Zygote Press Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
341830215
IRS 990 coverage
2012–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2011
Location
Cleveland, OH, USA
Phone
2166870220
Rating
74
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Arts Service Organizations and Activities

Reported finances

Revenue
$747,388
Expenses
$473,218
Assets
$618,798
Liabilities
$15,282

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

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CHRIS FORNADEL (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JACKIE FELDMAN (EXECUTIVE DI): $85,203 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

The organization is an established, nonprofit community printmaking studio, gallery, archive, and education center that supports artists through residency programs, studio access, and artistic development in a collaborative environment open to all.

What it reported doing in 2025

Proof fellowship in 2025, zygote press expanded its proof (print residency of ohios future) fellowship from six to nine months, providing six artists with extended access to printmaking instruction, mentorship, workshops, collaborative workspace, artspass memberships, 24/7 studio access, and storage. Fellows worked in two cohorts of three, creating peer-based learning and professional development opportunities while preparing for a collaborative exhibition. Thirty artists applied to the spring 2025 open call. The six 2025 proof fellows were arfil pajarrillaga, briana robinson, erykah townsend, jazzee rozier, kalia horner, and monique biggers. Educational and community programsin 2025, zygote continued providing printmaking education and community programming through workshops, individual instruction, off-site events, and partnerships with educational, cultural, and community organizations throughout cleveland. Zygotes mobile art press provided accessible, interactive public printmaking experiences in the community. Earned revenue from educational and related programming increased to 155,025 in 2025. Exhibitions and public programsin 2025, zygote presented eight exhibitions, two artist talks, and two artist markets, serving approximately 1,000 visitors. Programming included d.a. Levy: subversive printmaking in 1960s cleveland, (youre) welcome proof fellows exhibition, the third annual queer print + zine fair: pink ink, harbinger, the labyrinth, pressing matters pop-up, and off the wall 2025. These programs provided exhibition opportunities for established and emerging artists while increasing public access to printmaking and supporting inclusive community engagement.organizational capacity and future facilityin 2025, zygote completed its three-year strategic plan and achieved its major objectives. Diversity among program participants reached 45%, staff diversity reached 50%, and board diversity reached 21%. Zygote also identified and negotiated the purchase of a 20,000-square-foot building in midtown cleveland for a multidisciplinary arts center. By year-end, closing was scheduled for february 2026. Zygote secured a low-interest loan through village capital, a 250,000 capital grant from the cleveland foundation, and more than 200,000 in additional capital support from its board and community. The planned facility will expand accessible arts programming, dedicated workspaces, education programs, and opportunities for artists and cultural workers.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 78% 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

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: 50
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 63
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 44.4%; rating input score 44
  • Program expense ratio: 69.9%; rating input score 70
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.2 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 21; 21st 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; 64th 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: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 36.7%; rating input score 85; 85th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.31; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 6.5% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 44.4% of revenue deployed · 69.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $331K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $85K · 20 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2012 to 2025
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 44/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 21/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 51/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 19/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 51/100.