Muralism empowers individuals with disabilities through education, training, and paid employment in mural painting. Our programs focus on vocational training, community engagement, and public art creation, fostering inclusion and skill development.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
71¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$78K 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

FY2024 · 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 7
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $7K a year · 2% of revenue · last 7 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 4 of the last 7 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 7 filings
Spent on programs
71%
of spending
Fine: 71% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$78K
to officers and key staff · 18% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 18% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Worth a look: 0.7 months of spending in cash; under 1.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
2
named funders · $40K
Fine: 2 funders name it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$57K
164% of total assets
Concern: liabilities are 164% of assets; over 80%.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$415K
+19% vs prior year
Spent
$438K
To programs
71%
Net assets
−$22K
By yearFY2018–FY2025
Revenue
$415K
FY2024▲ +19%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2018$0
FY2020$189K
FY2021$433K
FY2022$246K
FY2023$349K
FY2024$415K
FY2025$526K
Expenses
$438K
FY2024▲ +14%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2018$0
FY2020$169K
FY2021$310K
FY2022$360K
FY2023$383K
FY2024$438K
FY2025$448K
Net assets
−$22K
FY2024▼ -2528%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2018$0
FY2020$25K
FY2021$148K
FY2022$35K
FY2023$918
FY2024−$22K
FY2025$52K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 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 Aug 2019.

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

Where the money goes

71 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 71% · $310K Management & general 24% · $104K Fundraising 5% · $23K

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; $78K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$77,910Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Secretarydirector
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman of the Board Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Ernest a Merlan$77,910$77,910$74,026$69,599$64,062$39,560

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

Programs and updates

Creates community murals painted by artists with special needs.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $310K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Painted 30 murals and trained and employed and contracted 16 part-time artists with disabilities, while engaging over 1000 K-12 students at Title 1 schools.

$310Kprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$40K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$415K
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$283K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$132K
Money outPt IX
$438K
Ln 25
Programscol B$310K
Managementcol C$104K
Fundraisingcol D$23K
Owns and owesPt X
−$22K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$27K
Total assetsLn 16$35K
LiabilitiesLn 26$57K
PeoplePt VI, VII
9
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$132K
Government grantsLn 1e$24K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$283K
Total revenueLn 12$415K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$27K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$27K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$6K
Total assetsLn 16$35K
LiabilitiesLn 26$57K
Net assetsLn 32−$22K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 516
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$38K$27K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$9K$6K
Total assetsLn 16$46K$35K
LiabilitiesLn 26$45K$57K
Net assetsLn 32$918−$22K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$78K$62K$16K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$131K$131K
Payroll taxesLn 10$18K$16K$1K
Management feesLn 11a$57K$28K$28K
Legal feesLn 11b$474$474
Accounting feesLn 11c$26K$26K
Professional fundraising feesLn 11e$21K$21K
Office expensesLn 13$4K$2K$2K
Information technologyLn 14$31K$15K$16K
TravelLn 17$4K$4K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$3K$3K
InsuranceLn 23$21K$16K$4K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$36K$36K
All other expensesLn 24e$9K$8K$974
Total functional expensesLn 25$438K$310K$104K$23K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $526K$448K$78K$52K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $415K$438K−$23K−$22K 990 PDF
FY2023 $349K$383K−$34K$918 990 PDF
FY2022 $246K$360K−$113K$35K 990 PDF
FY2021 $433K$310K$123K$148K 990 PDF
FY2020 $189K$169K$21K$25K 990 PDF
FY2019 Not on file
FY2018 $0$0$0$0 990 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $414,627 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $165,297$131,592
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $184,090$283,035
I-10 Investment income$0
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $349,387$414,627
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paid$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $201,008$226,092
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $11,525$20,533
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $170,796$191,210
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $383,329$437,835
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$33,942−$23,208
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 4 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $414,627 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$24,334
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$107,258
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$131,592
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $283,035$283,035
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $283,035 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$414,627
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $437,835 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $62,328 · Management $15,582$77,910
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $130,578$130,578
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $16,367 · Management $1,237$17,604
IX-11a Management feesPrograms $28,417 · Management $28,417$56,834
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $474$474
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $26,000$26,000
IX-11e Professional fundraising feesFundraising $20,533$20,533
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $2,094 · Fundraising $1,587$3,681
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $15,469 · Management $15,669$31,138
IX-17 TravelPrograms $4,387$4,387
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $2,516$2,516
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $16,496 · Management $4,074$20,570
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $36,442$36,442
IX-24e All other expensesManagement $8,194 · Fundraising $974$9,168
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $310,484 · Management $104,257 · Fundraising $23,094$437,835
Part X · Balance sheet $34,744 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $37,523$26,583
X-4 Accounts receivable$1,871
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $8,806$6,290
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $46,329$34,744
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $18,258$32,733
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $17,153$16,695
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $10,000$7,605
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $45,411$57,033
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $918−$22,289
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $46,329$34,744
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets −$22,289 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$414,627
XI-2 Total expenses$437,835
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$23,208
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$918
XI-8 Prior period adjustments$1
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year−$22,289

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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