The Lion Project FY2023 filing

Tax-deductible

Denver, CO501(c)(3)Human ServicesEIN 20-0216168Revenue $59K in FY2023

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.
100¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$60K 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

FY2023 · 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
100%
of spending
Looks good: 100% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$60K
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.5 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
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
$396K
×11 of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 1100% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$59K
+88% vs prior year
Spent
$294K
To programs
100%
Net assets
−$355K
By yearFY2019–FY2024
Revenue
$59K
FY2023▲ +88%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2019$210K
FY2020$165K
FY2021$441K
FY2022$31K
FY2023$59K
FY2024$209K
Expenses
$294K
FY2023▼ -8%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2019$221K
FY2020$218K
FY2021$424K
FY2022$319K
FY2023$294K
FY2024$220K
Net assets
−$355K
FY2023▼ -195%
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 FY2023 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 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

100 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 100% · $294K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

13 people listed on the 990; $60K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$60,000Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Consultant
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$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 · $294K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

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

$294Kprogram 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 FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$59K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$196K
Investment incomeLn 3$256
Money outPt IX
$294K
Ln 25
Programscol B$294K
Owns and owesPt X
−$355K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$36K
Total assetsLn 16$41K
LiabilitiesLn 26$396K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$196K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$137K
Investment incomeLn 3$256
Total revenueLn 12$59K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$6K
SavingsLn 2$30K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$36K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$5K
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$41K
LiabilitiesLn 26$396K
Net assetsLn 32−$355K
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$184K$36K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K$5K
Total assetsLn 16$287K$41K
LiabilitiesLn 26$407K$396K
Net assetsLn 32−$120K−$355K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$60K$60K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$26K$26K
Payroll taxesLn 10$51K$51K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$3K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$3K$3K
Office expensesLn 13$3K$3K
OccupancyLn 16$6K$6K
TravelLn 17$587$587
InterestLn 20$23K$23K
InsuranceLn 23$10K$10K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$107K$107K
All other expensesLn 24e$1K$1K
Total functional expensesLn 25$294K$294K$0$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $209K$220K−$11K−$410K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $59K$294K−$235K−$355K 990 PDF
FY2022 $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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $58,988 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $177,564$195,976
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $2,500$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $39$256
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$148,789−$137,244
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $31,314$58,988
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $212,989$136,805
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $34,200$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $71,619$156,977
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $318,808$293,782
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$287,494−$234,794
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members12
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 $58,988 across 7 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for −$86,649 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$137,310
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$58,666
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$195,976
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $256$256
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$52,440−$52,440
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $1,845$1,845
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission −$84,804 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$52,184$58,988
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $293,782 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $60,000$60,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $26,012$26,012
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $50,793$50,793
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $3,410$3,410
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $2,502$2,502
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $2,538$2,538
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $6,025$6,025
IX-17 TravelPrograms $587$587
IX-20 InterestPrograms $23,398$23,398
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $9,945$9,945
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $107,281$107,281
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,291$1,291
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $293,782 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$293,782
Part X · Balance sheet $41,421 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $84,997$5,585
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $99,238$30,457
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,392$5,379
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $3,359$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $286,592$41,421
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $13,419$3,042
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $393,284$393,284
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $406,703$396,326
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$120,111−$354,905
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$120,111−$354,905
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $286,592$41,421
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$354,905 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$58,988
XI-2 Total expenses$293,782
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$234,794
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$120,111
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$354,905

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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