GRIOT ARTS INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

GRIOT ARTS INC

EIN 45-1838783 · Arts Education (A25)

What they do

GRIOT ARTS is DEDICATED to EMPOWERING PEOPLE IN CLARKSDALE, MS, BY PROVIDING ACCESS to ENRICHING ARTS EDUCATION and WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. OUR MISSION is to CULTIVATE CREATIVITY, COMPASSION, and COMMUNITY to ENHANCE THE WELL-BEING of OUR STUDENTS and THE BROADER COMMUNITY. WE BELIEVE IN THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER of THE ARTS and CREATIVE EXPRESSION IN FOSTERING PERSONAL GROWTH, COMMUNITY INTEGRATION, and SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. OUR APPROACH is GROUNDED IN THE BELIEF THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL INHERENTLY POSSESSES UNIQUE CAPABILITIES for SUCCESS. BY NURTURING THESE TALENTS and PERSPECTIVES, WE ENABLE OUR PARTICIPANTS to BECOME AGENTS of POSITIVE CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES and COMMUNITIES. THIS is ACHIEVED THROUGH DIVERSE PROGRAMS INCLUDING AFTER-SCHOOL ART EDUCATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES, and COMMUNITY-BUILDING ACTIVITIES.WE OPERATE WITH A COMMITMENT to INCLUSIVITY and RESPECT for A DIVERSITY of BELIEFS, ENSURING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERYONE FEELS A DEEP SENSE of BELONGING AN

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $85.50 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 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

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

They name their leaders12 people are listed in the latest report.

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

Money made simple

$85.50of every $100 spent was reported for mission workThe IRS calls this “program services.”

$75.84spent for every $100 of revenueRevenue covered expenses this year.

$14.50of every $100 spent was reported for management and office costsThis number alone does not tell us how much good they did.

$0.90in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

81.6%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.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $70,000 for REBEKAH PLEASANT-PATTERSON (EXECUTIVE DIR.). 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 2024

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.

$100spent

Where each $100 went

These are the charity’s reported Form 990 spending categories.

Mission workProgram services$85.50

ManagementOffice and general costs$14.50

FundraisingAsking for donations$0.00

Has the pattern changed?

Each bar shows the share of annual spending reported for mission work, management, and fundraising.

202485.5% mission

202388.1% mission

202283.6% mission

202183.5% mission

202083.4% mission

201997.5% mission

201895.7% mission

Money in and money out

Revenue$1,117,609

Expenses$847,555

Annual surplus $270,054 Revenue was higher than expenses 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)$724,493 · 85.5% of expenses

Management and office costs$123,062 · 14.5% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$1,117,609

Expenses$847,555

Assets$762,265

Income$1,133,383

Contributions$911,754

Mission work (program services)$724,493

Management and general$123,062

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

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

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

REBEKAH PLEASANT-PATTERSONEXECUTIVE DIR. · 40 hrs/week $70,000

BENJAMIN LEWISDEPUTY DIRECTOR · 40 hrs/week $64,482

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 (12)

REBEKAH PLEASANT-PATTERSONEXECUTIVE DIR.

BENJAMIN LEWISDEPUTY DIRECTOR

BILL GRESHAMDIRECTOR

BRENDA LUCKETTDIRECTOR

CALI NOLANDDIRECTOR

HATTIE SHIVERSDIRECTOR

JULIAN GALLOPRESIDENT/TREAS

LEONETTE HENDERSONVICE PRESIDENT

MARY MARTHA BOBODIRECTOR

NICOLE ROSSDIRECTOR

ROBERT BOBODIRECTOR

TYLER YARBROUGHDIRECTOR

About this charity

Recognized since: January 2011
Location: 278 SUNFLOWER AVE, CLARKSDALE, MS 38614
County: Coahoma
In care of: BEN LEWIS
Primary officer: BEN LEWIS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website EmailUSinfo@griotarts.org Phone(662) 799-1237

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: August 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: BRC ADVISORS LLC
NTEE classification: Arts Education (A25)
IRS tax category: Arts Education