The Crucible

What it reported doing in 2025

Studio: the crucible helps to make the arts accessible by providing affordable studios, stalls and locker spaces to working artists. We developed the crucible's expanded access to tools & equipment (create) program as a way for current and former students to benefit from broader access to the tools and resources of the crucible.adults: the crucible's mission is to inspire creative exploration and expression through welcoming, hands-on arts education and experiences for people of diverse ages and backgrounds. As an innovative hub built around the industrial arts, the crucible is a catalyst for individual growth and vibrant community connections. The crucible is dedicated to inspiring creative growth in oakland and the greater bay area, and our youth programs are a crucial part of that mission. This programming provided much-needed access to high-quality arts experiences for people of diverse ages and backgrounds. From blacksmithing to neon, glass casting, ceramics, welding, kinetics, and fire dancing. Students were able to experience classes that are designed to bring together novices as well as experienced artists and tradespeople to a noncompetitive, open environment where people with diverse interests and backgrounds can work together and learn from one another.events: the crucible invites our local community to experience the inspiring power and possibility of the industrial arts programming during our open houses, bike fix-a-thons, open shop hours, gifty annual holiday arts & crafts fair and more. The crucible offers up to three open houses annually, which are free of charge and give visitors an opportunity to tour the crucible's 56,000 square foot facility, meet faculty and artists, and watch demonstrations. We also provide weekly open shop hours, free four-hours sessions for drop-in participants to learn the fundamentals of bicycle mechanics. With our quarterly bike fix-a-thons, a team of bike techs repair as many bikes as possible for free, getting oakland residents back on the road with safe, functioning bikes. All of these events help introduce participants to the creative possibilities of our classes and workshops and other programs. To deepen our connections with local artists, makers, and community members, we also participated in off-site events, including the life is living festival in defemery park, akoma market in liberation park, and the old oakland block party. The crucible also offers custom fabrication of one of a kind works.youth: the crucible's youth industrial arts programs was able to provides opportunities for young people to participate in the arts through hands on learning experiences including, classes, field trips, outreach events, internships, teaching assistantships and workshops. Since its inception in 2010, more than 90 youth have graduated from the fuego program. Of the 90 who have completed the program, 51 are still engaged with the crucible as faculty, administrative staff, or as volunteers. Others have gone on to build successful careers in construction trades, or have graduated from universities and art schools. The crucible provided industrial arts programming that empowers youth to build technical and social/emotional skills while making deeper connections between science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on, project based industrial arts instruction. The crucible expanded its free and discounted workshops, and in-school presentations to students from one to three title 1 ousd schools, as well as paid leadership opportunities and workforce development to 18 youth as part of our expanded fuego youth leadership program.team building: the crucible provides workshops for companies, schools, and other groups to collaborate on fabrication of industrial arts projects. These workshops offer groups fun, hands-on arts experiences and provide a refreshing change of pace from office work and support team work, collaboration, and creative problem solving.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 73.7%; rating input score 74
• Program expense ratio: 78.1%; rating input score 78
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.86 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st 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: 8 of 8 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: 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: 5.5%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.99; rating input score 33; 33rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.88; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.2%; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.1% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings