Pongo Publishing INC FY2022 filing

Edmonds, WA · Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Youth Development

✓ Tax-deductible
Revenue
$220K
+10% vs prior year
Spent
$277K
To programs
65%
Net assets
$114K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$220K
FY2022▲ +10%
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$159K
FY2021$199K
FY2022$220K
FY2023$215K
FY2024$256K
Expenses
$277K
FY2022▼ -2%
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021$283K
FY2022$277K
FY2023$255K
FY2024$283K
Net assets
$114K
FY2022▼ -17%
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$206K
FY2021$137K
FY2022$114K
FY2023$74K
FY2024$47K

From the FY2022 Form 990 · see the original

You’re viewing the FY2022 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Status and standing

Is it real, and can you give to it?

Tax-deductible?
Yes
Per the IRS master file.
Can I give now?
No revocation on IRS record
Not on the IRS revocation list.
Filing up to date?
Filed FY2024 (typical filing lag)
Legal name (IRS)Hdr · item CPongo Publishing INC
EINHdr · item D91-2114772
Exempt statusHdr · item I501(c)(3) · active
Ruling yearIRS BMFDec 2001
Latest filingForm 990FY2024 · Form 990
Principal addressHdr · item CEdmonds, WA
NTEE classificationIRS BMFYouth Development (O50)
WebsiteHdr · item Jwww.pongopoetryproject.org

Where the money goes

What each dollar paid for.

Statement of Functional Expenses

Part IX · allocated across program, management, and fundraising
Allocation · columns B–D
Program services $0.65 Management & general $0.22 Fundraising $0.13
Program services65%$181K
Management & general22%$60K
Fundraising13%$36K
Total functional expensesLn 25$277K

Financial health

Is it on solid ground?

Program efficiency
65%
of spending reaches programs
Operating runway
4.4mo
months of highly liquid reserves at operating expense rate
Surplus margin
-26%
revenue over expenses, this year

Summary of the Filing

Part I · fiscal year 2022 · Form 990
Total assets
$126K
FY2022▲ +1%
Total assets by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021$124K
FY2022$126K
FY2023$93K
FY2024$82K
Total liabilities
$11K
FY2022▲ +187%
Total liabilities by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021−$13K
FY2022$11K
FY2023$18K
FY2024$35K
Revenue less expensesPt I · Ln 19−$57K
Total assetsPt X · Ln 16$126K
Program-expense ratioPt IX · col B65%
Voting members of governing bodyPt I · Ln 313
Independent voting membersPt I · Ln 413

Balance Sheet

Part X · end of year
CashLn 1$102K
Total assetsLn 16$126K
Total liabilitiesLn 26$11K
Total net assetsLn 32$114K
Months of cash on handcomputed4.4

Statement of Revenue

Part VIII
Contributions & grants$176K · 80%
Program service revenue$43K · 19%
Contributions & grants80%$176K
Program service revenue19%$43K
Investment income$765
Total revenueLn 12$220K

Financial Metrics

Form 990 · FY2022 · each ratio shown with the dollars behind it
Liquidity & Payout
Operating runway
Highly liquid reserves $102K · Operating expenses/yr $277K
4.4 months
Where the money goes
Program services
Program services $181K · Total expenses $277K
65%
Management & General
Management & general $60K · Total expenses $277K
22%
Fundraising
Fundraising $36K · Total expenses $277K
13%
Cost to raise $1
Fundraising expense (2-yr avg) $34K · Solicited contributions (2-yr avg) $98K
$0.35 to raise $1 (2-yr avg)
Where the money comes from
Contribution dependence
Contributions & grants $176K · Total revenue $220K
80%
Government reliance
Government grants — · Total revenue $220K
—
Earned-income share
Program service revenue $43K · Total revenue $220K
19%
Investment reliance
Investment income $765 · Total revenue $220K
+0.3%
Program self-sufficiency
Program service revenue $43K · Total expenses $277K
15%
Growth & trend
Revenue growth (YoY)
This year $220K · Prior year $199K
+10%
Net-asset trend (YoY)
End of year $114K · Beginning of year —
Beginning net assets not meaningfully positive — showing dollar change
Balance sheet
Surplus Margin
Revenue $220K · Expenses $277K
-26%
Liabilities-to-Assets
Total liabilities — · Total assets $126K
—
Net-asset ratio
Net assets $114K · Total assets $126K
91%
Marketable Investment Share
Publicly traded securities (Pt X, ln 11) — · Other securities (Pt X, ln 12) — · Total assets (Pt X, ln 16) $126K
Excludes program-related investments (Pt X, ln 13)
People & payroll
Highest Reported Total Compensation
Individual Melanie Sherzad · Reported title DIRECTOR · Highest reported compensation $0 · Total expenses $277K
0%
Personnel share
Salaries, benefits & payroll (Pt IX 5-10) $227K · Total expenses $277K
82%
Peer comparison

Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.

MetricThis orgPeer medianPercentile
Program ratio 65%——
Overhead ratio 22%——
Fundraising cost ratio 20%——
Revenue growth 10%——
Accounting fee ratio 2%——

Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.

Leadership and pay

Who runs it, and what are they paid?

Officers, Directors & Key Employees

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Treasurer
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Nebeu Shimeles’s $90K as Coexec Dir Dev Fin is at the 81st percentile of top reported officer pay among 1993 $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.

See Pongo Publishing INC executive salaries →

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Governance & Policies

Part VI
  • 13Voting board membersPt VI · Ln 1a
  • 13Independent board membersPt VI · Ln 1b
  • Conflict-of-interest policyPt VI · Ln 12aYes
  • Whistleblower policyPt VI · Ln 13No
  • Document retention policyPt VI · Ln 14No
  • Top official’s pay independently reviewedPt VI · Ln 15aNo
  • Family or business ties among leadersPt VI · Ln 2No

Mission and programs

What it does.

Empower teens who've faced trauma through personal poetry writing and mentorship.

Provided by the organization

This section is blank until Pongo Publishing INC claims this page.

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Mission & Programs · Part III

Where the work happens

1 program service account for $181K of program spending, described in the organization's own filed words · FY2022.
01

Pongo provides therapeutic poetry writing programs in detention centers, mental health facilities, homeless shelters, and other sites for youth who have experienced trauma, including abuse, neglect, and exposure to violence and oppression.

$181Kprogram expense

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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
ArtsfundFY2024$20K
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$78K
See all 4 funders →

Filing history

Every return on file.

YearRevenueExpensesChangeFiling
FY2024 Latest $256K$283K+19% 990 PDF
FY2023 $215K$255K-2% 990 PDF
FY2022 Viewing $220K$277K+10% 990 PDF
FY2021 $199K$283K+25% 990 PDF
FY2020 $159K— 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

Not shown yet: ratings, outcomes, and peer benchmarks. A Form 990 doesn’t report them.

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Sources

Every figure above is drawn from these filings
Form 990 e-file (XML) · FY2022IRS
Classification, formation year, addressIRS Business Master File
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