To elevate the conciousness and involvement of African Americans in areas of finance, economics, banking, law management, business, entrepreneurship, savings and investment

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
24¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$14K 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
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $58K a year · 14% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
24%
of spending
Concern: 24% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$14K
to officers and key staff · 7% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 7% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 2.2 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
6
named funders · $158K
Looks good: 6 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$39K
102% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 102% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
5
of 6 voting members
Looks good: 5 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
$208K
Spent
$207K
To programs
24%
Net assets
−$881
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$208K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$208K
FY2021$356K
FY2022$224K
FY2023$610K
FY2024$650K
Expenses
$207K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$207K
FY2021$178K
FY2022$253K
FY2023$482K
FY2024$637K
Net assets
−$881
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020−$881
FY2021$178K
FY2022−$28K
FY2023$100K
FY2024$112K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · 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 Feb 1998.

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

Where the money goes

24 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 24% · $50K Management & general 76% · $158K

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; $14K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Exec Director
$13,560Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Gloria Smith’s $23K as Exec Director is at the 16th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1613 $100K–1M education 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

NameFY2023FY2022FY2020
Gloria Smith$22,780$71,934$13,560

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 The Black Star Project 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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Empowers African Americans in finance, business, and law through education and engagement.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $44K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Tutoring

$26Kprogram expense
02

Radio show

$14Kprogram expense
03

Economic empowerment forum

$4Kprogram 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
See all 6 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$208K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$201K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Money outPt IX
$207K
Ln 25
Programscol B$50K
Managementcol C$158K
Owns and owesPt X
−$881
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$39K
Total assetsLn 16$39K
LiabilitiesLn 26$39K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b5
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$201K
Government grantsLn 1e$6K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$4K
Investment incomeLn 3$73
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Total revenueLn 12$208K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$39K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$39K
Total assetsLn 16$39K
LiabilitiesLn 26$39K
Net assetsLn 32−$881
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 527
VolunteersI 615
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$3K$39K
Total assetsLn 16$3K$39K
LiabilitiesLn 26$4K$39K
Net assetsLn 32−$1K−$881
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$14K$14K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$53K$10K$43K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$11K$11K
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Accounting feesLn 11c$12K$12K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$3K$3K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$12K$10K$2K
Office expensesLn 13$29K$14K$15K
Information technologyLn 14$5K$5K
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$28K$550$28K
TravelLn 17$6K$3K$3K
Travel and entertainment for public officialsLn 18$0
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$0
InterestLn 20$0
Payments to affiliatesLn 21$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$0
InsuranceLn 23$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$33K$12K$21K
All other expensesLn 24e$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$207K$50K$158K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $650K$637K$12K$112K 990 PDF
FY2023 $610K$482K$128K$100K 990 PDF
FY2022 $224K$253K−$29K−$28K 990 PDF
FY2021 $356K$178K$178K$178K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $208K$207K$614−$881 990 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 FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $207,949 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $94,059$200,996
I-9 Program service revenue$3,942
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $82$73
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $157$2,938
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $94,298$207,949
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $21,275$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $75,524$77,204
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $96,419$130,131
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $193,218$207,335
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$98,920$614
Part VI · Governance 5 of 6 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members5
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyNo
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $207,949 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$6,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$194,996
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$200,996
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $3,942$3,942
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $73$73
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2,938$2,938
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $6,953$207,949
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $207,335 across 30 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizations$0
IX-2 Grants to domestic individuals$0
IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipients$0
IX-4 Benefits paid to or for members$0
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $13,560$13,560
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $10,248 · Management $42,870$53,118
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefits$0
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $10,526$10,526
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $1,500$1,500
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $11,575$11,575
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $2,944$2,944
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $9,710 · Management $1,866$11,576
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $14,067 · Management $14,583$28,650
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $4,730$4,730
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $550 · Management $27,791$28,341
IX-17 TravelPrograms $3,091 · Management $2,862$5,953
IX-18 Travel and entertainment for public officials$0
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetings$0
IX-20 Interest$0
IX-21 Payments to affiliates$0
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortization$0
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $2,108$2,108
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $11,878 · Management $20,876$32,754
IX-24e All other expenses$0
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $49,544 · Management $157,791 · Fundraising $0$207,335
Part X · Balance sheet $38,574 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $2,666$38,574
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,666$38,574
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payable$17,957
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $4,161$21,498
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $4,161$39,455
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$1,495−$41,776
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictions$40,895
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$1,495−$881
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,666$38,574
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$881 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$207,949
XI-2 Total expenses$207,335
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$614
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$1,495
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$881

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

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