Illuminative INC

Boulder, COUnknown exempt organizationEIN 92-1975377Revenue $644K in FY2025

On file with the IRSilluminative.org909 Walnut Street 300 · Boulder, CO

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Illuminative is a native woman-led racial and social justice organization dedicated to increasing the visibility of and challenging the narrative about native peoples.

64¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 3 volunteers.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

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FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
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
2 of 3
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $267K a year · 3% of revenue · last 3 filings
Fine: a surplus in 2 of the last 3 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 3 filings
Spent on programs
64%
of spending
Worth a look: 64% of spending went to programs; under 65%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$2.5M
to officers and key staff · 20% of spending
Fine: pay to officers and key staff is 20% of spending; 15% to 20%.
Pt VII · Sec A
Named funders
31
named funders · $16.9M
Looks good: 31 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
total owed
No data yet: the filing does not give total assets.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
3
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 3 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$644K
-97% vs prior year
Spent
$12.7M
To programs
64%
Net assets
$0
By yearFY2023–FY2025
Revenue
$644K
FY2025▼ -97%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2023$2.1M
FY2024$20.8M
FY2025$644K
Expenses
$12.7M
FY2025▲ +10%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2023$103K
FY2024$11.6M
FY2025$12.7M
Net assets
$0
FY2025▼ -100%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2023$2.0M
FY2024$12.1M
FY2025$0

From the FY2025 Form 990 · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025.

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

Where the money goes

64 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 64% · $8.1M Management & general 28% · $3.6M Fundraising 8% · $980K

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

15 people listed on the 990; $2.5M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$674,933Pt VII · Sec A
$550,776Pt VII · Sec A
$309,642Pt VII · Sec A
Exec Assistant 1/1-9/16/25
$188,668Pt VII · Sec A
SR Dir of Advancement 1/1-8/1/25
$170,344Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Director 1/1-3/2/25
$168,279Pt VII · Sec A
HR Director 1/1-7/1/25
$129,888Pt VII · Sec A
People & Culture Manager 1/1-7/1/25
$113,126Pt VII · Sec A

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024
Crystal Echo Hawk$674,933$264,152
Michael Johnson$550,776$259,377
Collin Czilli$309,642$146,695
Angel Charley$168,279$208,684
Kalee Salazar$188,668—
Andreas Hipple$170,344—
Jennifer Van Der Heide Escobar—$145,302
Connie Fisher$129,888—

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 Illuminative INC 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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Advocates for Native peoples, increasing their visibility and challenging harmful narratives.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $7.6M · in their own filed words · FY2025
01

Narrative power and impact (npi) houses research-informed storytelling, digital organizing, narrative strategy, media relations, and rapid response communications that educate, engage and activate native and allied audiences around key native issues.

$3.8Mprogram expense
02

Pop culture & media seeks to advance institutional equity for native peoples throughout the entertainment and media ecosystem. Through this pillar, we educate and engage industry professionals in best practices for native representation, support native creatives through career pathway programs, and engage in internal and external…

$2.0Mprogram expense
03

Research and action (r+a) partners with leading native scholars, institutions, and organizations to initiate and activate original research studies for and about native peoples that inform all other areas of our work.

$1.8Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2024
See all 31 funders →
Grants paid · 48 grants · $4.2M · 2023–2025
Amplifier FoundationCA · FY2025$425,000
Sundance InstituteUT · FY2025$300,000
Native MovementAK · FY2025$200,000
Lone Wolf Documentary GroupFY2025$160,000
Alliance for a Just SocietyWA · FY2025$150,000
Community PartnersCA · FY2025$105,000
Big Sky Film Institute INCMT · FY2025$100,000
Native American Rights FundCO · FY2025$75,000
Youth ForwardCA · FY2025$60,000
Red Ambition Productions LLCFY2025$50,000
One Innertainment INCOK · FY2025$40,000
Movement Strategy CenterCA · FY2025$30,000
Menomini You INCWI · FY2025$30,000
See all 48 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$644K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$651K
Investment incomeLn 3$977
Money outPt IX
$12.7M
Ln 25
Programscol B$8.1M
Managementcol C$3.6M
Fundraisingcol D$980K
Owns and owesPt X
$0
net assets · Ln 32
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
15
listed · VII A
PaidVII A10
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b3
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$651K
Investment incomeLn 3$977
Gains on assetsLn 7−$21K
Total revenueLn 12$644K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$0
SavingsLn 2$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$0
Other assetsLn 15$0
Total assetsLn 16$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$0
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 63
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 FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$11.5M$0
InvestmentsLn 11–13$0
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$38K$0
Total assetsLn 16$12.9M$0
LiabilitiesLn 26$861K$0
Net assetsLn 32$12.1M$0
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic organizationsLn 1$2.6M$2.6M
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$2.0M$722K$791K$516K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.3M$859K$984K$412K
Legal feesLn 11b$256K$22K$234K
Accounting feesLn 11c$268K$268K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$2.4M$2.1M$343K$15K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$1.8M$1.7M$146K$489
Office expensesLn 13$53K$4K$49K
Information technologyLn 14$204K$41K$152K$10K
OccupancyLn 16$255K$41K$188K$26K
TravelLn 17$284K$60K$224K$528
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$11K$11K
InsuranceLn 23$29K$29K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$219K$29K$190K
Total functional expensesLn 25$12.7M$8.1M$3.6M$980K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $644K$12.7M−$12.1M$0 990 PDF
FY2024 $20.8M$11.6M$9.2M$12.1M 990 PDF
FY2023 $2.1M$103K$2.0M$2.0M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $644,149 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $20,657,075$651,282
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $118,670$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0−$19,646
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $21,456$12,513
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $20,797,201$644,149
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $1,535,175$2,613,954
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $4,586,903$4,283,866
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $5,440,615$5,804,067
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $11,562,693$12,701,887
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $9,234,508−$12,057,738
Part VI · Governance 3 of 3 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members3
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
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $644,149 across 6 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$651,282
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$651,282
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $977$977
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsRelated to mission −$20,623−$20,623
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $12,513$12,513
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission −$20,623 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $13,490$644,149
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $12,701,887 across 14 lines filed
IX-1 Grants to domestic organizationsPrograms $2,613,954$2,613,954
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $721,710 · Management $790,800 · Fundraising $515,967$2,028,477
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $859,085 · Management $984,445 · Fundraising $411,859$2,255,389
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $21,765 · Management $233,811$255,576
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $268,016$268,016
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $2,058,945 · Management $342,997 · Fundraising $14,647$2,416,589
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $1,662,201 · Management $146,446 · Fundraising $489$1,809,136
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $3,673 · Management $48,942$52,615
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $40,968 · Management $152,137 · Fundraising $10,461$203,566
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $41,319 · Management $187,719 · Fundraising $26,015$255,053
IX-17 TravelPrograms $60,071 · Management $223,691 · Fundraising $528$284,290
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationManagement $11,289$11,289
IX-23 InsuranceManagement $28,532$28,532
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $29,058 · Management $190,347$219,405
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $8,112,749 · Management $3,609,172 · Fundraising $979,966$12,701,887
Part X · Balance sheet $0 assets, 20 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $11,548,721$0
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$0
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$0
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $715,000$0
X-8 Inventories for sale or use$0
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $30,951$0
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $37,631$0
X-11 Publicly traded securities$0
X-12 Other securities$0
X-13 Program-related investments$0
X-14 Intangible assets$0
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $586,891$0
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $12,919,194$0
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $302,092$0
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $559,364$0
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $861,456$0
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $10,808,366$0
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $1,249,372$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $12,057,738$0
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $12,919,194$0
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $0 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$644,149
XI-2 Total expenses$12,701,887
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$12,057,738
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$12,057,738
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$0

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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