Hope on a String

Tax-deductible

Reading, MA501(c)(3)InternationalEIN 27-4651878Revenue $292K in FY2024

On file with the IRShopeonastring.org88 King St, 01867-2809 · Reading, MATax-exempt since Jan 2012Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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To empower and uplift communities in haiti through music-based programs that foster education, leadership, creativity, and community development.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 14 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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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 deficit $70K a year · 17% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.7 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $311K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$939
0.6% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 6 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$292K
-1% vs prior year
Spent
$353K
To programs
71%
Net assets
$145K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$292K
FY2024▼ -1%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$649K
FY2021$233K
FY2022$620K
FY2023$296K
FY2024$292K
Expenses
$353K
FY2024▼ -41%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$455K
FY2021$502K
FY2022$529K
FY2023$599K
FY2024$353K
Net assets
$145K
FY2024▼ -30%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$676K
FY2021$407K
FY2022$498K
FY2023$206K
FY2024$145K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

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

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

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $251K Management & general 17% · $60K Fundraising 12% · $42K

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

7 people listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Founder Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Co-Founder
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Valerie Noisette’s $71K as Executive Director is at the 65th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1637 $100K–1M international 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

NameFY2023FY2022FY2020
Valerie Noisette$71,135$65,417—
Lara Berry——$41,023

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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Empowers Haitian communities through music programs fostering education, leadership, and development.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $178K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Community Center & School

Hope on a string operates a community center in the region of arcahaie, haiti, that is a physical space for community engagement and empowerment through music and the performing arts. Individuals participate in music, dance, and performance classes, as well as skill-building workshops and grassroots development initiatives that respond…

$178Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$311K
See all 3 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$292K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$291K
Other incomeLn 4–11$790
Investment incomeLn 3$10
Money outPt IX
$353K
Ln 25
Programscol B$251K
Managementcol C$60K
Fundraisingcol D$42K
Owns and owesPt X
$145K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$109K
Total assetsLn 16$146K
LiabilitiesLn 26$939
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$291K
Government grantsLn 1e$0
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$0
Investment incomeLn 3$10
Other incomeLn 4–11$790
Total revenueLn 12$292K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$105K
SavingsLn 2$4K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$109K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$551
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$36K
Total assetsLn 16$146K
LiabilitiesLn 26$939
Net assetsLn 32$145K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 614
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$173K$109K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$549$551
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$50K$36K
Total assetsLn 16$223K$146K
LiabilitiesLn 26$17K$939
Net assetsLn 32$206K$145K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$106K$58K$16K$32K
Legal feesLn 11b$996$996
Accounting feesLn 11c$33K$14K$19K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$59K$56K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$2K$632$1K
Office expensesLn 13$24K$24K
Information technologyLn 14$5K$2K$3K
OccupancyLn 16$24K$24K
TravelLn 17$40K$40K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$9K$9K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$15K$15K
InsuranceLn 23$729$729
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$33K$30K$3K$65
Total functional expensesLn 25$353K$251K$60K$42K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $292K$353K−$61K$145K 990 PDF
FY2023 $296K$599K−$303K$206K 990 PDF
FY2022 $620K$529K$91K$498K 990 PDF
FY2021 $233K$502K−$269K$407K 990 PDF
FY2020 $649K$455K$195K$676K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $291,641 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $284,110$290,841
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $4,231$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $65$10
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $7,405$790
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $295,811$291,641
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 $79,650$105,631
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $519,287$247,312
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $598,937$352,943
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$303,126−$61,302
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
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 $291,641 across 11 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $790 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1c Fundraising events$0
VIII-1d Related organizations$0
VIII-1e Government grants$0
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$290,841
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$290,841
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $10$10
VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $790 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $10$291,641
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $352,943 across 13 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $57,731 · Management $15,967 · Fundraising $31,933$105,631
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $996$996
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $14,400 · Management $19,002$33,402
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $56,472 · Management $2,919$59,391
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $632 · Fundraising $1,000$1,632
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $23,535$23,535
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $2,380 · Management $3,028$5,408
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $24,100$24,100
IX-17 TravelPrograms $40,472$40,472
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsFundraising $9,274$9,274
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $14,954$14,954
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $729$729
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $30,119 · Management $3,235 · Fundraising $65$33,419
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $250,837 · Management $59,834 · Fundraising $42,272$352,943
Part X · Balance sheet $145,758 assets, 12 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $165,682$104,608
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $6,862$4,463
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $49,682$36,136
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $549$551
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $222,775$145,758
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $16,654$939
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $16,654$939
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $206,121$144,819
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $206,121$144,819
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $222,775$145,758
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $144,819 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$291,641
XI-2 Total expenses$352,943
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$61,302
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$206,121
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0
XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0
XI-7 Investment expenses$0
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$144,819

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

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