Griot Arts Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 451838783
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2018–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Clarksdale, MS, USA
- Phone
- 6627991237
- Rating
- 77
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Arts Education
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,117,609
- Expenses
- $847,555
- Assets
- $762,265
- Liabilities
- $14,650
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
12 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Leonette Henderson (Vice President)
- Julian Gallo (PRESIDENT/TREAS)
Highest reported compensation
- Rebekah Pleasant-Patterson (Executive Dir.): $70,000 total reported compensation
- Benjamin Lewis (Deputy Director): $64,482 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Griot arts is dedicated to empowering people in clarksdale, ms, by providing access to enriching arts education and workforce development opportunities. Our mission is to cultivate creativity, compassion, and community to enhance the well-being of our students and the broader community. We believe in the transformative power of the arts and creative expression in fostering personal growth, community integration, and social development. Our approach is grounded in the belief that each individual inherently possesses unique capabilities for success. By nurturing these talents and perspectives, we enable our participants to become agents of positive change in their lives and communities. This is achieved through diverse programs including after-school art education, workforce development initiatives, and community-building activities.we operate with a commitment to inclusivity and respect for a diversity of beliefs, ensuring an environment where everyone feels a deep sense of belonging an
What it reported doing in 2024
Through the following programs and achievements, Griot Arts steadfastly pursues its mission of empowering the people of Clarksdale, Mississippi, by providing access to arts, education, and workforce development opportunities, thereby enabling them to create positive change in their lives and in the community. This is accomplished though: i. Meraki Program: Specifically designed for young adults aged 16-24, this program focuses on nurturing soft skills essential for workforce development. By offering these opportunities, we empower participants to create positive changes in their lives, aligning with our commitment to workforce development and personal growth. ii. Griot Afterschool Arts: This diverse arts program, catering to children and adolescents aged 3-18, plays a crucial role in our mission. By providing access to a variety of artistic disciplines, we enable young individuals to explore and develop their creative talents, contributing to their overall educational and personal development. iii. Bridge Services: Offering a range of support services, including academic assistance and workforce readiness programs. This initiative reflects our dedication to education and workforce development, essential for fostering long-term positive change in our community. iv. Community Activities: Encompassing a variety of classes in dance, fitness, and other recreational activities. These activities are instrumental in promoting lifelong learning and engagement in the arts, reinforcing our mission of community empowerment through artistic opportunities.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 69% 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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 64
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 79
- Sustainability: 59
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 65%; rating input score 65
- Program expense ratio: 85.5%; rating input score 85
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- 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: Fail
- Independent financial-statement audit: Fail
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 24.2%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.9; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 15.9%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 18.8% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 65% of revenue deployed · 85.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $724K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $70K · 12 people listed
- Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 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.
- Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.
Key Signals
Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 39/100.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.