Liquid Blackness Limited

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
844574920
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-N 2024
Location
Decatur, GA, USA
Phone
8886510122
Rating
62
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$261,985
Expenses
$97,346
Assets
$185,235
Liabilities
$1,719

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

3 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Alessandra Raengo (President and CEO)

People named in this filing

  • Alessandra Raengo (President and CEO)
  • Lauren McLeod Cramer (CFO)
  • James Pellerito (Secretary)

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 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Liquid Blackness, Limited is a non-profit that supports a scholarly and creative ecosystem devoted to the study of aesthetic practices in the contemporary arts of the black diaspora. Through scholarly research, study groups, creative projects, open access publications, digital design, and public events (symposia, artist talks, teach-ins, art shows) designed for scholars, curators, artists, and the general public, LBL builds black aesthetic fluency while mentoring the next generation of scholars and creatives committed to inquiry in Black aesthetics and the agenda of Black Studies.

What it reported doing in 2025

The Liquid Blackness Limited builds on the study of arts and artists from the Black Diaspora to explore the intersection of aesthetic theory and the most radical agenda of Black Studies. Through research projects, public events, and online publication, it seeks to mentor the next generation of scholars of color and other scholars fully committed to the agenda of black studies, while creating a vibrant, extended, and sustainable community. Descriptions for each of the organization's programs:1. Public Programming: In 2025, LBL has: a. hosted 5 artists/scholars, b. curated 1 film series:- 4 films screened- 14 essays read- 2 community gatherings - 3 reading and study groups2. Educational: a. Open access scholarship and pedagogy: - 4 short-form open access publications in In Media Res- pedagogical toolsets (1 portfolio and 1 digital design tool) that enhance our open access pedagogy. b. Artists critiques: experimental film work (Calvin, Sofia, Flavio)c. mentorship of 5 doctoral students from GSU and other US institutions: Calvin, Liz, Arri, Taylor, Onur, Jeffrey)d. 2 new undergraduate course design (GSU and UGA); e. 2 "write-alongs"- In conjunction with Cornel West's October 2nd, 2025, lecture organized by The Center for Hellenic Studies at Georgia State University, titled "Prophetic Witness in our Catastrophic Times,"- In conjunction with "Still Sent" a workshop on the scholarship of Fred Moten and Laura Harrisf. 13 public presentations in informal and academic settings, including, Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present, World Picture Conference, American Studies Association. 3. Sustainability: a. 5 grant applications, including American Council of Learned Society's Digital Justice Development Grant for $99K4. Archive: a. finders' key for the audiovisual and text-based materials accumulated throughout LB's 12-years-old history.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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 most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 70
  • Sustainability: 74
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 33.6%; rating input score 34
  • Program expense ratio: 90.5%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90%; rating input score 90; 10th 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: 2 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 29
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 62.8%; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.9; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 33.6% of revenue deployed · 90.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 2 board members independent · 2 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $88K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
  • Consistency: 19 of 20 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 34/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 40/100.