The Diatribe Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
814131862
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Phone
6162145640
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,139,503
Expenses
$1,030,609
Assets
$3,198,278
Liabilities
$446,147

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • WARDELL FRAZIER (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • DIANA LAMPHIERE (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SEAN DUFFIE (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • VANESSA JIMENEZ (CO-INTERIM DIRECTOR): $100,072 total reported compensation
  • MEGAN SMITH-JOVANOVIC (CO-INTERIM DIRECTOR): $87,825 total reported compensation
  • JODI L TAMMINGA (DIRECTOR): $70,500 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 diatribe uses restorative art to disrupt historical systems of oppression by reimagining education, holistically honoring the community by creating an unapologetic vision for liberation that is accessible to all.

What it reported doing in 2024

Disruptive Dialogue provides community and mentorship to youth who want their voices heard. Through 1:1 mentoring and group activities, participants learn how to use spoken word and poetry as a tool to process the complex world around them. They are also exposed to musical, visual art, and multimedia learning opportunities. Not only do they learn how to express themselves in an authentic way, but they have a chance to share their ideas with the community and learn how to make a positive impact on the issues they care the most about. Young people who participate in group meetings are featured in our annual spring showcase.

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.

The verdict

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

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 38
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 73
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 20.1%; rating input score 20
  • Program expense ratio: 61.3%; rating input score 61
  • Fundraising efficiency: $21.84 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 62; 62nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 13th 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: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Fail
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 67.2%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.1; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 38.5%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 20.2% per year; rating input score 100; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 49.6% per year; rating input score 100; 98th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 66.2% per year; rating input score 100; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 20.1% of revenue deployed · 61.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 11 of 11 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $632K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $100K · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 27 of 28 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 7 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 20/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule D revenue reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.