To transform the lives of youth and adults through the power of creative writing, spoken word, visual and media arts, film-making and leadership education that promotes positive systemic change.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
60¢ 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
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $5K a year · 2% 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
60%
of spending
Worth a look: 60% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$52K
to officers and key staff · 22% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 22% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.5 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
7
named funders · $155K
Looks good: 7 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$16K
63% of total assets
Fine: liabilities are 63% of assets; 50% to 65%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$255K
Spent
$231K
To programs
60%
Net assets
$9K
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$255K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$255K
FY2022$228K
FY2023$316K
FY2024$399K
FY2025$226K
Expenses
$231K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$231K
FY2022$233K
FY2023$281K
FY2024$337K
FY2025$319K
Net assets
$9K
FY2021
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$9K
FY2022$4K
FY2023$40K
FY2024$103K
FY2025$10K

From the FY2021 Form 990 (year ending June 2021) · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2021 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 2005.

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

Where the money goes

60 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 60% · $137K Management & general 39% · $91K Fundraising 1% · $2K

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

13 people listed on the 990; $52K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2020); the FY2021 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$51,787Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board Member
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Lynn Rhoades’s $61K as Executive Director is at the 51st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1992 $100K–1M youth development 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021
Lynn Rhoades$61,083$49,800$42,300$48,872$51,787

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 15aNo

Programs and updates

Empowers youth and adults with creative arts and leadership skills for positive change.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $133K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

16-week intensives, 1 each Fall/Spring, 10 court ordered youth per session, learn creative writing process, music and film collaboration to develop short films or raps/lyrics/spoken word. Funded by the NC Department of Public Safety Grant to Forsyth County Juvenile Justice Council.

$109Kprogram expense
02

Summer intensive institute held for five weeks staffed by alumni mentors, and 8-10 professional artists who apprentice and collborate with youth to develop them as authors utilizing writing, design and production, visual art, digital film production and choreography.

$20Kprogram expense
03

Ensemble comprised of authors that have completed the Summer Intnesive program to continue the writing process. Writing pieces focus on various topics such as race, class, power, poverty, inequality, and bravery. Pieces are memortized and shared with audiences.

$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 7 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2021 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$255K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$236K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$16K
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Money outPt IX
$231K
Ln 25
Programscol B$137K
Managementcol C$91K
Fundraisingcol D$2K
Owns and owesPt X
$9K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$10K
Total assetsLn 16$25K
LiabilitiesLn 26$16K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$236K
Government grantsLn 1e$125K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$20K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$16K
Other incomeLn 4–11$3K
Total revenueLn 12$255K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$10K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$10K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Total assetsLn 16$25K
LiabilitiesLn 26$16K
Net assetsLn 32$9K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 55
VolunteersI 615
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
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 FY21End FY21
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$14K$10K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2K
Total assetsLn 16$26K$25K
LiabilitiesLn 26$41K$16K
Net assetsLn 32−$15K$9K
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$51K$21K$30K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$71K$43K$28K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9$2K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$10K$4K$5K
Management feesLn 11a$0
Legal feesLn 11b$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$10K$5K$4K
Lobbying feesLn 11d$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$746$746
Office expensesLn 13$0
Information technologyLn 14$3K$3K
RoyaltiesLn 15$0
OccupancyLn 16$8K$2K$6K
TravelLn 17$125$125
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$906$906
InsuranceLn 23$2K$550$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$50K$45K$5K$400
All other expensesLn 24e$23K$13K$7K$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25$231K$137K$91K$2K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $226K$319K−$93K$10K 990 PDF
FY2024 $399K$337K$63K$103K 990 PDF
FY2023 $316K$281K$36K$40K 990 PDF
FY2022 $228K$233K−$5K$4K 990 PDF
FY2021 Viewing $255K$231K$25K$9K 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 $255,299 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $240,864$236,030
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $3,040$16,104
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $2,019$3,165
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $245,923$255,299
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $130,875$134,007
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $150,097$96,773
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $280,972$230,780
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$35,049$24,519
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members12
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $255,299 across 8 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$31,625
VIII-1c Fundraising events$19,680
VIII-1e Government grants$125,213
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$59,512
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$236,030
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $16,104$16,104
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$3,165
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $16,104$255,299
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $230,780 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 staffPrograms $21,327 · Management $29,838$51,165
IX-6 Pay of disqualified persons$0
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $43,223 · Management $27,939$71,162
IX-8 Pension plan contributions$0
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,872$1,872
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $4,391 · Management $5,417$9,808
IX-11a Management fees$0
IX-11b Legal fees$0
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $5,340 · Management $4,249$9,589
IX-11d Lobbying fees$0
IX-11f Investment management fees$0
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $746$746
IX-13 Office expenses$0
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $2,959$2,959
IX-15 Royalties$0
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $2,389 · Management $5,693$8,082
IX-17 TravelPrograms $125$125
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 amortizationManagement $906$906
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $550 · Management $1,329$1,879
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $45,048 · Management $4,529 · Fundraising $400$49,977
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $13,061 · Management $7,449 · Fundraising $2,000$22,510
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $137,326 · Management $91,054 · Fundraising $2,400$230,780
Part X · Balance sheet $25,447 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $13,798$10,035
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $11,810$13,723
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, net$1,689
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $25,608$25,447
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $16,735$16,055
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $40,735$16,055
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$100,972−$15,707
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $85,845$25,099
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$15,127$9,392
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $25,608$25,447
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $9,392 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$255,299
XI-2 Total expenses$230,780
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$24,519
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$15,127
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$9,392

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

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