Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Sep 2000.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
64 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
11 people listed on the 990; $90K paid to officers and key staff.
Michael Dowling’s $103K as Founder/Artistic Director is at the 90th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2215 $100K–1M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Dowling | $102,704 | $98,440 | $95,451 | $92,388 | $90,000 |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
See Spoke Art INC executive salaries →Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Brings public art projects to communities and the greater Boston area.
Questions for Spoke Art INC
Your first name shows with your question. Spoke Art INC answers here, for everyone.
Medicine wheel productions has introduced thousands of at risk youth both individually and as members of the community to the ritual of making art to add spirituality, heal, energize and empower them.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2020 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY20 | End FY20 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $219K | $131K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $0 | $0 |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $261K | $229K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $80K | $45K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $180K | $184K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $113K | $68K | $13K | $33K |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $209K | $125K | $23K | $61K |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $28K | $17K | $3K | $8K |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $23K | $14K | $3K | $7K |
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $10K | $10K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $63K | $47K | $16K | |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $746 | $228 | $518 | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $24K | $9K | $4K | $11K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $95K | $84K | $10K | $1K |
| InterestLn 20 | $4K | $4K | ||
| InsuranceLn 23 | $6K | $2K | $3K | $412 |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $11K | $10K | $62 | $1K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $588K | $377K | $89K | $122K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 LatestFiled with the IRS Aug 8, 2025 | $985K | $1.1M | −$111K | $456K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2024 | $1.5M | $1.1M | $329K | $566K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Dec 5, 2023 | $831K | $920K | −$89K | $237K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2022 | $828K | $790K | $37K | $221K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 ViewingFiled with the IRS Nov 15, 2021 | $592K | $588K | $4K | $184K | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $591,861 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 10 of 11 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $591,861 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $588,267 across 12 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $229,126 assets, 13 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $184,094 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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