Washington Artworks Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
522231679
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2014
Forms available
Form 990 2014
Location
Rockville, MD, USA
Phone
3016541998
Rating
83
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts Education

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$806,343
Expenses
$1,059,834
Assets
$207,973
Liabilities
$481,070

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

7 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DAVE MULLEN (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • DAVID MOULD (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • MELISA LOEWE (EX-OFFICIO): $60,975 total reported compensation
  • LEO HEPPNER DEC'D 2015 (BOARD): $1,998 total reported compensation
  • KATE FRASER (SECRETARY): $600 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2014. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Washington artworks provides studio and gallery space to local artists, along with workshops and classes in topics such as photography, glass, painting, and jewelry. It also offers a certificate program, approved by the Maryland higher education commission, in professional photography.

What it reported doing in 2014

Offers a certificate program, approved by the Maryland higher education commission, which leads to a diploma in professional photography. Students attend a 12-14 month program of required and elective classes. Also offers public courses and workshops for hobbyist through advanced photographers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 79% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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 expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 90
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 84
  • Sustainability: 11
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 81.2%; rating input score 81
  • Fundraising efficiency: $25.04 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 68; 68th 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: 92.1%; rating input score 92; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 5 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 62
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -31.4%; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.2; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 2.31; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: Limited
  • Revenue growth: 10.1% per year; rating input score 100; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -15.5% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 81.2% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 5 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $860K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $61K · 7 people listed
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 4 filing years from 2010 to 2014
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 4/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 10/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 2/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 53/100.