San Francisco African American Arts and Cultural District

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
854046830
IRS 990 coverage
2023–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-N 2022
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone
4152401789
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Civil Rights

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$997,293
Expenses
$946,156
Assets
$374,294
Liabilities
$193,784

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • APRIL SPEARS (Executive Dir.): $158,433 total reported compensation
  • JENNIFER GAYDEN (DIR. OF OPEARTI): $96,237 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

To advance, cultivate, enrich and advocate for african-american equity, cultural stability, vibrancy, and economic vitality in san francisco's american-american art & cultural district.

What it reported doing in 2024

Mayors Office of Housing & Community Development (MOHCD) Operations GrantWith the support of MOHCDs Operations Grant, the Organization continued advancing the CHHESS Report, a cultural legacy document and strategic plan that provides guidance for achieving cultural stabilization. This grant was critical in supporting the Organizations role as one of San Franciscos Cultural Districts. In 2024, it helped strengthen operational capacity and supported cultural programming, including planning major community celebrations that uplifted Black culture and history, while also sustaining local Black-owned businesses and vendors.Mayors Office of Housing & Community Development (MOHCD) CapacityBuilding GrantThe MOHCD Capacity Building Grant provided resources for strengthening internal infrastructure and leadership. The Organization advanced the development of a Board Action Plan, Fundraising Action Plan, and Employee Handbook. Capacity-building support also funded leadership workshops and staff development sessions, preparing the Organization for long-term sustainability. In 2024, planning continued for a Board Planning Workshop to expand Board leadership and engagement.San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Bayview ShuttleProgramThrough the SFMTA Bayview Shuttle Program, the Organization engaged community members in shaping the shuttle service. In 2024, outreach efforts included tabling at community events and conducting surveys to better understand local transportation needs. These surveys informed service improvements designed to increase mobility for Bayview residents, particularly within the 94124 zip code. The program continues to serve as a vital resource connecting residents to jobs, education, and essential services.San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) MultimodalGrantIn 2024, the Organization also benefited from SFMTAs Multimodal Grant. This fundingsupported initiatives that expand safe, accessible, and affordable transportation options in Bayview. The grant enabled efforts to increase community participation in transportation planning, improve pedestrian and bike safety, and strengthen connections between existing shuttle services and other transit modes. These improvements align with broader citywide equity goals, ensuring Bayview residents have reliable, multimodal transportation choices.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 94% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
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.
  • 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. Few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence and some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 71
  • Transparency & Controls: 65
  • Accountability: 58
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 78%; rating input score 78
  • Program expense ratio: 82.3%; rating input score 82
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Fail
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 5.1%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.4; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.52; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 26.9%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.6% per year; rating input score 100; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -14.5% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 55% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 78% of revenue deployed · 82.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 7 of 7 board members independent · 0 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $778K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $158K · 9 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 25 of 25 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Accountability: Governance controls: 7 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 50/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 9/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 15/100.