Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
542051283
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Suffolk, VA, USA
Phone
7579230003
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,711,255
Expenses
$2,131,117
Assets
$17,942,237
Liabilities
$417,761

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

Leadership & pay

15 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • THOMAS YANNUZZI (EXECUTIVE DI): $102,942 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The mission of the suffolk center for cultural arts is to "cultivate, promote, and provide access to the creative arts for all residents and visitors through programs, education, and outreach.". We value the need for artistic expression and believe exposure to diverse artistic expressions is an essential element of any modern thriving city. We also value life-long learning and believe that all people, throughout their lifespan, deserve access to the creative, educational, and developmental opportunities we conduct through the arts. Finally, we value collaboration, inclusion, and sustainability, all of which are interdependent and essential to the growth of the suffolk center, as well as to the quality of life in the suffolk community.

What it reported doing in 2024

The 2024-2025 season was a success for the suffolk center for cultural arts. Although we are very proud of all the events we conducted throughout the year, including theatrical performances, concerts, art exhibitions, and more, we are most proud of the impact that our hundreds of youth contact hours had on our community. The suffolk center engaged thousands of youth in our creative summer camps, educational matinees, and our award winning "artist in schools" outreach program, all of which provided meaningful educational experiences through the arts. We are also proud of how much we used the arts to support those in need. Our inaugural magical christmas tree tour provided a wonderland of trees decorated by local businesses, organizations, and city departments the public then voted for their favorite trees by placing non-perishable food donations under the tree of their choice we raised nearly twenty-five hundred food items for the forkids food pantry. The center also hosted an empty bowls event in which nearly 300 bowls were donated by local potters, raising nearly eight thousand dollars for our local food bank. The suffolk center for cultural arts and the city of suffolk have partnered to grow the suffolk center into one of the city's primary attractions, as well as one of the biggest assets to the downtown district. We have transformed an abandoned high school into a vibrant comprehensive cultural and performing arts center, bringing thousands of residents and visitors to the downtown area, and serving as an asset through which the arts are used to change lives, uplift communities, and create a better quality of life for all residents of suffolk and beyond.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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

STRONG - 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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 85
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 88
  • Sustainability: 43
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.6 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 71
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Limited
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -24.5%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.42; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.8%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.9% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.2% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.7M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $103K · 15 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 25/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 7/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.