Street Poets Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
STREET POETS, INC. IS AN ARTS EDUCATION VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR SYSTEM-IMPACTED YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS IN THE PROBATION FACILITIES AND UNDER-SERVED SCHOOL COMMUNITIES OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY (AND OCCASIONALLY BEYOND). THE PROGRAM IS DEDICATED TO PROMOTING NONVIOLENCE AND HEALING THROUGH POETRY, MUSIC, ADDITIONAL MEDIUMS, AND NATURE EXCURSIONS, CREATING AN ARTS-SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT INSPIRES OUR YOUTH TO BREAK SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CYCLES AND BECOME CREATIVE PEACEMAKERS AND POSITIVE LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $1.9 million
- Spending
- $1.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- 11.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 61%
- Employees
- 16
- Volunteers
- 17
- Highest pay
- $144,323, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 78% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 9% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 10% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1574% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- $484,309 spent. SEEKING PEACE: WE FACILITATED 44 HYBRID (VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON) "SEEKING PEACE" POETRY & MEDITATION WORKSHOPS VIA ZOOM AND THE STREET POETS OFFICE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, SERVING AN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE OF 10-20 YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT PARTICIPANTS WEEKLY.IN ADDITION, WE FACILITATED A "SEEKING PEACE OUTSIDE!" SESSION AT REUBEN INGOLD PARK WITH LOVE SOURCE L.A. (AUG. 18, 2024).OPEN MIC/STREET POETS PRESENTS & DJ SESSIONS: WE HOSTED 9 "SP PRESENTS" IN-PERSON COMMUNITY OPEN-MIC EVENTS AND PUBLIC POETRY READINGS/INTERVIEWS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. THESE EVENTS WERE HELD AT VARIOUS PARTNER SITES, INCLUDING PIETER PERFORMANCE SPACE, LA PLAZA DE CULTURA Y ARTES, EMERSON COLLEGE, AND ART SHARE-LA IN THE DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES ARTS DISTRICT, AVERAGING 45 ATTENDEES AT EACH.OUR FEATURED ARTISTS AT EACH EVENT WERE WELL-ESTABLISHED, PROFESSIONAL POETS AND PERFORMERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY; AND OUR AUDIENCE SPANNED FROM STUDENTS TO ALUMNI, TO THEIR FAMILIES, STREET POETS SUPPORTERS, AND BEYOND. THESE EVENTS OFFER THE YOUTH IN OUR COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR VOICES AND CREATIVITY HEARD, AS WELL AS BE EXPOSED TO POETS AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS.OTHER SPECIAL COLLABORATIONS INCLUDED: WE PARTNERED WITH YOUTH MENTORING CONNECTION FOR OUR 2 ANNUAL YOUTH RETREATS AT BIG BEAR LAKE - A YOUNG WOMEN'S AND NON-BINARY YOUTH RETREAT AND A YOUNG MEN'S RETREAT. IN ADDITION, STREET POETS AND YOUTH MENTORING CONNECTION COLLABORATED FOR A TOTAL OF 4 MONTHLY POETRY WORKSHOPS FOR AN AVERAGE GROUP OF 20 YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, AS WELL AS A "VOICES IN MOTION" POETRY AND DRUMMING EVENT HELD AT YOUTH MENTORING CONNECTION FOR A CROWD OF ABOUT 30 YOUTH AND ADULT PARTICIPANTS.WE COLLABORATED WITH UNLIKELY COLLABORATORS FOR THE INTUITIVE LEADERSHIP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE (NOVEMBER 25, 2024), THE UNLIKELY COLLABORATORS SUMMIT (JUNE 20TH-22ND, 2025), AND THE MOTH COMMUNITY WORKSHOP (FEBRUARY 5TH - 6TH, 2025).WE ATTENDED AN INTERNATIONAL ARTS & REVOLUTION SUMMIT (JUNE 14TH-23RD, 2024) THROUGH WITNESS FOR PEACE. WE ALSO HOSTED 3 INTERNATIONAL DELEGATIONS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CITIZEN DIPLOMACY OF LOS ANGELES - PROMOTING MUSIC THROUGH SOCIAL CHANGE (OCT. 2, 2024), EMPOWERING YOUTH COMMUNITY LEADERS (OCT. 24, 2024) AND MUSIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP (MAY 15, 2025).OTHER COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS: STREET POETS FACILITATED ADDITIONAL, ONE-OFF AND SHORT-SERIES PERFORMANCES AND WORKSHOPS, INCLUDING OUR POETRY AND GARDENING PROGRAM, WHICH WE FACILITATED AT METROPOLITAN HIGH SCHOOL, ALONG WITH A SPECIAL WORKSHOP AT ONE OF OUR OPEN MICS.OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH AHJN, WITH LOS PADRINOS JUVENILE HALL, DEXTER MIDDLE SCHOOL IN WHITTIER, AND DEPARTMENT OF ARTS AND CULTURE, SERVED BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS, STREET POETS REACHED OVER 400 ADDITIONAL YOUTH AND ADULTS.STREET POETS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN CONFERENCES, CONVENINGS AND INVITES TO SPEAK AND PRESENT, INCLUDING A COMMISSION ON HIV: 2025 CONSUMER RESOURCE FAIR (FEB. 13, 2025) HOSTED BY THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY COMMISSION ON HIV CAUCASUS, PEN AMERICA WORLD VOICES FESTIVAL (MAY 3, 2025), ASPEN OPPORTUNITY YOUTH FORUM CONVENING (MAY 21, 2025) HOSTED BY L.A. OPPORTUNITY YOUTH COLLABORATIVE, AND JUSTICE AND ART JAM (MAY 24, 2025) ORGANIZED BY LA FREEWAVES.WE MENTORED (BY PHONE, TEXTING, CONFERENCE PLATFORMS SUCH AS ZOOM, AND IN PERSON) A DOZEN OR SO CURRENT AND FORMER STUDENTS, WHILE MAINTAINING REGULAR EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACT WITH A DEDICATED NETWORK OF OVER A HUNDRED STUDENTS AND ALUMNI AND SUPPORTERS.OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS, THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH AHJN, WITH THE WHITTIER, PASADENA, AND POMONA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTS; AND PROGRAMMING FOR SOLEDAD ENRICHMENT ACTION (SEA), SERVING BOTH YOUTH AND ADULTS VIRTUALLY AND IN PERSON. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS STREET POETS REACHED OVER 100 ADDITIONAL YOUTH AND ADULTS. STREET POETS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN CONFERENCES AND CONVENINGS, INCLUDING THE SOCIAL JUSTICE LEARNING INSTITUTE (SJLI) CONFERENCE AND THE AHJN NATIONAL PEER LEARNING EXCHANGE, REACHING OVER 300 MORE INDIVIDUALS.STREET POETS HELD A SESSION WITH A CERTIFIED THERAPIST TO EXCHANGE INFO ON OUR BEST MENTAL-HEALTH APPROACHES VIA THE ARTS AND HOW THE ARTS ARE ESSENTIAL/INCREDIBLY VALUABLE, YET LARGELY MISSING, IN THERAPY AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
- $403,037 spent. MUSIC: WE OFFERED 36 WEEKLY IN-PERSON "BEATS & RHYMES DROP-IN, MUSIC-MAKING WORKSHOPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 13-25, SERVING A GROUP OF ABOUT 15 PARTICIPANTS. IN ADDITION, WE CONTINUED OUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, ONBOARDING 2 SELECTED COHORTS OF 10 TOTAL YOUTH TO ATTEND, ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN, AND ACQUIRE SKILLS FROM, ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS WITH MASTER/PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS WHO COULD PROVIDE INSIGHT AND WORKSHOPPING ABOUT THE MUSIC AND RECORDING INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS WEEKLY MUSIC AND WRITING PROGRAMMING.ALL OF OUR PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING INTERNS, PARTICIPATE IN EDUCATIONAL AND ARTS EXCURSION ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS PUBLIC PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES AND MONTHLY OPEN MIC, WHERE PARTICIPANTS HAVE HOSTED, DJ'D, PERFORMED ON STAGE AND LEARNED ADDITIONAL SKILLS IN EVENTS AND PERFORMANCE ARTS. YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS WERE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE AN IN-DEPTH CURRICULUM, COVERING AREAS THAT INCLUDED MUSIC PRODUCTION, BEATMAKING, MUSICAL ENGINEERING, WRITING, PERFORMANCE, RECORDING AND PRODUCTION. MANY OF THE PARTICIPANTS FROM BOTH THE DROP-IN "BEATS & RHYMES" PROGRAM AND THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM HELPED PRODUCE, WRITE, PERFORM AND RECORD FOR THE ORIGINAL, STREET POETS HIP-HOP AND SPOKEN WORD ALBUM ENTITLED "LETTERS FROM LA."IN ADDITION, WE PRESENTED THE FRESH TRACKS PROGRAM IN COLLABORATION WITH TWO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS (JAIL GUITAR DOORS AND GIVE A BEAT). WE PROVIDED 45 SESSIONS OF OUR TWICE A WEEK MUSIC RECORDING AND PRODUCTION PROGRAMMING TO YOUNG ADULTS SERVING AN AVERAGE OF 15 SYSTEM-IMPACTED OR AT-RISK YOUNG ADULTS IN THE WEST HOLLYWOOD AREA - LEARNING IN A STATE-OF-THE-ART STUDIO WITH ARTISTS SUCH AS THE LEGENDARY WAYNE KRAMER.
- $299,693 spent. SCHOOLS: STREET POETS LED WEEKLY, IN-PERSON POETRY-WRITING WORKSHOP SERIES AT LOS ANGELES COUNTY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR INCLUDING AT THE FOLLOWING SITES: BERT CORONA CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE BRIDGE ACADEMY EL SERENO, COLLEGE BRIDGE ACADEMY COMPTON, COLLEGE BRIDGE ACADEMY WATTS, JOHN ADAMS JDRC, METROPOLITAN HIGH SCHOOL, ACCELERATED MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SAN ANTONIO CONTINUATION HIGH SCHOOL. WE ALSO FACILITATED ONE-TIME PERFORMANCE AND WRITING WORKSHOP VISITS FOR SCHOOLS INCLUDING GABRIELLA CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL AND CROSSROADS SCHOOL IN SANTA MONICA. IN ADDITION, IN AN ONGOING MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP, STREET POETS LED A 5-DAY INTENSIVE WORKSHOP SERIES AT MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL IN MIAMI, AZ (APRIL 14TH-18TH, 2025). THE SCHOOLS PROGRAMS SERVED A TOTAL OF ABOUT 300 YOUTH.
- $119,586 spent. PROBATION: IN COLLABORATION WITH ARTS FOR HEALING & JUSTICE NETWORK (AHJN), STREET POETS LED WEEKLY AND ONE-TIME POETRY-WRITING AND MUSIC RECORDING WORKSHOPS AT AND WITH LOS ANGELES COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT AND COMMUNITY SITES/PLATFORMS, INCLUDING: DOROTHY KIRBY CENTER, BARRY J. NIDORF JUVENILE HALL, SAN FERNANDO VALLEY FAMILY CLINIC, AND LOS PADRINOS JUVENILE HALL. WE ALSO FACILITATED CREATIVE WELL-BEINGS FOR THE ARTS FOR HEALING JUSTICE NETWORK AND EVENTS SITES SUCH AS THE CALIFORNIA FOSTER YOUTH EDUCATION SUMMIT (APRIL 7, 2025) - PROVIDING TRAINING AND FACILITATION FOR EDUCATORS AND PARTNERS SERVICING PROBATIONARY YOUTH. IN ALL, WE SERVICED 75-100 YOUTH INCARCERATED, ON PROBATION, OR AT-RISK OF INCARCERATION AGED 13-25.STREET POETS COLLABORATED WITH ARTS FOR HEALING JUSTICE NETWORK FOR THE "IMAGING FREEDOM" FULL WEEK RETREAT IN TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA, CREATING A SPACE FOR PREVIOUSLY INCARCERATED AND SYSTEM-IMPACTED YOUTH FROM LA FOR HEALING, FREEDOM-DREAMING, AND TRANSFORMATION. THROUGH A TRIP TO THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE AND THE LEGACY MUSEUM IN MONTGOMERY, THE CIVIL RIGHTS JUSTICE INSTITUTE AND THE 16TH ST CHURCH IN BIRMINGHAM, AND A FOUR-DAY GATHERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA FROM APRIL 28 - MAY 4, 2025.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending May 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since July 2005.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
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