Joel Chandler Harris Association

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
580966186
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone
4047537735
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies & Historic Preservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$91,086
Expenses
$178,941
Assets
$329,931
Liabilities
$60,417

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

Leadership & pay

14 people listed

People named in this filing

  • PAIGE SULLIVAN (BOARD CHAIR)
  • JAMES AUCHMUTEY (BOARD CHAIR)
  • JOHN FLORENCE (DIRECTOR)

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 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The wrens nest is a museum and cultural center that preserves storytelling traditions, cultivates a love of stories and storytelling, and celebrates self-expression.

What it reported doing in 2024

Youth education programs - the wrens nest is an affiliate of dolly partons imagination library, and we help connect children ages 0-5 in the 30310 and 30315 zip codes to this monthly free book service. In 2024, we doubled the number of young readers enrolled in this program & now provide free books to more than 400 children in our neighborhood. The wrens nest is a program partner of the mayors summer reading club and in 2024 hosted an week long inaugural scribes summer camp which nine young authors learned about the craft of writing, explored different genres, and shared their work with an audience of family and friends at a scribes showcase on the last day of camp. This camp was taught by local author & atlanta native hugh hunter & managed by our staff and volunteers.

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

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and program spending has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 86
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 91.9%; rating input score 92
  • 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -96.5%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.84; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 60; 60th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -2.9% per year; rating input score 0; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.9% per year; rating input score 0; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 91.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $164K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 14 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2012 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 21/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 33/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.