Narrative Arts builds community power through storytelling, journalism, dialogue, and cultural organizing. Through multimedia reporting, public engagement projects, artist collaborations, youth media initiatives, and fiscal sponsorship services, the organization helps communities document their experiences, strengthen civic participation, preserve cultural memory, and advance social change.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
96¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$87K 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
3 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $16K a year · 4% of revenue · last 6 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
96%
of spending
Looks good: 96% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$87K
to officers and key staff · 28% of spending
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 28% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
17 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 17.1 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $166K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
6
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 6 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$389K
-26% vs prior year
Spent
$310K
To programs
96%
Net assets
$442K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$389K
FY2023▼ -26%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$299K
FY2021$436K
FY2022$528K
FY2023$389K
FY2024$398K
FY2025$682K
Expenses
$310K
FY2023▼ -27%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$366K
FY2021$461K
FY2022$423K
FY2023$310K
FY2024$500K
FY2025$573K
Net assets
$442K
FY2023▲ +22%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$283K
FY2021$258K
FY2022$363K
FY2023$442K
FY2024$340K
FY2025$449K

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 Apr 2016.

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

Where the money goes

96 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 96% · $298K Management & general 3% · $8K Fundraising 1% · $3K

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

7 people listed on the 990; $87K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$86,928Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
At-Large Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
At-Large Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Nick Szuberla’s $63K as Executive Director is at the 52nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 2168 $100K–1M human services 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Nick Szuberla$62,752$86,928$70,750$71,500$59,800
Paul Vandecarr————$10,125

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 Narrative Arts 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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Inspire democracy by helping communities tell impactful stories.

Questions for Narrative Arts

Tap to ask. Narrative Arts sees how many people are interested.

Your first name shows with your question. Narrative Arts answers here, for everyone.

Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $308K · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Narrative Arts Center

Narrative arts' staff work collaboratively using theater, youth media, performance arts to harness the power of storytelling and narrative change for equity. Exp. 140,200

$140Kprogram expense
02

Coastal Youth Media (cym)

Trains youth in media arts and develops help them explore their own cultures, stories and community concerns. Narrative arts staff produce original works research methologies and create curriculum guides (where I come from, loud as we want and still here).

$100Kprogram expense
03

Shoresides

A local journalism project serving coastal north carolina with community engagement and original content. The program provides information useful to people navigating their daily lives. Exp. 66,876

$67Kprogram 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
See all 5 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$389K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$273K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$115K
Money outPt IX
$310K
Ln 25
Programscol B$298K
Managementcol C$8K
Fundraisingcol D$3K
Owns and owesPt X
$442K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$442K
Total assetsLn 16$442K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b6
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$273K
Government grantsLn 1e$19K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$115K
Total revenueLn 12$389K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$442K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$442K
Total assetsLn 16$442K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$442K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 51
VolunteersI 617
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
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$363K$442K
Total assetsLn 16$363K$442K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$363K$442K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$87K$87K
Accounting feesLn 11c$3K$3K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$2K$2K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$5K$5K
Information technologyLn 14$3K$3K
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$207K$207K
Total functional expensesLn 25$310K$298K$8K$3K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $682K$573K$109K$449K 990 PDF
FY2024 $398K$500K−$102K$340K 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $389K$310K$79K$442K 990 PDF
FY2022 $528K$423K$105K$363K 990 PDF
FY2021 $436K$461K−$25K$258K 990 PDF
FY2020 $299K$366K−$67K$283K 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 $388,557 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $528,482$273,443
I-9 Program service revenue$115,114
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $528,482$388,557
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $70,750$86,928
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $2,608$1,950
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $423,430$220,844
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $496,788$309,722
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $31,694$78,835
Part VI · Governance 6 of 7 board members independent, 3 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members6
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $388,557 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$18,800
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$254,643
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$273,443
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)$115,114
VIII-12 Total revenue$388,557
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $309,722 across 8 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $86,928$86,928
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $2,606$2,606
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $1,950$1,950
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $1,362$1,362
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $5,269$5,269
IX-14 Information technologyManagement $2,782$2,782
IX-17 TravelPrograms $2,100$2,100
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $206,725$206,725
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $298,359 · Management $8,051 · Fundraising $3,312$309,722
Part X · Balance sheet $441,768 assets, 5 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $362,933$441,768
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $362,933$441,768
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $362,933$441,768
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $362,933$441,768
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $441,768 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$388,557
XI-2 Total expenses$309,722
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$78,835
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$362,933
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$441,768

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

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