Thinkwatts Foundation

Tax-deductible

Los Angeles, CA501(c)(3)Community DevelopmentEIN 83-2224841Revenue $1.5M in FY2024

On file with the IRSthinkwattsfoundation.org1225 E 100th St, 90002-2824 · Los Angeles, CATax-exempt since Jul 2019Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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The primary focus on community grassroots activations along with developing financial literacy programs, program development, local refurbishments, tools, equipment, and supplies for students, custom container housing solutions, and charitable fundraising through entertainment industry efforts.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$299K 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
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 4
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $197K a year · 21% of revenue · last 4 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 4 of the last 4 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 4 filings
Spent on programs
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$299K
to officers and key staff · 26% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 76% of similar orgs
Worth a look: pay to officers and key staff is 26% of spending; over 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
7 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 7.0 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
11
named funders · $388K
Looks good: 11 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$10K
1% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 1% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
2
of 2 voting members
Looks good: 2 of 2 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.5M
+41% vs prior year
Spent
$1.2M
To programs
78%
Net assets
$842K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$1.5M
FY2024▲ +41%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$104K
FY2021$307K
FY2022$930K
FY2023$1.1M
FY2024$1.5M
Expenses
$1.2M
FY2024▲ +15%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021$197K
FY2022$642K
FY2023$1.0M
FY2024$1.2M
Net assets
$842K
FY2024▲ +68%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$54K
FY2021$164K
FY2022$452K
FY2023$500K
FY2024$842K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Jul 2019.

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

Where the money goes

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $905K Management & general 20% · $231K Fundraising 3% · $30K

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

5 people listed on the 990; $299K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
CEO and Corporate Secretary
$238,634Pt VII · Sec A
Chief Financial Officer
$60,000Pt VII · Sec A
Board Chair
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Brandon Salaam-Bailey’s $239K as CEO and Corporate Secretary is at the 76th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2832 $1–10M community 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

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Brandon Salaam-Bailey$238,634$203,002$81,910$43,000$17,000
Felicia Usher$60,000$60,000$15,000——

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 Thinkwatts Foundation 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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Builds community, teaches financial literacy, and provides housing and tools through fundraising.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $905K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

We provide local refurbishments, tools, equipment, and supplies for students. While also providing food through food drives.

$905Kprogram 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
United Way INCFY2024$25K
Total grants receivedfrom 11 funders$388K
See all 11 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.5M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.5M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$42K
Money outPt IX
$1.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$905K
Managementcol C$231K
Fundraisingcol D$30K
Owns and owesPt X
$842K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$682K
Total assetsLn 16$852K
LiabilitiesLn 26$10K
PeoplePt VI, VII
5
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a2
IndependentVI 1b2
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$1.5M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$42K
Total revenueLn 12$1.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$682K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$682K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$11K
Other assetsLn 15$159K
Total assetsLn 16$852K
LiabilitiesLn 26$10K
Net assetsLn 32$842K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$451K$682K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$16K$11K
Total assetsLn 16$500K$852K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$10K
Net assetsLn 32$500K$842K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$299K$194K$75K$30K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$103K$68K$36K
Payroll taxesLn 10$13K$13K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$18K$18K
Office expensesLn 13$86K$56K$30K
TravelLn 17$163K$163K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$8K$8K
InsuranceLn 23$12K$12K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$418K$387K$31K
All other expensesLn 24e$43K$37K$6K
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.2M$905K$231K$30K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $1.5M$1.2M$341K$842K 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.1M$1.0M$49K$500K 990 PDF
FY2022 $930K$642K$288K$452K 990 PDF
FY2021 $307K$197K$110K$164K 990 PDF
FY2020 $104K$54K 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 FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,507,090 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $1,066,397$1,464,751
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$42,339
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,066,397$1,507,090
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $348,957$415,177
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $668,727$750,415
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,017,684$1,165,592
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $48,713$341,498
Part VI · Governance 2 of 2 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body2
VI-1b Independent voting members2
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $1,507,090 across 3 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $42,339 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$1,464,751
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$1,464,751
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $42,339 · Excluded from tax $0$1,507,090
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,165,592 across 11 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $194,112 · Management $74,659 · Fundraising $29,863$298,634
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $67,618 · Management $35,665$103,283
IX-10 Payroll taxesManagement $13,260$13,260
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $2,767$2,767
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $18,000$18,000
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $55,669 · Management $29,977$85,646
IX-17 TravelPrograms $163,198$163,198
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $8,188$8,188
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $11,844$11,844
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $386,781 · Management $31,163$417,944
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $37,301 · Management $5,527$42,828
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $904,679 · Management $231,050 · Fundraising $29,863$1,165,592
Part X · Balance sheet $851,620 assets, 9 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $451,269$682,324
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $33,411$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $15,719$10,775
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $0$158,521
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $500,399$851,620
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $0$9,723
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$9,723
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $500,399$841,897
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $500,399$851,620
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $841,897 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,507,090
XI-2 Total expenses$1,165,592
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$341,498
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$500,399
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$841,897

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

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