Vital Spaces

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
994189021
IRS 990 coverage
2025–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Santa Fe, NM, USA
Phone
5054698820
Rating
64
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$503,441
Expenses
$417,197
Assets
$427,177
Liabilities
$0

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • RAASHAN AHMAD MORRIS (EXECUTIVE DI): $142,950 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Vital spaces is a community vitality organization using the arts as a catalyst for economic, social, and cultural growth in santa fe. Our mission is to empower artists, support creative entrepreneurs, and foster a thriving creative economy that benefits the city's diverse populations.

What it reported doing in 2025

Vital spaces produces and hosts over 300 activations annually, including workshops, classes, exhibitions, markets, and cultural events. Serves 15,000-20,000 visitors annually through free and low-cost public programming. Engages 250-350 artists through exhibitions, performances, markets, and creative programs. Supports over 50 volunteers, interns, and apprentices annually through workforce development and training opportunities. Maintains over 95% of programming as free or low-cost to ensure broad community access. Operates the community art closet, a monthly program serving 150-250 participants with free art supplies. Provides affordable studio space to local artists through the artist studio program, supporting creative production and income generation. Delivers workshops, classes, and entrepreneurship programming supporting 20-25 emerging artists and creative entrepreneurs annually. Facilitates youth and teen programs, including summer camps, dj training, and creative labs, building skills and career pathways. Operates the unhoused art program, providing ongoing creative opportunities and income pathways for individuals experiencing housing instability. Hosts artist markets and pop-up events with no vendor fees, generating tens of thousands of dollars in direct income for artists. Produces large-scale cultural events, including the juneteenth celebration and the wonderful fantastic hip hop festival. Activates underutilized spaces into community-serving creative hubs, increasing access to arts, culture, and economic opportunity.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% 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.
  • 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 a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 50
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 68
  • Sustainability: 56
  • Growth: NotEnoughData

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 48.1%; rating input score 48
  • Program expense ratio: 58%; rating input score 58
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.06 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 38; 38th 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: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 17.1%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.02; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 34.3%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: Limited
  • Asset growth: Limited

Details

  • Where the money goes: 48.1% of revenue deployed · 58% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 8 of 9 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $242K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $143K · 9 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 2 contractors listed · $272K reported
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • 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 48/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 58/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 4 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 38/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 6/100.