Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Living Walls - the City Speaks Incorporated

EIN 45-4603128 · Atlanta, GA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceWeak37 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Living Walls: The City Speaks, Inc. promotes public interest in and appreciation of public space through street art by working with local, national and international artists to create contemporary public art, murals and installations around the city of Atlanta. Through this artwork we bring awareness to public space that is often overlooked, neglected or taken for granted while also inspiring social change. We engage in dialogue with communities around this artwork and the locations they inhabit through mural making, workshops, lectures, conferences and gallery showings. We install artwork in a variety of locations around the City of Atlanta, and eventually the State of Georgia, in order to bring individuals into areas they may not normally travel, and therefore get to know their city, state and fellow Georgians in a new way.

Income
$564,152
Spending
$620,739
Spent on programs
84%
Reserves
1.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 71%
Employees
4
Highest pay
$81,083, executive dir.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 20% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    84% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Weak: 37 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    5 of 25

    0 of 4 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    0 of 5

    Reports that it does not keep minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    12 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 (1)
  1. $522,644 spent. Public Art curation and Mural Production: Living Walls worked with community organizations and mission aligned partners to commission works of public art in various districts of the City of Atlanta and beyond. Our focus remains to provide the tools, resources, and training to equip a diverse pool of artists to thrive in their creative careers. In 2025, we created 9 murals, commissioned 5 mixed media installations. hired 40 artists and 8 media contractors.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 2013.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.