Creative Strategies for Change

Tax-deductible

Denver, CO501(c)(3)EducationEIN 46-2083929

To mobilize arts and education for social justice

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
36¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$73K 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

FY2024 · 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
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $69K a year · 18% of revenue · last 5 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
36%
of spending
Concern: 36% of spending went to programs; under 50%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$73K
to officers and key staff · 13% of spending
Top officer’s pay lower than 53% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 13% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.4 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $230K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$16K
8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 8% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$312K
-27% vs prior year
Spent
$562K
To programs
36%
Net assets
$189K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$312K
FY2024▼ -27%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$229K
FY2021$447K
FY2022$515K
FY2023$425K
FY2024$312K
Expenses
$562K
FY2024▲ +4%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$189K
FY2021$395K
FY2022$588K
FY2023$540K
FY2024$562K
Net assets
$189K
FY2024▲ +410%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$71K
FY2021$123K
FY2022$45K
FY2023−$61K
FY2024$189K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

Is it real?

Yes. Exemption reinstated (2015-07-15). Per the IRS revocation list. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Apr 2016.

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

Where the money goes

36 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 36% · $204K Management & general 55% · $311K Fundraising 8% · $47K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

Who runs it and what they're paid

5 people listed on the 990; $73K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Exec. Dir.-Starting February 2024
$55,042Pt VII · Sec A
Exec. Dir.-Until February 2024
$17,897Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Bianca Shaw’s $55K as Exec. Dir.-Starting February 2024 is at the 47th 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 · 4 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Rachael K Sharp——$86,163$69,369$61,115
Theresa Gatewood—$82,181$82,500$24,271—
Bianca Shaw$55,042————
Theresa Gatewood$17,897————

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 Creative Strategies for Change 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

Mobilizes arts and education to advance social justice.

Provided by the organization

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3 program services account for $204K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2024.
01

School Programs

We are very proud to have increased our programming hours in title I schools, private schools and youth-driven organization, continuing old partnerships and creating new ones within the denver community. This year, we have facilitated over 180 hours of workshops (averaging around 15 hours per week), and reached 134 students.

$124Kprogram expense
02

Community Programs

All community programs are donation based or sliding scale, and no one is turned away for lack of funds. CSC hosted our facilitator workshop weekend-long intensive twice, as well as consistent monthly community cypher open mics, and our monthly culturally responsive mental health resource, mental health mondays.

$51Kprogram expense
03

Professional Development and Consulting

We facilitated several workshops for long term community partners. Partners built common vocabulary and frameworks for diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural responsiveness, individually and institutionally. Approximately 100 individuals were served.

$29Kprogram 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 · FY2024
See all 5 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$312K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$243K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$54K
Investment incomeLn 3$14K
Money outPt IX
$562K
Ln 25
Programscol B$204K
Managementcol C$311K
Fundraisingcol D$47K
Owns and owesPt X
$189K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$65K
Total assetsLn 16$204K
LiabilitiesLn 26$16K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$243K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$54K
Investment incomeLn 3$14K
Other incomeLn 4–11$125
Gains on assetsLn 7$10K
Total revenueLn 12$312K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$65K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$65K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$124K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$717
Total assetsLn 16$204K
LiabilitiesLn 26$16K
Net assetsLn 32$189K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 57
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 FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$218K$65K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$210K$124K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$1K$717
Total assetsLn 16$534K$204K
LiabilitiesLn 26$594K$16K
Net assetsLn 32−$61K$189K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$76K$0$76K$0
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$213K$81K$116K$17K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$19K$2K$16K$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$25K$7K$17K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$32K$0$32K$0
Investment management feesLn 11f$1K$0$1K$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$124K$85K$17K$23K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$0$1K$20
Office expensesLn 13$6K$303$6K$0
Information technologyLn 14$5K$0$1K$3K
OccupancyLn 16$5K$0$5K$0
TravelLn 17$136$136$0$0
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$609$0$609$0
InsuranceLn 23$12K$0$12K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$35K$27K$6K$2K
All other expensesLn 24e$6K$2K$4K$4
Total functional expensesLn 25$562K$204K$311K$47K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $312K$562K−$250K$189K 990 PDF
FY2023 $425K$540K−$114K−$61K 990 PDF
FY2022 $515K$588K−$73K$45K 990 PDF
FY2021 $447K$395K$52K$123K 990 PDF
FY2020 $229K$189K$40K$71K 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 FY2024 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $311,635 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$243,450
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$243,450
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$54,440
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $3,348$3,348
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $10,272$10,272
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $125$125
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $54,440 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $13,745$311,635
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $562,009 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $0 · Management $76,408 · Fundraising $0$76,408
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $80,754 · Management $115,617 · Fundraising $16,805$213,176
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $2,386 · Management $16,374 · Fundraising $0$18,760
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,942 · Management $16,641 · Fundraising $1,463$25,046
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $31,632 · Fundraising $0$31,632
IX-11f Investment management feesPrograms $0 · Management $1,446 · Fundraising $0$1,446
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $84,621 · Management $17,076 · Fundraising $22,657$124,354
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $0 · Management $1,381 · Fundraising $20$1,401
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $303 · Management $5,658 · Fundraising $0$5,961
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $0 · Management $1,063 · Fundraising $3,450$4,513
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $0 · Management $5,200 · Fundraising $0$5,200
IX-17 TravelPrograms $136 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$136
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $0 · Management $609 · Fundraising $0$609
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $0 · Management $12,164 · Fundraising $0$12,164
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $27,069 · Management $5,717 · Fundraising $2,161$34,947
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $2,061 · Management $4,191 · Fundraising $4$6,256
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $204,272 · Management $311,177 · Fundraising $46,560$562,009
Part X · Balance sheet $204,384 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $218,229$65,100
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $103,789$14,297
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $1,326$717
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $210,315$124,270
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $533,659$204,384
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $764$15,659
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $590,000$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $594,465$15,659
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year −$60,806$188,725
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year −$60,806$188,725
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $533,659$204,384
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $188,725 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$311,635
XI-2 Total expenses$562,009
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$250,374
XI-4 Net assets at start of year−$60,806
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$1,779
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$498,126
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$188,725

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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