Light House Studio equips young people with the skills and confidence to tell their stories and build community through collaborative filmmaking. We seek to foster a community where Charlottesvilles young people flourish as students, storytellers, and citizens.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
73¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$85K 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $124K a year · 15% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
73%
of spending
Fine: 73% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$85K
to officers and key staff · 11% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 11% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
13 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 13.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $10K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$18K
0.6% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 13 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 13 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.1M
+67% vs prior year
Spent
$754K
To programs
73%
Net assets
$3.2M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$1.1M
FY2023▲ +67%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$847K
FY2021$655K
FY2022$665K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$773K
FY2025$787K
Expenses
$754K
FY2023▲ +15%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$497K
FY2021$442K
FY2022$657K
FY2023$754K
FY2024$847K
FY2025$896K
Net assets
$3.2M
FY2023▲ +12%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$2.6M
FY2021$2.8M
FY2022$2.8M
FY2023$3.2M
FY2024$3.1M
FY2025$3.0M

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 Jul 2001.

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

Where the money goes

73 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 73% · $548K Management & general 16% · $119K Fundraising 12% · $87K

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; $85K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Exec. Director, Director
$84,772Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chair,director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Deanna Gould’s $90K as Exec. Director, Director is at the 83rd 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

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Deanna Gould$90,150$91,573$84,772$80,342$96,218$90,000

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

Teaches youth filmmaking skills to build confidence and community through storytelling.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $548K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Our filmmaking programs focus on storytelling, personal expression and fostering media literacy. Mirroring the explosion of youth media nationally, our workshops include Documentary, Animation, Narrative, Experimental Film, Music Video and Visual Effects.

$548Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$10K

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.1M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$809K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$271K
Investment incomeLn 3$16K
Money outPt IX
$754K
Ln 25
Programscol B$548K
Managementcol C$119K
Fundraisingcol D$87K
Owns and owesPt X
$3.2M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$836K
Total assetsLn 16$3.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$18K
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a13
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$809K
Government grantsLn 1e$93K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$137K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$271K
Investment incomeLn 3$16K
Other incomeLn 4–11$15K
Total revenueLn 12$1.1M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$87K
SavingsLn 2$748K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$836K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2.0M
Total assetsLn 16$3.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$18K
Net assetsLn 32$3.2M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 59
VolunteersI 630
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$768K$836K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$2.1M$2.0M
Total assetsLn 16$2.9M$3.2M
LiabilitiesLn 26$23K$18K
Net assetsLn 32$2.8M$3.2M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$429K$301K$69K$60K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$35K$24K$6K$5K
Payroll taxesLn 10$31K$22K$5K$4K
Accounting feesLn 11c$6K$0$6K$0
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$64K$64K$0$0
Advertising and promotionLn 12$9K$9K$0$0
Office expensesLn 13$19K$4K$11K$4K
OccupancyLn 16$34K$24K$5K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$62K$54K$4K$4K
InsuranceLn 23$9K$7K$2K$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$43K$40K$1K$1K
All other expensesLn 24e$13K$0$9K$4K
Total functional expensesLn 25$754K$548K$119K$87K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $787K$896K−$109K$3.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $773K$847K−$74K$3.1M 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $1.1M$754K$358K$3.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $665K$657K$7K$2.8M 990 PDF
FY2021 $655K$442K$213K$2.8M 990 PDF
FY2020 $847K$497K$350K$2.6M 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 $1,111,740 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $461,417$809,469
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $186,167$270,653
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $418$16,431
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $16,512$15,187
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $664,514$1,111,740
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $433,937$494,627
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $223,193$259,284
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $657,130$753,911
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $7,384$357,829
Part VI · Governance 12 of 13 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body13
VI-1b Independent voting members12
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 $1,111,740 across 10 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $5,014 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$136,797
VIII-1e Government grants$93,467
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$579,205
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$809,469
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$270,653
VIII-3 Investment incomeUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $16,431$16,431
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossRelated to mission $9,517$9,517
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsUnrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax −$1,412−$1,412
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2,068 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$2,068
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $287,252 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $15,019$1,111,740
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $753,911 across 12 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $300,514 · Management $68,689 · Fundraising $60,103$429,306
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $24,174 · Management $5,525 · Fundraising $4,835$34,534
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $21,551 · Management $4,926 · Fundraising $4,310$30,787
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $0 · Management $6,428 · Fundraising $0$6,428
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $63,874 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$63,874
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $9,059 · Management $0 · Fundraising $0$9,059
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,810 · Management $11,431 · Fundraising $3,810$19,051
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $23,905 · Management $5,464 · Fundraising $4,781$34,150
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $53,673 · Management $4,319 · Fundraising $3,701$61,693
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $6,977 · Management $2,326 · Fundraising $0$9,303
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $40,006 · Management $1,439 · Fundraising $1,296$42,741
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $0 · Management $8,676 · Fundraising $4,309$12,985
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $547,543 · Management $119,223 · Fundraising $87,145$753,911
Part X · Balance sheet $3,204,791 assets, 13 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $738,184$87,289
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $29,731$748,303
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $12,500$330,000
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $27,456$19,656
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $596$1,485
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $2,050,103$2,018,058
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $2,858,570$3,204,791
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $22,605$17,742
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $531$383
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $23,136$18,125
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $2,835,434$3,186,666
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $2,835,434$3,186,666
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $2,858,570$3,204,791
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $3,186,666 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,111,740
XI-2 Total expenses$753,911
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$357,829
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$2,835,434
XI-9 Other changes in net assets−$6,597
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$3,186,666

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

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