Creative Action Institute INC

Tax-deductible

Ipswich, MA501(c)(3)Since 2005Arts & CultureEIN 20-3995543Revenue $806K in FY2025

On file with the IRScreativeactioninstitute.org240 County Rd, 01938-2723 · Ipswich, MATax-exempt since Feb 2006Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Creative Action Institute catalyzes community-driven solutions that advance gender equality and build a sustainable planet. Through our experiential trainings, convenings and coaching, we develop Creative leaders, build networks and support grassroots advocacy globally.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
88¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 7 volunteers and 4 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $545K a year · 42% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
88%
of spending
Looks good: 88% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$120K
to officers and key staff · 13% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 95% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 13% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
7
named funders · $349K
Looks good: 7 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$36K
0.9% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
8
of 8 voting members
Looks good: 8 of 8 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$806K
-75% vs prior year
Spent
$927K
To programs
88%
Net assets
$3.9M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$806K
FY2025▼ -75%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$487K
FY2021$751K
FY2022$1.6M
FY2023$802K
FY2024$3.2M
FY2025$806K
Expenses
$927K
FY2025▼ -1%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$404K
FY2021$555K
FY2022$828K
FY2023$808K
FY2024$940K
FY2025$927K
Net assets
$3.9M
FY2025▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$349K
FY2021$555K
FY2022$1.4M
FY2023$1.4M
FY2024$4.1M
FY2025$3.9M

From the FY2025 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

Give Claim

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 2006.

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

Where the money goes

88 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 88% · $818K Management & general 8% · $70K Fundraising 4% · $39K

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

9 people listed on the 990; $120K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$120,451Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Immediate Past-President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Clare Dowd’s $120K as Executive Director is at the 95th 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Clare Dowd$120,451$118,665$107,320$107,442$106,144$90,350

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 Creative Action Institute INC 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

Catalyzes community-driven solutions for gender equality and a sustainable planet through training and advocacy.

Provided by the organization

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3 programs · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Sauti ya dada (syd) is a two-year program that creates and strengthens systems of support, learning, leadership, and advocacy to help marginalized girls ages 13 - 19 in east africa complete their secondary school education and become leaders in their community.

Pt IX · col B
02

The creative environmental leadership program equips leaders to leverage creative leadership, faciliatation, collaboration and advocacy strategies that incorporate arts and problem solving to build consensus in their communities around complex issues, develop inclusive solutions, and shift behaviors to support a more sustainable…

Pt IX · col B
03

Creative action institute undertakes numerous consulting opportunities that focus on gender equality and building a sustainable planet. Consulting work in 2025 included: developing a green and gender essentials a teacher training package for vvob with akf; designing and implementing community forums in newburyport to support the design…

Pt IX · col B

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 · FY2024
See all 7 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$806K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$425K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$220K
Investment incomeLn 3$161K
Money outPt IX
$927K
Ln 25
Programscol B$818K
Managementcol C$70K
Fundraisingcol D$39K
Owns and owesPt X
$3.9M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$564K
Total assetsLn 16$4.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a8
IndependentVI 1b8
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$425K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$1K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$220K
Investment incomeLn 3$161K
Gains on assetsLn 7$34K
Total revenueLn 12$806K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$433
SavingsLn 2$564K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$564K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$3.3M
Other assetsLn 15$5K
Total assetsLn 16$4.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K
Net assetsLn 32$3.9M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 67
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$351K$564K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$3.8M$3.3M
Total assetsLn 16$4.2M$4.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$19K$36K
Net assetsLn 32$4.1M$3.9M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$121K$94K$16K$11K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$196K$153K$26K$18K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$9K$7K$1K$732
Payroll taxesLn 10$23K$18K$3K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$16K$16K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$288K$288K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$10K$10K
TravelLn 17$132K$132K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$6K$6K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$118K$98K$20K
All other expensesLn 24e$5K$120$3K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$927K$818K$70K$39K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $806K$927K−$121K$3.9M 990 PDF
FY2024 $3.2M$940K$2.3M$4.1M 990 PDF
FY2023 $802K$808K−$6K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.6M$828K$806K$1.4M 990 PDF
FY2021 $751K$555K$196K$555K 990 PDF
FY2020 $487K$404K$84K$349K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $805,761 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,905,874$424,615
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $225,938$220,003
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $119,416$161,248
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$1,639−$105
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $3,249,589$805,761
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 $339,476$349,382
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $600,551$577,375
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $940,027$926,757
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $2,309,562−$120,996
Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8
VI-1b Independent voting members8
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $805,761 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$1,200
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$423,415
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$424,615
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $220,003$220,003
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $127,684$127,684
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $33,564$33,564
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$105−$105
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $253,567 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $127,579$805,761
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $926,757 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $94,453 · Management $15,742 · Fundraising $10,898$121,093
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $153,199 · Management $25,533 · Fundraising $17,677$196,409
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $7,232 · Management $1,191 · Fundraising $732$9,155
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $17,953 · Management $2,954 · Fundraising $1,818$22,725
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $16,372$16,372
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $287,534$287,534
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $10,460$10,460
IX-17 TravelPrograms $132,292$132,292
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsFundraising $5,662$5,662
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $1,545$1,545
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $98,198 · Management $19,938$118,136
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $120 · Management $3,375 · Fundraising $1,879$5,374
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $817,813 · Management $70,278 · Fundraising $38,666$926,757
Part X · Balance sheet $3,977,516 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $12,433$433
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $338,656$563,617
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $19,282$153,524
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $3,793,747$3,254,560
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$5,382
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $4,164,118$3,977,516
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $18,696$35,886
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $18,696$35,886
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $4,145,422$3,941,630
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $4,145,422$3,941,630
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $4,164,118$3,977,516
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $3,941,630 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$805,761
XI-2 Total expenses$926,757
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$120,996
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$4,145,422
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments−$75,496
XI-7 Investment expenses−$7,300
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$3,941,630

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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