The Lion Project FY2022 filing

Tax-deductible

Denver, CO501(c)(3)Human ServicesEIN 20-0216168Revenue $31K in FY2022

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.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$61K 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

FY2022 · 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
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$61K
to officers and key staff · 19% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 19% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.9 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
$407K
142% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 142% of assets; over 80%.
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
$31K
-93% vs prior year
Spent
$319K
To programs
89%
Net assets
−$120K
By yearFY2019–FY2024
Revenue
$31K
FY2022▼ -93%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2019$210K
FY2020$165K
FY2021$441K
FY2022$31K
FY2023$59K
FY2024$209K
Expenses
$319K
FY2022▼ -25%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2019$221K
FY2020$218K
FY2021$424K
FY2022$319K
FY2023$294K
FY2024$220K
Net assets
−$120K
FY2022▼ -172%
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 FY2022 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2022 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

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $285K Fundraising 11% · $34K

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; $61K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Di
$61,000Pt 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.

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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 · $161K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

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

$161Kprogram 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 FY2022 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$31K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$178K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2K
Investment incomeLn 3$39
Money outPt IX
$319K
Ln 25
Programscol B$285K
Fundraisingcol D$34K
Owns and owesPt X
−$120K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$184K
Total assetsLn 16$287K
LiabilitiesLn 26$407K
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$178K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$96K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$2K
Investment incomeLn 3$39
Total revenueLn 12$31K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$85K
SavingsLn 2$99K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$184K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K
Other assetsLn 15$3K
Total assetsLn 16$287K
LiabilitiesLn 26$407K
Net assetsLn 32−$120K
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 FY22End FY22
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$439K$184K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K
Total assetsLn 16$541K$287K
LiabilitiesLn 26$374K$407K
Net assetsLn 32$167K−$120K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$61K$61K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$119K$119K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$17K$17K
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$16K
Legal feesLn 11b$135$135
Accounting feesLn 11c$17K$17K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$34K$34K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$23K$23K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$17K$17K
OccupancyLn 16$6K$6K
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$73$73
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$319K$285K$0$34K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $209K$220K−$11K−$410K 990 PDF
FY2023 $59K$294K−$235K−$355K 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $31K$319K−$287K−$120K 990 PDF
FY2021 $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 FY2022 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $31,314 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $326,613$177,564
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $717$2,500
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2$39
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $113,427−$148,789
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $440,759$31,314
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $183,247$212,989
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $100$34,200
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $240,421$71,619
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $423,768$318,808
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $16,991−$287,494
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 $31,314 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$96,118
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$81,446
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$177,564
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Excluded from tax $2,500$2,500
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $39$39
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$148,789−$148,789
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $39 · Excluded from tax −$146,289$31,314
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $318,808 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $61,000$61,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $119,246$119,246
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $16,702$16,702
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $16,041$16,041
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $135$135
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $16,700$16,700
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $34,200$34,200
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $22,847$22,847
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $4,530$4,530
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $17,018$17,018
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $6,226$6,226
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,917$1,917
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $73$73
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $2,173$2,173
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $284,608 · Management $0 · Fundraising $34,200$318,808
Part X · Balance sheet $286,592 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $420,969$84,997
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $17,550$99,238
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $99,160$97,606
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$1,392
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $3,359$3,359
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $541,038$286,592
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $6,043$13,419
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $367,612$393,284
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $373,655$406,703
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $167,383−$120,111
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $167,383−$120,111
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $541,038$286,592
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$120,111 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$31,314
XI-2 Total expenses$318,808
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$287,494
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$167,383
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$120,111

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2022 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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