Totem Star

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
823271788
IRS 990 coverage
2020–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Seattle, WA, USA
Phone
2066509003
Rating
71
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Youth Community Service Clubs

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,244,404
Expenses
$664,828
Assets
$2,267,493
Liabilities
$555,321

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

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • Jon Stone (President)
  • Wendy Simmons (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Daniel Pak (Executive Dir.): $112,029 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To support a diverse community of young recording artists learning music and life skills through mentorship and meaningful relationships. Our work in the studio and on the stage fosters growth in collaboration, leadership, and self-identity.

What it reported doing in 2024

Partnerships - In 2024, Totem Star expanded its community impact through new partnerships at our shared home in the historic Amtrak station in Pioneer Square. We joined Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre and The Rhapsody Project as founding members of Station Space, an arts hub for youth-centered organizations. Once an unused 2nd floor is now an active creative campus filled with youth music, theater, and cultural programming. Together, we launched the first Station Space Block Party, featuring performances by young artists from across all partner organizations. We continue to collaborate on community events and shared resources to support and empower youth artists. Totem Star also launched a new partnership with the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention to serve youth housed in the juvenile detention facility. Through a newly developed music production program, we provide personal mentorship, collaborative creative opportunities, and supportive community connections.

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

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 fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 42
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 71
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 32.4%; rating input score 32
  • Program expense ratio: 60.2%; rating input score 60
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.74 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 40; 40th 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: 46.6%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.41; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.24; rating input score 28; 28th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.9%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 15.6% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 22.4% per year; rating input score 100; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 39.4% per year; rating input score 100; 94th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 32.4% of revenue deployed · 60.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 7 filed program accomplishments · $400K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $112K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 5 filing years from 2020 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 32/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 40/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 28/100.