The Lion Project FY2021 filing

Tax-deductible

Denver, CO501(c)(3)Human ServicesEIN 20-0216168Revenue $441K in FY2021

On file with the IRSthelionproject.org1415 Park Ave W, 80205-2103 · Denver, COTax-exempt since Jan 2008Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Our mission is to accelerate nonprofit growth from video storytelling, marketing, and in-person service projects.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$46K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2021 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $97K a year · 52% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$46K
to officers and key staff · 11% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 11% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
12 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 12.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $5K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$374K
69% of total assets
Worth a look: liabilities are 69% of assets; over 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
0
of 11 voting members
Concern: none of 11 voting members are independent.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$441K
+166% vs prior year
Spent
$424K
To programs
87%
Net assets
$167K
By yearFY2019–FY2024
Revenue
$441K
FY2021▲ +166%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2019$210K
FY2020$165K
FY2021$441K
FY2022$31K
FY2023$59K
FY2024$209K
Expenses
$424K
FY2021▲ +94%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2019$221K
FY2020$218K
FY2021$424K
FY2022$319K
FY2023$294K
FY2024$220K
Net assets
$167K
FY2021▲ +11%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2019$84K
FY2020$151K
FY2021$167K
FY2022−$120K
FY2023−$355K
FY2024−$410K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jan 2008.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $370K Fundraising 13% · $54K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

3 people listed on the 990; $46K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Di
$46,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Zak Ferry’s $70K as Executive Director is at the 61st percentile of top reported officer pay among 2167 $100K–1M human services 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020FY2019
Zak Ferry$70,000—————
Zakery Ferry—$60,000$61,000$46,000$52,000$50,031

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 The Lion Project executive salaries →

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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

Accelerates nonprofit growth through video storytelling, marketing, and service projects.

Questions for The Lion Project

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $332K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

We helped other nonprofits in the foster care space. Have filmed 9 kids's stories to find them forever homes.

$332Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$5K

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$441K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$327K
Other incomeLn 4–11$113K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$717
Money outPt IX
$424K
Ln 25
Programscol B$370K
Fundraisingcol D$54K
Owns and owesPt X
$167K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$439K
Total assetsLn 16$541K
LiabilitiesLn 26$374K
PeoplePt VI, VII
3
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b0
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$327K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$160K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$717
Investment incomeLn 3$2
Other incomeLn 4–11$113K
Total revenueLn 12$441K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$421K
SavingsLn 2$18K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$439K
Other assetsLn 15$3K
Total assetsLn 16$541K
LiabilitiesLn 26$374K
Net assetsLn 32$167K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$100K$439K
Total assetsLn 16$151K$541K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$374K
Net assetsLn 32$151K$167K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$150K$150K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$10K$10K
Payroll taxesLn 10$23K$23K
Accounting feesLn 11c$8K$8K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$100$100
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$56K$2K$54K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$21K$21K
Information technologyLn 14$5K$5K
TravelLn 17$4K$4K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$3K$3K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$5K$5K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$133K$133K
Total functional expensesLn 25$424K$370K$0$54K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $209K$220K−$11K−$410K 990 PDF
FY2023 $59K$294K−$235K−$355K 990 PDF
FY2022 $31K$319K−$287K−$120K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $441K$424K$17K$167K 990 PDF
FY2020 $165K$218K−$52K$151K 990 PDF
FY2019 $210K$221K−$12K$84K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $440,759 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $165,456$326,613
I-9 Program service revenue$717
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $11$2
I-11 Other revenue$113,427
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $165,467$440,759
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $155,315$183,247
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$100
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $62,579$240,421
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $217,894$423,768
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$52,427$16,991
Part VI · Governance 0 of 11 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members0
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $440,759 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$160,328
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$166,285
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$326,613
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Excluded from tax $717$717
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $2$2
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $113,427$113,427
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2 · Excluded from tax $114,144$440,759
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $423,768 across 14 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $150,331$150,331
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $10,294$10,294
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $22,622$22,622
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $7,736$7,736
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $100$100
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $1,784 · Fundraising $54,160$55,944
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $4,706$4,706
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $20,586$20,586
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $5,270$5,270
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,396$4,396
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $2,924$2,924
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,547$4,547
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $1,645$1,645
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $132,667$132,667
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $369,508 · Management $0 · Fundraising $54,260$423,768
Part X · Balance sheet $541,038 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $100,434$420,969
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$17,550
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $47,446$99,160
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $3,359$3,359
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $151,239$541,038
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expenses$6,043
X-25 Other liabilities$367,612
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$373,655
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $151,239$167,383
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $151,239$167,383
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $151,239$541,038
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $167,383 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$440,759
XI-2 Total expenses$423,768
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$16,991
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$151,239
XI-7 Investment expenses−$847
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$167,383

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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