The Black Rose Collective

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
872340153
IRS 990 coverage
2024–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2023
Location
Auburn, WA, USA
Phone
2068008272
Rating
52
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Rehabilitation Services for Offenders

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$462,027
Expenses
$489,222
Assets
$28,658
Liabilities
$47,399

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

Leadership & pay

4 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • GERALD LABENSKY (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • DAVID HEPPARD (SECRETARY): $53,710 total reported compensation
  • CHAMPION GIBSON (OPERATIONS D): $40,095 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The black rose collective aims to create an enviroment where our community can trive and provide care from the trauma of incarceration, gun violence and compounding oppressive systems.

What it reported doing in 2025

The organization supports community reintegration, economic empowerment, and social justice for individuals impacted by incarceration, gun violence, and systemic barriers. Programs provide housing, employment, financial literacy, youth development, digital equity, homeownership support, and advocacy to strengthen marginalized communities.

Operating model

Revenue model
Grant-funded. 75% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 60% for direct work, and 40% for grants.

The verdict

MIXED - 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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 17
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 65
  • Sustainability: 15
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 19.1%; rating input score 19
  • Program expense ratio: 18.1%; rating input score 18
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -5.9%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.06; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.65; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 19.2%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -74.9% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 88.7% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 60.5% per year; rating input score 100; 97th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 19.1% of revenue deployed · 18.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 2 of 3 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $88K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $54K · 4 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2024 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 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.

Key Signals

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

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 19/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 18/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 5/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.