Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jan 2024.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
70 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
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
6 people listed on the 990; $40K paid to officers and key staff.
Nicholas Hartrich’s $40K as Executive Director is at the 35th percentile of top reported officer pay among 2216 $100K–1M arts & culture 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.
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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
Creates multi-sensory events to inspire community and activate places.
Questions for Paper Whale Arts Spc
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Activation
Curating a wide variety of murals and installations to support the beautification of the downtown cityscape.
Fire & Story
A family-friendly winter festival brimming with illuminated art installations, roaring fire pits, and captivating performances which include music, storytelling, fire dancing, live metalsmithing, saunas and so much more. This outdoor event celebrates the spirit of winter while embracing the weather.
Noisy Waters Mural Fest
World-renowned muralists gather in bellingham, wa for a weekend of mural painting, demos, music, parties, education and inspiration. This festival is a friendly art contest, in which artists will have three days to paint 8x8 portable walls on public display for the community to enjoy.
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 | $108K | $243K |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $10K | $20K |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $118K | $297K |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $16K | $34K |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $102K | $264K |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $40K | $40K | ||
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $36K | $36K | ||
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $7K | $7K | ||
| Management feesLn 11a | $7K | $7K | ||
| Legal feesLn 11b | $875 | $875 | ||
| Accounting feesLn 11c | $17K | $17K | ||
| Other fees for servicesLn 11g | $33K | $33K | ||
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $44K | $33K | $11K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $24K | $16K | $8K | |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $39K | $4K | $35K | |
| TravelLn 17 | $2K | $2K | ||
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $2K | $2K | $860 | |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $3K | $580 | $3K | |
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $449K | $434K | $15K | |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $5K | $4K | $472 | $319 |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $711K | $496K | $215K | $319 |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest Viewing | $873K | $711K | $162K | $264K | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $268K | $189K | $79K | $102K | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $873,043 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 5 of 5 board members independent, 3 to look at
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $873,043 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $711,284 across 15 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $297,479 assets, 9 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $263,714 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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