Society for the Preservation and Promotion of African American Cult
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 954451314
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2019–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990-EZ 2025
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Phone
- 3232996124
- Rating
- 48
- Verdict
- MIXED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Cultural, Ethnic Awareness
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $86,033
- Expenses
- $72,593
- Assets
- $33,407
- Liabilities
- $10
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
3 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Ralph Drew (President)
- Chimbuko Tembo (Vice President)
People named in this filing
- Ralph Drew (President)
- Chimbuko Tembo (Vice President)
- Tiamoyo Karenga (Treasurer)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The mission of SOPPAAC is to recover, research, collect, preserve, interpret, teach and promote knowledge and appreciation of the rich, ancient and varied culture of African people with emphasis on African Americans. Through educational programs, communal and public dialog, collections, exhibitions and other initiatives, we engage and serve participants of varying ages, interests and walks of life. Moreover, our cultural project poses historical and current African paradigms as a framework and foundation for sensibilities, thought and practice directed toward addressing the critical issues of our time. Thus, undergirding our work is the interrelated African-centered invitation and challenge; to know our past and honor it; to engage our present and improve it; and to imagine a whole new future and forge it in the most ethical, effective and expansive ways.
What it reported doing in 2025
Kwanzaa celebrations and activities are a month long (December) culminating in week-long activities beginning December 26th through January 1st. Umoja Night and Karamu (Feast) are major community events. All events were held virtually. These events are a joyful time when the community comes together to reinforce communal values and engage in unity reaffirming activities. These community rooted activities are coordinated by the Ujima Kwanzaa Collective composed of the African American Cultural Center and various community groups who choose to work together to have a united community scheduled of events. These varied events are collectively advertised and attended by the participant groups. Number of participants vary from 50 to 100 as most were held virtually.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 60% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 63% for direct work, and 37% for grants.
The verdict
MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and revenue has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 5
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Sustainability: 51
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 4.5%; rating input score 5
- Program expense ratio: 5.3%; rating input score 5
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 15.6%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.46; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: -0.1% per year; rating input score 0; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 60th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 21.4% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 4.5% of revenue deployed · 5.3% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 3 filed program accomplishments · $4K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 3 people listed
- Consistency: 9 of 9 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules
- Filing history: 7 filing years from 2019 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 5/100.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 5/100.
- High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 31/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.