Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Dec 2015.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
85 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
9 people listed on the 990; $65K paid to officers and key staff.
Kessler Cuffman’s $80K as Executive Director is at the 75th 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
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kessler Cuffman | $80,000 | $97,917 | $65,000 | $53,874 | $46,041 | $16,875 |
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 2Yes
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo
- Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II1 listed
Programs and updates
Empowers students to create art, music, and technology for personal and community growth.
Questions for Dynamo Studios
Your first name shows with your question. Dynamo Studios answers here, for everyone.
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In-School Program
All in school programs follow various teaching standards that we structure the CLASSES/PROGRAMS around (national arts media and A/V cte standards) so that students are able to received credit for their time in these classes.
Mentorship Program in Schools
At the start of the hcde 2023-2024 school year, dynamo studios plans to continue this work through funding and staffing three full-time teacher positions that will work between howard connect academy and howard high school as well as supporting programming at chatt prep, dalewood middle school, and center for creative arts.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2023 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY23 | End FY23 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $85K | $178K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $44K | $185K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $129K | $390K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $275 | $0 |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $129K | $390K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $76K | $74K | $2K | |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $119K | $119K | ||
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $14K | $14K | $149 | |
| Management feesLn 11a | $23 | $23 | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $11K | $7K | $3K | $332 |
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $20K | $9K | $2K | $9K |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $784 | $784 | ||
| OccupancyLn 16 | $690 | $690 | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $412 | $412 | ||
| Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19 | $117 | $117 | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $46K | $26K | $19K | |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $1K | $1K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $8K | $4K | $4K | $201 |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $102 | $102 | ||
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $296K | $253K | $33K | $10K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $1.4M | $1.8M | −$353K | $0 | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $452K | $490K | −$37K | $353K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 Viewing | $557K | $296K | $261K | $390K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $243K | $223K | $19K | $129K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $162K | $109K | 990 PDF | ||
| FY2020 | $96K | $100K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $557,361 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 8 of 9 board members independent, 3 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $557,361 across 5 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $296,108 across 14 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $389,948 assets, 9 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $389,948 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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