Publicolor Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133912768
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2122136121
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Scholarships, Student Financial Aid Services, Awards

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,863,256
Expenses
$4,012,467
Assets
$5,588,598
Liabilities
$1,457,183

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

Leadership & pay

27 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • RUTH LANDE SHUMAN (FOUNDER & PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • RUTH LANDE SHUMAN (FOUNDER & PRESIDENT): $223,460 total reported compensation
  • ALAN KORNBLUM (DIRECTOR, INST. GIVING & HR): $169,318 total reported compensation
  • BREE FALATO (DIRECTOR, INDIVIDUAL & CORP. GIVING): $154,664 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Publicolor is an innovative educational youth development organization that empowers students facing immense life challenges for academic and career success through a multi-year project-based continuum of programs. The organization's vision is to provide low-income students with educational equity and economic equality by creatively addressing undereducation and combating learning loss.

What it reported doing in 2024

In the 29 years since its founding in 1996, publicolor has achieved significant results:- an estimated 30,200 students from low-income communities have participated in publicolor programs.- over 29,500 corporate, community, and college volunteers have engaged in painting public schools, tutoring, and mentoring.- publicolor has transformed a total of 371 nyc schools, representing approximately 25% of all nyc department of education campuses, and 260 under-resourced community facilities, including homeless shelters, playgrounds, early childhood centers, health clinics, pedestrian walkways, and many other vital community resources. In fy25, publicolor engaged 1,684 students in grades 6 through college, helping them achieve noteworthy outcomes:- students in the 2024 summer design studio program increased their scores on post-diagnostic tests by an average of 5.1% in english language arts and 5.5% in math. This is especially significant because summer learning loss is considered by many to be a significant factor in the achievement gap between low- and high-income students.- 100% of continuum students were promoted on time to the next grade.- 100% of publicolor's 31 high school seniors graduated on time in june 2025. 100% were admitted into college (90%) or a post-secondary accreditation program (10%) and enrolled in fall 2025.- 96% of publicolor's incoming college freshmen in fall 2025 were college-ready, not required to take remedial classes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 78% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 97% 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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 67
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 96
  • Sustainability: 30
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 74.2%; rating input score 74
  • Program expense ratio: 70.9%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.03 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 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: 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: -3.9%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.39; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.26; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.6% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 74.2% of revenue deployed · 70.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $223K · 27 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $132K reported
  • Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 8 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.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 17/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 22/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 38/100.