The Stories of Us Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 991508834
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2024–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- New York, NY, USA
- Phone
- 6465747492
- Rating
- 59
- Verdict
- MIXED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $1,381,778
- Expenses
- $936,999
- Assets
- $539,849
- Liabilities
- $95,070
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
3 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye (CEO)
- Dennis Marcus (CEO)
Highest reported compensation
- Wei Soo (COO): $146,875 total reported compensation
- Ashley Shaw Scott Adjaye (CEO): $137,163 total reported compensation
- Dennis Marcus (CEO): $112,500 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Inspire a culture of storytelling that sparks our shared civic imagination to: (i) foster a sense of belonging in public space for the multiplicity of experiences that are essential to the narrative of the United States of America; (ii) invite the public to contribute their story to our understanding and the future of the US; (iii) create digital platforms and public space for reflection, connection and imagination; and (iv) build connections and community through art, dialogue, and civic participation.
What it reported doing in 2024
The Stories of Us, Inc. was formally incorporated in February 2024 after a year of incubation and planning. The organization's mission is to inspire a culture of storytelling as civic acts that foster belonging and connection in physical and digital public spaces throughout the United States of America. During 2024, TSOU established its first major public-art initiative, the "Talking Drum" series, a multi-city sculptural storytelling installation. The organization conducted an open request-for-proposals (RFP) process to identify artistic collaborators and commissioned renowned designer Jomo Tariku to create the Talking Drum sculpture form. TSOU then sourced and contracted a fabrication partner to produce molds and prototypes for the sculpture form. Throughout the year, TSOU convened workshops with artists, historians, and community partners to define its ten Narrative Themes-the guiding framework for the organization exploring identity, belonging, and connection. The organization commissioned 11 artists to create 10 large-scale sculptures for its debut installation in Detroit, Michigan, which took place from June to August 2024 in Capitol Park, Valade Park and Afro Nation Detroit music festival. TSOU also participated in national convenings to introduce its work to broader audiences, including exhibiting at the PolicyLink Equity Summit in Atlanta, in August 2024. In Q4 2024, the organization began planning its 2025 exhibition schedule, initiating artist commissions and design work for the United Nations installation in Q1 2025, and Cleveland installation in Q2 2025. Through these activities, The Stories of Us commenced its mission of fostering belonging and connection, showcasing its work to a debut audience of 30,000 people, across 4 locations in Detroit and Atlanta.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 99% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- 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
MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of total spending goes to programs. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and a relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 61
- Transparency & Controls: 86
- Accountability: 32
- Sustainability: 53
- Growth: NotEnoughData
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 53.7%; rating input score 54
- Program expense ratio: 78.6%; rating input score 79
- Fundraising efficiency: $12.24 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 91.7%; rating input score 92; 12th 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: 0%; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Pass
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 32.2%; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.58; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 42.3%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: Limited
- Asset growth: Limited
Details
- Where the money goes: 53.7% of revenue deployed · 78.6% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 0 of 3 board members independent · 7 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $737K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $147K · 3 people listed
- Consistency: 23 of 24 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 3 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 — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 54/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 9 not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 27/100.
- Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.