Charlotte Is Creative develops programs and initiatives designed to break the Charlotte mold and remake it with creativity into a city that draws people in, excites them, and inspires them to invest their financial, social and creative capital.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
62¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$172K 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

FY2023 · 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
6 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $96K a year · 10% of revenue · last 6 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 6 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
62%
of spending
Worth a look: 62% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$172K
to officers and key staff · 23% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 23% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
6 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 6.5 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $135K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$6K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 11 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 11 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$834K
+53% vs prior year
Spent
$737K
To programs
62%
Net assets
$392K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$834K
FY2023▲ +53%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$452K
FY2021$546K
FY2022$546K
FY2023$834K
FY2024$817K
FY2025$2.8M
Expenses
$737K
FY2023▲ +44%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$365K
FY2021$471K
FY2022$510K
FY2023$737K
FY2024$806K
FY2025$2.5M
Net assets
$392K
FY2023▲ +33%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$185K
FY2021$259K
FY2022$295K
FY2023$392K
FY2024$403K
FY2025$733K

From the FY2023 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 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 Dec 2017.

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

Where the money goes

62 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 62% · $461K Management & general 38% · $277K

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

2 people listed on the 990; $172K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President
$86,000Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President
$86,000Pt VII · Sec A

Matt Olin’s $98K as Executive Dir. is at the 31st percentile of top reported officer pay among 3924 $1–10M 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Matt Olin$98,500$98,500$86,000$96,000$96,000$86,000
Tim Miner$98,500$98,500$86,000$86,000$96,000$86,000

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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Fosters creativity to transform Charlotte into an exciting, inspiring city that attracts investment.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $461K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

To provide Charlotte's Fast-growing creative set a place to call home, to get inspired, tgo support each other, to forge relationships and to collaborate. Dedicated to celebrating Charlott'es creative talents and to showcase the City's creative thinkers, makers and doers.

$461Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$135K

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$834K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$834K
Money outPt IX
$737K
Ln 25
Programscol B$461K
Managementcol C$277K
Owns and owesPt X
$392K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$398K
Total assetsLn 16$398K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
PeoplePt VI, VII
2
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a11
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$834K
Total revenueLn 12$834K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$398K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$398K
Total assetsLn 16$398K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K
Net assetsLn 32$392K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 53
VolunteersI 655
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$301K$398K
Total assetsLn 16$301K$398K
LiabilitiesLn 26$6K$6K
Net assetsLn 32$295K$392K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$34K$34K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$256K$0$256K$0
Payroll taxesLn 10$18K$0$18K$0
Accounting feesLn 11c$4K$0$4K$0
Office expensesLn 13$11K$11K$0$0
InsuranceLn 23$9K$9K$0$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$406K$406K$0$0
Total functional expensesLn 25$737K$461K$277K$0

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $2.8M$2.5M$271K$733K 990 PDF
FY2024 $817K$806K$11K$403K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $834K$737K$97K$392K 990 PDF
FY2022 $546K$510K$35K$295K 990 PDF
FY2021 $546K$471K$75K$259K 990 PDF
FY2020 $452K$365K$87K$185K 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 $834,383 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $545,747$834,383
I-9 Program service revenue$0
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $545,747$834,383
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $20,280$33,954
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $211,320$273,293
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $278,888$430,209
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $510,488$737,456
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $35,259$96,927
Part VI · Governance 9 of 11 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body11
VI-1b Independent voting members9
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
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $834,383 across 3 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$834,383
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$834,383
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$834,383
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $737,456 across 7 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $33,954$33,954
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $0 · Management $255,736 · Fundraising $0$255,736
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $0 · Management $17,557 · Fundraising $0$17,557
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $3,520 · Fundraising $0$3,520
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $11,309 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$11,309
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $9,057 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$9,057
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $406,323 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$406,323
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $460,643 · Management $276,813 · Fundraising $0$737,456
Part X · Balance sheet $397,547 assets, 8 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $300,918$397,547
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $300,918$397,547
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $4,264$3,966
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $2,000$2,000
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $6,264$5,966
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $294,654$391,581
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $294,654$391,581
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $300,918$397,547
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $391,581 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$834,383
XI-2 Total expenses$737,456
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$96,927
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$294,654
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$391,581

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

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