Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Aug 2016.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
37 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
Something off? Claim to add context
Who runs it and what they're paid
3 people listed on the 990; $12 paid to officers and key staff.
David Lehman’s $12 as Founding Director is at the 0th 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 · 1 named individual · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Lehman | $12 | $41,404 | $46,500 | $71,000 | $50,720 | $40,981 |
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 Photo Start executive salaries →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 II2 listed
Programs and updates
Teaches photography and business skills to disadvantaged children, fostering creativity and empowerment.
Questions for Photo Start
Your first name shows with your question. Photo Start answers here, for everyone.
Photo start graduates will be capable of using digital cameras, manipulating lights, understand best practices regarding digital workflow, digital production, and digital asset management. Planning and patience, two prized assets of the prepared photographer, are also valued highly by businesses and hiring managers in a multitude of…
Photo start is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization developed to foster creativity and teach marketable skills to disadvantaged people in depressed areas. The foundation is organized exclusively for education purposes.
In 2025, photo start continued developing its south africa programming with an emphasis on local leadership, instructor capacity and long-term sustainability. The organization supported a structure in which local instructors could help deliver programming, earn paid commissions, and participate in a more self-sustaining creative…
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2025 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY25 | End FY25 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $2K | $101K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $9K | $101K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $346K | $355K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | −$336K | −$254K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $12 | $12 | ||
| Management feesLn 11a | $1 | $1 | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $3K | $3K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $223 | $223 | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $190 | $190 | ||
| Office expensesLn 13 | $1K | $610 | $659 | |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $3K | $3K | ||
| TravelLn 17 | $359 | $292 | $67 | |
| InterestLn 20 | $9K | $9K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $16K | $11K | $4K | |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $1K | $402 | $639 | |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $34K | $13K | $21K | $67 |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest ViewingFiled with the IRS May 15, 2026 | $117K | $34K | $83K | −$254K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024Filed with the IRS Nov 17, 2025 | $124K | $239K | −$115K | −$336K | 990 PDF |
| FY2023Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2024 | $199K | $300K | −$100K | −$222K | 990 PDF |
| FY2022Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2023 | $227K | $310K | −$83K | −$121K | 990 PDF |
| FY2021Filed with the IRS Nov 15, 2022 | $156K | $188K | −$32K | −$43K | 990 PDF |
| FY2020Filed with the IRS Nov 13, 2021 | $53K | $152K | −$99K | −$11K | 990 PDF |
| FY2019Filed with the IRS Jul 15, 2021 | $242K | $185K | $57K | $88K | 990 PDF |
Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $116,565 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 1 of 3 board members independent, 2 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $116,565 across 5 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $33,944 across 11 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $100,915 assets, 13 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$253,695 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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