The Walls Project

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
455485171
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2014
Location
Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Phone
2254340515
Rating
82
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,130,291
Expenses
$2,534,650
Assets
$965,661
Liabilities
$503,820

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

Leadership & pay

11 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • CASEY PHILLIPS (EXECUTIVE DI): $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

The mission of the walls project is to break down societal barriers through the power of art, education, and community engagement. By fostering creativity, collaboration, and inclusivity, the walls project revitalizes underinvested communities, empowers individuals with digital and workforce skills, and strengthens local economies. Through public art, creative placemaking, workforce training, and urban agriculture initiatives, we inspire action and create equitable opportunities for all, ensuring that communities thrive together.

What it reported doing in 2024

Cultivate - cultivate embodies the organization's commitment to empowering young adults by providing diverse pathways to acquire essential skills for college and career readiness, all while emphasizing creative entrepreneurship and contributing to the betterment of our communities. Within this program, we proudly administer the futures fund. The futures fund is the walls projects workforce development and digital literacy initiative, designed to equip youth and adults with the technical skills needed for success in todays job market. Through industry-driven training in coding, digital media, and creative technology, the program bridges the digital divide and provides pathways to high-wage careers. Futures fund has empowered thousands of participants by offering hands-on learning, mentorship, and professional certification opportunities. Whether through after-school programs, workforce readiness workshops, or tech- focused community events, futures fund ensures that individualsregardless of backgroundgain access to the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital world. Additionally, cultivate encompasses baton roots, our thriving urban agriculture program. Through this initiative, we cultivate a 5-acre garden at howell park in baton rouge, la, and extend our operations to 11 housing authority sites and three public high schools. By seamlessly integrating these programs, we continue to foster growth, creativity, and community development.

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. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 77
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 48
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.8%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 88.7%; rating input score 89
  • Fundraising efficiency: $26.45 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 66; 66th 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • 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: 19%; rating input score 76; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.38; rating input score 12; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.52; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 4.4%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 27.6% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 27.7% per year; rating input score 100; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 28.8% per year; rating input score 100; 92nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.8% of revenue deployed · 88.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 10 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $2.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $112K · 11 people listed
  • Consistency: 24 of 24 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 8 filing years from 2016 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 12/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.