Aspen Journalism FY2020 filing

Tax-deductible

Aspen, CO501(c)(3)Arts & CultureEIN 35-2400162

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Our mission is to produce excellent journalism, because well-informed citizens make better decisions and journalism is key to a functioning democracy.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
87¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$75K 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

FY2020 · 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
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $15K a year · 3% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
87%
of spending
Looks good: 87% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$75K
to officers and key staff · 19% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 19% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.0 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $47K
Looks good: 4 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
5
of 5 voting members
Looks good: 5 of 5 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$420K
Spent
$399K
To programs
87%
Net assets
$67K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$420K
FY2020
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$420K
FY2021$394K
FY2022$431K
FY2023$494K
FY2024$478K
Expenses
$399K
FY2020
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$399K
FY2021$406K
FY2022$386K
FY2023$461K
FY2024$492K
Net assets
$67K
FY2020
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$67K
FY2021$55K
FY2022$100K
FY2023$134K
FY2024$120K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jun 2011.

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

Where the money goes

87 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 87% · $347K Management & general 6% · $23K Fundraising 7% · $29K

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

6 people listed on the 990; $75K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$75,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair/Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Curtis Wackerle’s $98K as Executive Director is at the 87th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Curtis Wackerle$97,664$97,460$90,500$79,645—
Brent Gardner-Smith————$75,000
Brent Gardner-Smith Res 82021———$54,874—

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 Aspen Journalism 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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Creates excellent journalism to inform citizens and strengthen democracy.

Provided by the organization

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1 program service account for $347K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2020.
01

See Schedule OAspen Journalism is a local, nonprofit, and investigative journalism organization founded in Aspen, Colorado on January 17, 2011. Our mission is to produce investigative journalism to the benefit of all those with a stake in Aspen and the Roaring Fork River Valley.

$347Kprogram 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 · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$47K
See all 4 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$420K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$375K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$45K
Investment incomeLn 3$10
Money outPt IX
$399K
Ln 25
Programscol B$347K
Managementcol C$23K
Fundraisingcol D$29K
Owns and owesPt X
$67K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$67K
Total assetsLn 16$67K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a5
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$375K
Government grantsLn 1e$40K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$45K
Investment incomeLn 3$10
Total revenueLn 12$420K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$67K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$67K
Total assetsLn 16$67K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$67K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 60
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 FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$46K$67K
Total assetsLn 16$46K$67K
LiabilitiesLn 26$500$0
Net assetsLn 32$45K$67K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$69K$62K$7K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$114K$114K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$2K$2K$225
Other employee benefitsLn 9$18K$16K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$14K$14K$545
Accounting feesLn 11c$13K$13K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$5K$5K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$102K$92K$9K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$5K$5K
Office expensesLn 13$19K$16K$485$2K
Information technologyLn 14$7K$7K$165
OccupancyLn 16$12K$11K$441
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$15K$3K$11K
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$399K$347K$23K$29K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $478K$492K−$13K$120K 990 PDF
FY2023 $494K$461K$34K$134K 990 PDF
FY2022 $431K$386K$45K$100K 990 PDF
FY2021 $394K$406K−$12K$55K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $420K$399K$22K$67K 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 FY2020 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $420,495 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$40,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$335,485
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$375,485
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $45,000$45,000
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $10$10
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $45,000 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $10$420,495
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $398,778 across 15 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $61,875 · Management $6,875$68,750
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $113,750$113,750
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $2,025 · Management $225$2,250
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $15,930 · Management $1,770$17,700
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $13,932 · Management $545$14,477
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $13,071$13,071
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $5,470$5,470
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $92,433 · Fundraising $9,298$101,731
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $5,165$5,165
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $16,063 · Management $485 · Fundraising $2,402$18,950
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $7,113 · Fundraising $165$7,278
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $11,259 · Management $441$11,700
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,969$1,969
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $3,330 · Fundraising $11,332$14,662
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $1,855$1,855
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $346,699 · Management $23,412 · Fundraising $28,667$398,778
Part X · Balance sheet $66,718 assets, 7 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $45,501$66,718
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $45,501$66,718
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $500$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $19,976$41,693
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $25,025$25,025
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $45,001$66,718
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $45,501$66,718
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $66,718 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$420,495
XI-2 Total expenses$398,778
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$21,717
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$45,001
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$66,718

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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