Ink People Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
943056179
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Eureka, CA, USA
Phone
7074428413
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,093,963
Expenses
$2,554,329
Assets
$2,382,181
Liabilities
$1,320,093

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

Leadership & pay

13 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CATI GALLARDO (PRESIDENT)
  • JAMES KLOOR (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • LESLIE CASTELLANO (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • LESLIE CASTELLANO (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $75,283 total reported compensation
  • MONIQUE HARPER-DESIR (DIRECTOR): $11,142 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Since 1979, the ink people is a community based arts and cultural arts agency with an administrative hub in eureka and servicing the greater north coast region. The ink people changes lives by connecting the community with resources for cultural development. We encourage people to exercise their humanity, build civic discourse, and engage their creative potential. We are organized on community access principles and the belief that art, in all its forms, is essential to the human spirit and well being.

What it reported doing in 2024

In 2024/2025, the ink people supported community and place by cultivating partnerships in the eureka cultural arts district and the humboldt creative alliance while also expanding its efforts to build relationships between artists, culture keepers, arts/culture organizations, and local governments. The ink people implemented the speaking soulatluk program, and brought wiyot language into the public space through signs on buses (this project has continued into the next fiscal year). The ink people served as the convener for the eureka cultural arts district (ecad) during this period, and the ecad embarked on grantmaking for projects in the district. The ink people also facilitated the drafting of governance documents for the ecad. Additionally, the ink people continued to be a core member of the humboldt creative alliance, working to secure funding from humboldt county's transient occupancy tax to be regranted to arts and culture endeavors in the county. The ink people managed a granting process and distributed funds to projects that promoted art, culture, and tourism with a focus on outdoor events. The ink people continues to be the local arts partner for the city of eureka, offering support for the eureka arts and culture commission and consulting with city staff on projects that enhance public spaces.

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 87% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 55
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.1%; rating input score 71
  • Program expense ratio: 85.4%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $85.14 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 26.4%; rating input score 26; 13th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 17.4%; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.93; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.55; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.4%; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 14% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 24.6% per year; rating input score 100; 89th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.1% of revenue deployed · 85.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 12 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $2.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $75K · 13 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 33 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 6 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 26/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 35/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 18/100.