for the large scale mural project that includes 20 students, a local artist and several teachers that participate in the mural development. The program has become a skills training opportunity for the students as well. Cda partners with adi to produce free live music concerts in jones park - cda partners on two event nights. Cda also hosted a ticketed event including the dueling pianos.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 84% 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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 59
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 70.8%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 90.2%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $38.54 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 72; 72nd 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 21.5%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.76; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -9.2% per year; rating input score 0; 11th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -8.1% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 70.8% of revenue deployed · 90.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 15 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $125K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 17 of 17 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 9 filing years from 2015 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 34/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.