Leveraging Investments in Creativity Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
300136079
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2011
Forms available
Form 990 2011
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
6467313275
Rating confidence
Limited
Sector
Health, General and Financing

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$67,956
Expenses
$2,431,183
Assets
$3,536,144
Liabilities
$266,532

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2011. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

8 people listed

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2011. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To improve artists' ability to make work, build social capital and contribute to democratic values and to assist the people, organizations, and communities already at work in supporting artists, and to address needs not being served. Efforts include funding community-wide strategies to improve conditions for artists; building online information concerning live-work spaces and health insurance for artists; and working with field leaders to advance knowledge and best practices.

What it reported doing in 2011

Creative communities: this program is a nationwide network of organizations that work to make improvements in the local and regional environment for artists. Linc has invited local partners in 15 communities across the country to identify and address issues that affect artists working in all disciplines. These organizations receive planning & implementation grants and information resources from linc, as well as regular opportunities to meet and share lessons from their work. Issues covered include training and professional development, direct support for artists, health insurance and health care for artists and artists spaces.the program connects activities taking place across the country, making the best practices of each affiliated program available to every other. This diverse network yields 1)increased resources for artists, 2)better policies surrounding conditions in which artists live and/or work and 3)better channels of information for and about artists within and between their communities

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 88% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Cannot be determined from the filing. The filing does not provide enough consistent spending detail to tell whether the nonprofit works directly or through others.

The verdict

- The available evidence is not sufficient to produce an overall rating for this filing. This is not a warning sign.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: NotEnoughData
  • Transparency & Controls: 76
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 0

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: Limited
  • Program expense ratio: Limited
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 79th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 65th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3,477.6%; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.45; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.1%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: -96% per year; rating input score 0; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -39.9% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: Financial trends and filed revenue, expense, asset, and liability detail
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $236K · 8 people listed · 1 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 29 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 3 filing years from 2009 to 2011
  • Money network: 52 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 52 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 — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 2/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 31/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Whistleblower policy not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 20/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 24/100.