Telling Room FY2023 filing

Tax-deductible

Portland, ME501(c)(3)Youth DevelopmentEIN 74-3136956

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ORGANIZATION'S MISSION: At The Telling Room, we empower youth through writing and share their voices with the world. Focused on young writers age 6 to 18, we seek to build confidence, strengthen literacy skills, and provide audiences for students. As a literary arts education and youth publishing organization, we believe that the power of creative expression can change communities for the better and help youth succeed now and in the future.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
68¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$77K 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
2 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $27K a year · 3% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 2 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
68%
of spending
Fine: 68% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$77K
to officers and key staff · 8% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 8% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
11 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 10.7 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
3
named funders · $7K
Looks good: 3 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$36K
4% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 4% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
14
of 14 voting members
Looks good: 14 of 14 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$960K
+5% vs prior year
Spent
$998K
To programs
68%
Net assets
$920K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$960K
FY2023▲ +5%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$725K
FY2021$932K
FY2022$915K
FY2023$960K
FY2024$779K
FY2025$960K
Expenses
$998K
FY2023▲ +14%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$728K
FY2021$709K
FY2022$877K
FY2023$998K
FY2024$1.1M
FY2025$1.0M
Net assets
$920K
FY2023▼ -4%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$705K
FY2021$920K
FY2022$958K
FY2023$920K
FY2024$627K
FY2025$537K

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending June 2023) · 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 Sep 2006.

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

Where the money goes

68 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 68% · $683K Management & general 16% · $160K Fundraising 15% · $155K

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

15 people listed on the 990; $77K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$77,311Pt VII · Sec A
Vice President of Board
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board of Directors
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Board President
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Kristina Powell’s $79K as Executive Director is at the 71st 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 · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Kristina Powell$78,916$79,988$77,311$20,449——
Celine Kuhn————$62,973$71,928

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

Empowers youth through writing, sharing their voices and building confidence.

Provided by the organization

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1 program service account for $683K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2022.
01

To provide a writing program for young writers and storytellers between the ages of 6 and 18.

$683Kprogram 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 · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 3 funders$7K
See all 3 funders →
Grants paid · 3 grants · $81K · 2022–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$29,049
Unitemized GrantFY2023$24,748
Unitemized GrantFY2022$27,395

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$960K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$731K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$152K
Other incomeLn 4–11$71K
Money outPt IX
$998K
Ln 25
Programscol B$683K
Managementcol C$160K
Fundraisingcol D$155K
Owns and owesPt X
$920K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$888K
Total assetsLn 16$957K
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K
PeoplePt VI, VII
15
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a14
IndependentVI 1b14
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$731K
Government grantsLn 1e$22K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$28K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$152K
Investment incomeLn 3$6K
Other incomeLn 4–11$71K
Total revenueLn 12$960K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$324K
SavingsLn 2$564K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$888K
Other assetsLn 15$863
Total assetsLn 16$957K
LiabilitiesLn 26$36K
Net assetsLn 32$920K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 530
VolunteersI 675
Fiscal year endsHeaderJune
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aNo
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
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$1.0M$888K
Total assetsLn 16$1.0M$957K
LiabilitiesLn 26$51K$36K
Net assetsLn 32$958K$920K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$27K$27K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$79K$56K$8K$14K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$584K$413K$61K$110K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8$9K$6K$3K$614
Other employee benefitsLn 9$27K$17K$8K$2K
Payroll taxesLn 10$56K$40K$6K$10K
Accounting feesLn 11c$19K$19K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$27K$787$21K$5K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$6K$488$4K$796
Office expensesLn 13$19K$7K$10K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$14K$7K$7K
OccupancyLn 16$36K$36K
TravelLn 17$12K$12K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$2K$2K$45
InsuranceLn 23$6K$6K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$77K$63K$4K$10K
Total functional expensesLn 25$998K$683K$160K$155K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $960K$1.0M−$90K$537K 990 PDF
FY2024 $779K$1.1M−$294K$627K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $960K$998K−$38K$920K 990 PDF
FY2022 $915K$877K$38K$958K 990 PDF
FY2021 $932K$709K$223K$920K 990 PDF
FY2020 $725K$728K−$3K$705K 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 FY2023 990 (4 parts)
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $960,480 across 8 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $11,796 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$22,500
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$708,645
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$28,080
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$731,145
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $152,427$152,427
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $5,899$5,899
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $59,213$59,213
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $164,223 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $65,112$960,480
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $998,133 across 16 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $27,395$27,395
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $56,060 · Management $8,440 · Fundraising $14,373$78,873
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $412,679 · Management $61,316 · Fundraising $109,689$583,684
IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $5,578 · Management $2,633 · Fundraising $614$8,825
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $17,290 · Management $8,161 · Fundraising $1,904$27,355
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $39,662 · Management $5,742 · Fundraising $10,273$55,677
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $18,975$18,975
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $787 · Management $21,048 · Fundraising $5,000$26,835
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $488 · Management $4,477 · Fundraising $796$5,761
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $6,707 · Management $10,491 · Fundraising $2,077$19,275
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $6,554 · Management $7,021$13,575
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $35,618$35,618
IX-17 TravelPrograms $11,727$11,727
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsManagement $1,692 · Fundraising $45$1,737
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $5,803$5,803
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $62,674 · Management $4,417 · Fundraising $9,927$77,018
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $683,219 · Management $160,216 · Fundraising $154,698$998,133
Part X · Balance sheet $956,543 assets, 14 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $353,889$324,072
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $647,222$563,597
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$50,000
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $3,549$6,895
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $3,137$6,924
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred charges$4,192
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $863$863
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,008,660$956,543
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $50,524$36,060
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $50,524$36,060
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $886,136$665,758
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $72,000$254,725
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $958,136$920,483
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,008,660$956,543
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $920,483 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$960,480
XI-2 Total expenses$998,133
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$37,653
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$958,136
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$920,483

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

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