The Kindling Group is a nonfiction media studio that crafts outstanding documentaries and impact campaigns to inspire, entertain, and ignite change. The Kindling group's productions investigate, document and present social, civic, political, historic and educational issues.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
79¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$52K 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

FY2021 · 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
1 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $183K a year · 21% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 1 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
79%
of spending
Looks good: 79% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$52K
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.8 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
8
named funders · $102K
Looks good: 8 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$632K
62% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 62% of assets; 50% to 65%.
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
$1.2M
+25% vs prior year
Spent
$1.2M
To programs
79%
Net assets
$391K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$1.2M
FY2021▲ +25%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$980K
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.5M
FY2023$387K
FY2024$298K
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2021▼ -14%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.4M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.1M
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$478K
Net assets
$391K
FY2021▼ -6%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$416K
FY2021$391K
FY2022$643K
FY2023−$75K
FY2024−$255K

From the FY2021 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 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 2002.

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

Where the money goes

79 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 79% · $963K Management & general 19% · $234K Fundraising 2% · $24K

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; $52K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$52,419Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Daniel Alpert’s $73K as Executive Director is at the 68th 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Daniel Alpert$73,125$88,200$86,000$52,419$60,358

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 Kindling Group 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

Creates documentaries and campaigns to inspire, entertain, and ignite change on social and civic issues.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $963K · in their own filed words · FY2021
01

Production of documentaries and impact campaigns that inspire, entertain, and ignite change.

$963Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 8 funders →
Grants paid · 22 grants · $692K · 2022–2023
Leonard SuryajayaFY2023$70,000
In Care of Black Women LLCFY2023$45,000
Chicago Public Art GroupIL · FY2023$40,000
New Roots LLCFY2023$23,575
Alt Space ChicagoIL · FY2023$21,250
Sommer Filmworks LLCFY2023$17,500
Individual RecipientFY2023$8,153
Red Clay Dance Company INCIL · FY2023$7,750
Chicago Public Art GroupIL · FY2022$130,000
Alt Space ChicagoIL · FY2022$48,750
In Care of Black Women LLCFY2022$45,000
Leonard SuryajayaFY2022$27,000
New Roots LLCFY2022$22,375
Red Clay Dance Company INCIL · FY2022$22,250
See all 22 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.2M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$845K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$372K
Investment incomeLn 3$4K
Money outPt IX
$1.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$963K
Managementcol C$234K
Fundraisingcol D$24K
Owns and owesPt X
$391K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$492K
Total assetsLn 16$1.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$632K
PeoplePt VI, VII
6
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a6
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$845K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$372K
Investment incomeLn 3$4K
Total revenueLn 12$1.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$492K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$492K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$348K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$5K
Total assetsLn 16$1.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$632K
Net assetsLn 32$391K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 52
VolunteersI 65
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$467K$492K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$387K$348K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$12K$5K
Total assetsLn 16$1.0M$1.0M
LiabilitiesLn 26$598K$632K
Net assetsLn 32$416K$391K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$203K$194K$5K$5K
Payroll taxesLn 10$16K$15K$354$354
Legal feesLn 11b$250$250
Accounting feesLn 11c$16K$16K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$35K$35K
OccupancyLn 16$2K$1K$1K
InterestLn 20$2K$2K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$55K$55K
InsuranceLn 23$13K$6K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$879K$747K$113K$19K
All other expensesLn 24e$121$121
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M$963K$234K$24K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $298K$478K−$180K−$255K 990 PDF
FY2023 $387K$1.1M−$716K−$75K 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.5M$1.1M$429K$643K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $1.2M$1.2M−$184$391K 990 PDF
FY2020 $980K$1.4M−$446K$416K 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 FY2021 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,220,698 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $796,070$844,568
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $183,736$371,908
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $63$4,222
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $979,869$1,220,698
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $178,365$218,490
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,247,663$1,002,392
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,426,028$1,220,882
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$446,159−$184
Part VI · Governance 6 of 6 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body6
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,220,698 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$844,568
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$844,568
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $371,908$371,908
VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $4,222$4,222
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $376,130 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$1,220,698
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,220,882 across 11 lines filed
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $193,704 · Management $4,630 · Fundraising $4,630$202,964
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $14,818 · Management $354 · Fundraising $354$15,526
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $250$250
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $15,899$15,899
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $34,629$34,629
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $1,162 · Management $1,161$2,323
IX-20 InterestManagement $2,490$2,490
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $55,301$55,301
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $6,386 · Management $6,385$12,771
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $746,985 · Management $112,718 · Fundraising $18,905$878,608
IX-24e All other expensesFundraising $121$121
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $963,055 · Management $233,817 · Fundraising $24,010$1,220,882
Part X · Balance sheet $1,023,785 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $467,079$492,281
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $144,481$176,021
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $2,781$2,781
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $12,466$4,577
X-13 Program-related investmentsStart of year $386,624$348,125
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,013,431$1,023,785
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $380,648$396,419
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $63,443$51,768
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $597,897$632,295
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $113,608−$11,135
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $301,926$402,625
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $415,534$391,490
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,013,431$1,023,785
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $391,490 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,220,698
XI-2 Total expenses$1,220,882
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$184
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$415,534
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$23,860
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$391,490

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2021 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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