Downcity Design offers free programs that help residents gain skills while strenghtening their communities, through the creation of service projects that harness the creative power of Design.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
63¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$74K 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
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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $329K a year · 37% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
63%
of spending
Worth a look: 63% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$74K
to officers and key staff · 16% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 16% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
27 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 27.2 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $40K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$254K
12% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 12% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
11
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 11 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.1M
+14% vs prior year
Spent
$453K
To programs
63%
Net assets
$1.9M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2023▲ +14%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$571K
FY2021$835K
FY2022$929K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$1.2M
FY2025$817K
Expenses
$453K
FY2023▼ -14%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$489K
FY2021$469K
FY2022$524K
FY2023$453K
FY2024$708K
FY2025$773K
Net assets
$1.9M
FY2023▲ +47%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$506K
FY2021$872K
FY2022$1.3M
FY2023$1.9M
FY2024$2.4M
FY2025$2.4M

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending June 2023) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Apr 2010.

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

Where the money goes

63 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 63% · $287K Management & general 22% · $98K Fundraising 15% · $69K

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

12 people listed on the 990; $74K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$74,043Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Adrienne Gagnon’s $93K as Executive Director is at the 83rd percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $100K–1M youth development 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Adrienne Gagnon$92,721$90,125$74,043$67,425$65,096

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

Offers free design programs to build community skills through service projects.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $287K · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Downcity design provided free in-school, after school, and summer design education programs for over 250 youth in 2022/2023. Our programs helped students connect to one another, to caring adults, and to meaningful service work.

$287Kprogram 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
Ppl FoundationFY2025$25K
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$40K

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$55K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Money outPt IX
$453K
Ln 25
Programscol B$287K
Managementcol C$98K
Fundraisingcol D$69K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.9M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$1.0M
Total assetsLn 16$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$254K
PeoplePt VI, VII
12
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b11
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.0M
Government grantsLn 1e$423K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$55K
Investment incomeLn 3$2K
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$572K
SavingsLn 2$455K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$1.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$986K
Other assetsLn 15$2K
Total assetsLn 16$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$254K
Net assetsLn 32$1.9M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 59
VolunteersI 69
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$975K$1.0M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$402K$986K
Total assetsLn 16$1.5M$2.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26$229K$254K
Net assetsLn 32$1.3M$1.9M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$74K$7K$37K$30K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$251K$208K$17K$27K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$17K$8K$4K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$47K$26K$20K$1K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$883$0$220
Office expensesLn 13$13K$6K$5K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$33K$21K$7K$4K
TravelLn 17$190$190$0$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$448$291$99$58
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$4K$0$4K$0
InsuranceLn 23$12K$9K$3K$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$453K$287K$98K$69K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $817K$773K$44K$2.4M 990 PDF
FY2024 $1.2M$708K$473K$2.4M 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $1.1M$453K$605K$1.9M 990 PDF
FY2022 $929K$524K$405K$1.3M 990 PDF
FY2021 $835K$469K$366K$872K 990 PDF
FY2020 $571K$489K$82K$506K 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,057,990 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $863,389$1,000,592
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $69,009$55,460
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $594$1,938
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$3,638$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $929,354$1,057,990
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $402,960$342,282
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $121,387$110,938
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $524,347$453,220
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $405,007$604,770
Part VI · Governance 11 of 11 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members11
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 $1,057,990 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$422,802
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$577,790
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,000,592
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$55,460
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,938$1,938
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $55,460 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $1,938$1,057,990
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $453,220 across 11 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $7,404 · Management $37,022 · Fundraising $29,617$74,043
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $207,991 · Management $16,782 · Fundraising $26,588$251,361
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $7,919 · Management $4,382 · Fundraising $4,577$16,878
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $26,335 · Management $19,971 · Fundraising $1,156$47,462
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $883 · Management $0 · Fundraising $220$1,103
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $5,649 · Management $4,612 · Fundraising $2,436$12,697
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $21,172 · Management $7,166 · Fundraising $4,234$32,572
IX-17 TravelPrograms $190 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$190
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $291 · Management $99 · Fundraising $58$448
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $0 · Management $4,231 · Fundraising $0$4,231
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $8,809 · Management $3,426 · Fundraising $0$12,235
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $286,643 · Management $97,691 · Fundraising $68,886$453,220
Part X · Balance sheet $2,135,514 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $750,726$572,159
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $223,879$455,073
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $122,370$116,519
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $5,784$4,211
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $402,346$986,027
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $1,525$1,525
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,506,630$2,135,514
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $25,880$55,510
X-25 Other liabilities$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $229,390$253,504
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $1,054,607$1,740,017
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $222,633$141,993
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,277,240$1,882,010
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,506,630$2,135,514
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,882,010 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,057,990
XI-2 Total expenses$453,220
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$604,770
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,277,240
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,882,010

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

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