Artists First: FY2023 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 45-2874353)

Sheila Suderwalla’s $72K as Executive Director is at the 67th 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.

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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 people with disabilities, veterans, youth, and elders through creative self-expression.

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3 programs · $164K · in their own filed words · FY2022

01

Lifeworks

Participation in the Lifeworks program increased by 47%. The tailored program for professionally minded artists with developmental disabilities to obtain their greatest potential and growth in employment, social, emotional and physical domains through the arts is supported by the St. Louis Office for Developmental Disability Resources.

$77Kprogram expense

02

Veterans

Participation in Artists First for Veterans increased 50%. 98% of participating veterans maintained sobriety, 100% maintained emotional well being through the program which builds better lives for transitioning veterans as they reintegrate into civilian life by supporting rehabilitation and recovery and by facilitating mental and…

$49Kprogram expense

03

Other Programs

Artists First's programs increases access to meaningful arts experiences for marginalized individuals, fosters connection, as well as strengthens the larger community socially and economically.

$38Kprogram 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 · FY2025

Clemence S Lieber Foundation INCFY2025$2K

Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$2K

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

Download 990

from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$421K

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$345K

Fees for servicesLn 2g$48K

Other incomeLn 4–11$25K

Money outPt IX

$267K

Ln 25

Programscol B$233K

Managementcol C$23K

Fundraisingcol D$10K

Owns and owesPt X

$338K

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$345K

Total assetsLn 16$444K

LiabilitiesLn 26$106K

PeoplePt VI, VII

9

listed · VII A

PaidVII A0

Voting boardVI 1a8

IndependentVI 1b8

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$345K

Government grantsLn 1e$262K

Noncash giftsLn 1g$0

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$100

Fees for servicesLn 2g$48K

Investment incomeLn 3$3K

Other incomeLn 4–11$25K

Gains on assetsLn 7$0

Total revenueLn 12$421K

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$345K

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$345K

Other assetsLn 15$85K

Total assetsLn 16$444K

LiabilitiesLn 26$106K

Net assetsLn 32$338K

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 56

VolunteersI 620

Fiscal year endsHeaderJune

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

Line	Start FY23	End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$239K	$345K
Total assetsLn 16	$245K	$444K
LiabilitiesLn 26	$61K	$106K
Net assetsLn 32	$184K	$338K

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1	$0	$0
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2	$0	$0
Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsLn 3	$0	$0
Benefits paid to or for membersLn 4	$0	$0
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$0	$0	$0	$0
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6	$0	$0	$0	$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$178K	$162K	$9K	$7K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$0	$0	$0	$0
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$2K	$2K	$83	$67
Payroll taxesLn 10	$14K	$12K	$684	$519
Accounting feesLn 11c	$12K	$2K	$10K	$86
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$175		$175
Office expensesLn 13	$551	$501	$28	$22
Information technologyLn 14	$1K	$1K	$63	$50
OccupancyLn 16	$22K	$20K	$1K	$891
TravelLn 17	$4		$4
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19	$198	$180	$10	$8
InsuranceLn 23	$4K	$3K	$184	$148
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$28K	$26K	$1K	$1K
All other expensesLn 24e	$4K	$4K	$198	$433
Total functional expensesLn 25	$267K	$233K	$23K	$10K

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2025 Latest	$477K	$412K	$65K	$472K	990 PDF
FY2024	$440K	$372K	$68K	$407K	990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing	$421K	$267K	$154K	$338K	990 PDF
FY2022	$437K	$260K	$177K	$184K	990 PDF
FY2021	$190K	$189K	$773	$7K	990 PDF
FY2020	$171K	$187K	−$16K	$6K	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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $420,832 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $389,472$345,173

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $43,117$47,663

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $500$3,208

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $4,168$24,788

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $437,257$420,832

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $153,928$193,640

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $105,853$72,882

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $259,781$266,522

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $177,476$154,310

Part VI · Governance 8 of 8 board members independent, 3 to look at

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body8

VI-1b Independent voting members8

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 $420,832 across 15 lines filed

VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0

VIII-1b Membership dues$0

VIII-1c Fundraising events$100

VIII-1d Related organizations$0

VIII-1e Government grants$261,871

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$83,202

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$345,173

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $47,663 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$47,663

VIII-3 Investment incomeRelated to mission $3,208 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$3,208

VIII-5 RoyaltiesRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0

VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0

VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$0

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $24,788$24,788

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $50,871 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $24,788$420,832

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $266,522 across 20 lines filed

IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $0$0

IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $0$0

IX-3 Grants and assistance to foreign recipientsPrograms $0$0

IX-4 Benefits paid to or for membersPrograms $0$0

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0

IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $162,259 · Management $8,915 · Fundraising $7,132$178,306

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $0 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$0

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $1,513 · Management $83 · Fundraising $67$1,663

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $12,468 · Management $684 · Fundraising $519$13,671

IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $2,060 · Management $10,100 · Fundraising $86$12,246

IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $175$175

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $501 · Management $28 · Fundraising $22$551

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $1,148 · Management $63 · Fundraising $50$1,261

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $20,274 · Management $1,114 · Fundraising $891$22,279

IX-17 TravelManagement $4$4

IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $180 · Management $10 · Fundraising $8$198

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $3,356 · Management $184 · Fundraising $148$3,688

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $25,710 · Management $1,414 · Fundraising $1,130$28,254

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $3,595 · Management $198 · Fundraising $433$4,226

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $233,064 · Management $22,972 · Fundraising $10,486$266,522

Part X · Balance sheet $444,301 assets, 12 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $239,367$344,926

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $5,521$11,621

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $0$2,938

X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$84,816

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $244,888$444,301

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $56,284$18,263

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$84,816

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $60,865$105,968

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $136,530$338,333

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $47,493$0

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $184,023$338,333

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $244,888$444,301

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $338,333 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$420,832

XI-2 Total expenses$266,522

XI-3 Revenue less expenses$154,310

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$184,023

XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$0

XI-6 Donated services and use of facilities$0

XI-7 Investment expenses$0

XI-8 Prior period adjustments$0

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$338,333

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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Artists First FY2023 filing

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