Center Pole's mission is to build knowledge, justice, opportunity, prosperity, and sovereignty in Native communities and to preserve and protect indigenous knowledge and ways.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
98¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 213 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

FY2024 · 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
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $40K a year · 1% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
98%
of spending
Looks good: 98% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$56K
to officers and key staff · 3% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 3% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.4 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
8
named funders · $724K
Looks good: 8 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
4
of 4 voting members
Looks good: 4 of 4 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.7M
+13% vs prior year
Spent
$1.7M
To programs
98%
Net assets
$278K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$1.7M
FY2024▲ +13%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$4.5M
FY2021$3.3M
FY2022$2.9M
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$1.7M
Expenses
$1.7M
FY2024▲ +18%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$3.8M
FY2021$3.4M
FY2022$3.3M
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$1.7M
Net assets
$278K
FY2024▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$772K
FY2021$675K
FY2022$253K
FY2023$295K
FY2024$278K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jun 2012.

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

Where the money goes

98 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 98% · $1.7M Management & general 2% · $41K Fundraising 0% · $2K

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

5 people listed on the 990; $56K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$56,500Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Peggy Wellknown Buffalo’s $56K as Executive Director is at the 6th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3868 $1–10M 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Peggy Wellknown Buffalo$56,500$58,500$54,000$45,750$39,600

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Empowers Native communities with knowledge, justice, opportunity, prosperity, and sovereignty, preserving indigenous wisdom.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $1.5M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Food Sovereignty/Healthy Food Systems/Sustainability

Establishment of a healthy foods hub allowing greater food access in the rural reservation "food desert." The hub includes a food bank, a healthy foods cafe, and a food distribution project delivering approximately 800,000 pounds of food a year to two impoverished reservations and surrounding isolated communities as well as making…

$1.2Mprogram expense
02

Social Enterprise/Work Force/Community Sustainability, Cultural Heritage Tourism:A volunteer force of disenfranchised reservation youth, young adults and families are trained in workforce, business skills and life skills at our social enterprises that include a coffee roasting business, a community radio station, a resale shop, a cafe…

$200Kprogram expense
03

Youth Development and Leadership, Community Healing from Historical Trauma, Cultural Sustainability Activities:Reservation youth participate in enrichment activities that include Crow language, history and heritage; wilderness skills; Native skills; Native games; literacy and academic enrichment; community radio; life skills, sustainable…

$120Kprogram 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 · FY2024
Windward FundFY2024$75K
Novo FoundationFY2024$50K
Creative WestFY2024$17K
Total grants receivedfrom 8 funders$724K
See all 8 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.7M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$5K
Money outPt IX
$1.7M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.7M
Managementcol C$41K
Fundraisingcol D$2K
Owns and owesPt X
$278K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$204K
Total assetsLn 16$278K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a4
IndependentVI 1b4
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.7M
Noncash giftsLn 1g$1.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$5K
Gains on assetsLn 7−$5K
Total revenueLn 12$1.7M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$204K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$204K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$58K
Total assetsLn 16$278K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$278K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 6213
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$234K$204K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$70K$58K
Total assetsLn 16$321K$278K
LiabilitiesLn 26$26K$0
Net assetsLn 32$295K$278K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$56K$52K$5K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$240K$221K$19K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2K$2K$174
Payroll taxesLn 10$23K$21K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$255$255
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$7K$7K$409
Office expensesLn 13$62K$57K$3K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$7K$6K$520
OccupancyLn 16$35K$32K$3K
TravelLn 17$49K$45K$4K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$18K$17K$130
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$32K$29K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$15K$14K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$1.2M$1.2M
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.7M$1.7M$41K$2K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $1.7M$1.7M−$17K$278K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.5M$1.5M$42K$295K 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.9M$3.3M−$422K$253K 990 PDF
FY2021 $3.3M$3.4M−$97K$675K 990 PDF
FY2020 $4.5M$3.8M$693K$772K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,699,851 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,501,098$1,699,977
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,267$5,297
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0−$5,423
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,502,365$1,699,851
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 $128,130$322,367
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,302,560$1,394,094
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,430,690$1,716,461
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $71,675−$16,610
Part VI · Governance 4 of 4 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body4
VI-1b Independent voting members4
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,699,851 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,699,977
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$1,037,219
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,699,977
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $5,297$5,297
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission −$5,423−$5,423
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission −$126 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,699,851
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,716,461 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $51,980 · Management $4,520$56,500
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $221,224 · Management $19,237$240,461
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $2,005 · Management $174$2,179
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $21,369 · Management $1,858$23,227
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $255$255
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $6,815 · Management $409$7,224
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $56,689 · Management $3,130 · Fundraising $1,800$61,619
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $5,982 · Management $520$6,502
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $32,262 · Management $2,805$35,067
IX-17 TravelPrograms $45,139 · Management $3,928$49,067
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $17,435 · Management $130$17,565
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $29,406 · Management $2,557$31,963
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $13,712 · Management $1,192$14,904
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $1,169,928$1,169,928
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,673,946 · Management $40,715 · Fundraising $1,800$1,716,461
Part X · Balance sheet $278,376 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $234,358$204,011
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $16,392$16,538
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $70,213$57,827
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $320,963$278,376
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $25,977$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $294,986$278,376
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $294,986$278,376
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $320,963$278,376
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $278,376 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,699,851
XI-2 Total expenses$1,716,461
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$16,610
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$294,986
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$278,376

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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