MAMA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

MAMA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS INC

EIN 31-1614732 · Arts, Culture & Humanities (A650)

What they do

CREATED to HELP ESTABLISH HARLEM AS A ARTISTIC and CULTURAL CENTER PIECE of THE WORLD. THE ORGANIZATIONS MISSION is to PRESENT, PRESERVE and PROMOTE GOSPEL, JAZZ and THE R&B ARTS for CURRENT and FUTURE GENERATIONS.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $58.10 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2025The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders13 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

71.35%of revenue went to mission work58.1% of expenses · Program services

9.95%of revenue went to fundraising8.1% of expenses

$122.91spent for every $100 of revenueSpending was higher than revenue this year.

41.61%of revenue went to management and office costs33.9% of expenses

$1.17in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

64.9%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Worth asking: Expenses exceeded revenue by $328,430 this year. Ask whether that was planned or caused by a one-time event.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $117,666 for KNOELLE WYDRO (PROGRAM DIRE). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2025

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$1,433,677

Mission workProgram services$1,022,91171.35% of revenue58.1% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$596,54241.61% of revenue33.9% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$142,6549.95% of revenue8.1% of expenses

Total expenses$1,762,107122.91% of revenue

Expenses were greater than revenue, so the colored ring fills the available $100 and the total above 100% is shown below.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2025CurrentExpense mix: 58.1% mission · 33.9% management · 8.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 122.91% of revenue

2024Expense mix: 59.2% mission · 28.9% management · 11.9% fundraisingTotal expenses: 96.85% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 44.2% mission · 40.6% management · 15.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 107.34% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 45.9% mission · 44.0% management · 10.1% fundraisingTotal expenses: 63.01% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 46.0% mission · 47.2% management · 6.8% fundraisingTotal expenses: 40.77% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 41.1% mission · 50.3% management · 8.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 100.28% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 51.6% mission · 45.0% management · 3.4% fundraisingTotal expenses: 93.26% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 61.5% mission · 36.0% management · 2.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 110.92% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$1,433,677

Expenses$1,762,107

Annual shortfall $328,430 Expenses were higher than revenue for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$1,022,911 · 58.1% of expenses

Management and office costs$596,542 · 33.9% of expenses

Fundraising$142,654 · 8.1% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$1,433,677

Expenses$1,762,107

Assets$2,067,624

Income$1,433,677

Contributions$931,061

Mission work (program services)$1,022,911

Fundraising$142,654

Management and general$596,542

Executive compensation (total)$27,800

Stocks and bonds$1,243,223

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2025

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

KNOELLE WYDROPROGRAM DIRE · 40 hrs/week $117,666

VY HIGGINSENEXECUTIVE DI · 40 hrs/week $99,008

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (13)

KNOELLE WYDROPROGRAM DIRE

VY HIGGINSENEXECUTIVE DI

ANDREA CISCOSECRETARY

DAVID RIMMERTRUSTEE

ED BLUMENFELDTRUSTEE

JEFFREY ANDERSONTREASURER

JOYCE DAVISCO-CHAIR

KERY DAVISCO-CHAIR

NIGEL PIERCETRUSTEE

PATRICK JC SHAWTRUSTEE

RITA RODINTRUSTEE

ROBIN HOMMELTRUSTEE

SAMANTHA DAVISTRUSTEE

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1998
Location: 149 W 126TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10027-4412
County: New York
In care of: VY HIGGINSEN
Primary officer: VY HIGGINSEN, EXECUTIVE DIR

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailinfo@mamafoundation.org Phone(212) 280-1045

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2025
Tax period began: January 1, 2025
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: KUDISCH OSTER & COMPANY LLC
NTEE classification: Arts, Culture & Humanities (A650)
IRS tax category: Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters