Detroit 300 Conservancy

Tax-deductible

Detroit, MI501(c)(3)Since 2001Recreation & SportsEIN 30-0002873

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To provide funding for the continued beautification of public spaces in the city of Detroit

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 25 volunteers.
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
0 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $885K a year · 16% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 0 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$382K
to officers and key staff · 5% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 60% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 5% of spending; 15% or less.
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
2
named funders · $84K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$4.8M
88% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 88% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 16 voting members
Looks good: 14 of 16 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$7.1M
+10% vs prior year
Spent
$7.3M
To programs
89%
Net assets
$679K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$7.1M
FY2024▲ +10%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$4.6M
FY2021$5.3M
FY2022$4.9M
FY2023$6.5M
FY2024$7.1M
Expenses
$7.3M
FY2024▼ -7%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$5.2M
FY2021$5.6M
FY2022$6.9M
FY2023$7.8M
FY2024$7.3M
Net assets
$679K
FY2024▼ -43%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$3.8M
FY2021$3.8M
FY2022$2.0M
FY2023$1.2M
FY2024$679K

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 Jan 2002.

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

Where the money goes

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $6.5M Management & general 10% · $713K Fundraising 1% · $90K

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

20 people listed on the 990; $382K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
VP of Fund Development
$142,622Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Public Spaces Officer
$139,050Pt VII · Sec A
Director, Parks and Public Spaces
$100,078Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Soula Burns’s $143K as VP of Fund Development is at the 60th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1842 $1–10M recreation & sports 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023
Soula Burns$142,622—
David Cowan$139,050—
Cari Easterday-Kar—$119,692
Laura Dean$100,078—

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

Funds public space beautification projects in Detroit.

Provided by the organization

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3 program services account for $6.5M of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

Placemaking/Park Events

Beginning in 2013 and working with the city of detroit and key downtown stakeholders, the conservancy provides activation, improvements and programming for three additional downtown historic parks and public spaces including grand circus park, and capitol park.

$4.5Mprogram expense
02

Park operations including most significantly campus martius park, a 2.4 acre public square and year-round entertainment venue, anchors a two-square-block district that is the commercial center and heart of downtown detroit.

$1.5Mprogram expense
03

Beacon Park

Beacon park opened july 20, 2017. The park infuses light, energy, and motion to create a distinctive gathering place, and an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages. The circular, open lawn is the largest of any downtown detroit park and gives visitors room to run, play, relax and recharge.

$565Kprogram expense

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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 2 funders$84K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$7.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.6M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.6M
Other incomeLn 4–11$730K
Money outPt IX
$7.3M
Ln 25
Programscol B$6.5M
Managementcol C$713K
Fundraisingcol D$90K
Owns and owesPt X
$679K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$910K
Total assetsLn 16$5.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.8M
PeoplePt VI, VII
20
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a16
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$4.6M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.6M
Investment incomeLn 3$163K
Other incomeLn 4–11$730K
Gains on assetsLn 7$86K
Total revenueLn 12$7.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$910K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$910K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$2.1M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1.1M
Other assetsLn 15$4K
Total assetsLn 16$5.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$4.8M
Net assetsLn 32$679K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 625
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$468K$910K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$2.4M$2.1M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$108K$1.1M
Total assetsLn 16$4.0M$5.5M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.8M$4.8M
Net assetsLn 32$1.2M$679K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$160K$118K$29K$14K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$886K$651K$159K$76K
Management feesLn 11a$213K$213K
Legal feesLn 11b$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$3.1M$3.1M
Advertising and promotionLn 12$222K$95K$127K
Office expensesLn 13$36K$56$36K
Information technologyLn 14$26K$26K
InterestLn 20$16K$16K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$24K$24K
InsuranceLn 23$84K$84K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$2.3M$2.3M
All other expensesLn 24e$191K$191K
Total functional expensesLn 25$7.3M$6.5M$713K$90K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $7.1M$7.3M−$215K$679K 990 PDF
FY2023 $6.5M$7.8M−$1.4M$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $4.9M$6.9M−$2.0M$2.0M 990 PDF
FY2021 $5.3M$5.6M−$237K$3.8M 990 PDF
FY2020 $4.6M$5.2M−$568K$3.8M 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 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $7,093,097 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1d Related organizations$42,534
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$4,582,008
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$4,624,542
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,575,734$1,575,734
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $76,539$76,539
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $86,112$86,112
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $730,170$730,170
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $2,305,904 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $162,651$7,093,097
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $7,308,412 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $117,929 · Management $28,760 · Fundraising $13,738$160,427
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $651,104 · Management $158,790 · Fundraising $75,847$885,741
IX-11a Management feesManagement $212,718$212,718
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $5,124$5,124
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $3,138,059$3,138,059
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $95,127 · Management $127,312$222,439
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $56 · Management $35,740$35,796
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $26,477$26,477
IX-20 InterestManagement $16,405$16,405
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $23,662$23,662
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $83,517$83,517
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $2,307,322$2,307,322
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $190,725$190,725
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $6,505,446 · Management $713,381 · Fundraising $89,585$7,308,412
Part X · Balance sheet $5,456,451 assets, 15 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $468,363$909,636
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $874,687$1,264,678
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $102,002$98,898
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $108,211$1,080,949
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $2,435,147$2,097,798
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $27,904$4,492
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $4,016,314$5,456,451
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $2,500,592$3,389,337
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $66,062$383,635
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $260,701$4,492
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,827,355$4,777,464
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$1,392,140−$1,607,455
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $2,581,099$2,286,442
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $1,188,959$678,987
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $4,016,314$5,456,451
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $678,987 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$7,093,097
XI-2 Total expenses$7,308,412
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$215,315
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$1,188,959
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$294,657
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$678,987

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

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