The Walls Project
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE WALLS PROJECT IS TO BREAK DOWN SOCIETAL BARRIERS THROUGH THE POWER OF ART, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. BY FOSTERING CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, AND INCLUSIVITY, THE WALLS PROJECT REVITALIZES UNDERINVESTED COMMUNITIES, EMPOWERS INDIVIDUALS WITH DIGITAL AND WORKFORCE SKILLS, AND STRENGTHENS LOCAL ECONOMIES. THROUGH PUBLIC ART, CREATIVE PLACEMAKING, WORKFORCE TRAINING, AND URBAN AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES, WE INSPIRE ACTION AND CREATE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL, ENSURING THAT COMMUNITIES THRIVE TOGETHER.
- Income
- $3.1 million
- Spending
- $2.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- -1.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 56%
- Employees
- 8
- Highest pay
- $112,500, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 52% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 96% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 (5)
- $1.3 million spent. PUBLIC ARTS PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM THAT TRANSFORMS COMMUNITIES THROUGH LARGE-SCALE MURAL INSTALLATIONS, CREATIVE PLACEMAKING, AND COLLABORATIVE ART PROJECTS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE PROGRAM HAS INSTALLED OVER 170 MURALS ACROSS LOUISIANA, TEXAS, AND COLORADO, BRINGING VIBRANCY TO PUBLIC SPACES WHILE FOSTERING LOCAL ARTISTIC TALENT. BY COMMISSIONING AND COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL ARTISTS, THE WALLS PROJECT HAS GENERATED OVER 1.5 MILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR CREATIVES, REINFORCING THE POWER OF PUBLIC ART AS A CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
- $729,952 spent. CULTIVATE - CULTIVATE EMBODIES THE ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING YOUNG ADULTS BY PROVIDING DIVERSE PATHWAYS TO ACQUIRE ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, ALL WHILE EMPHASIZING CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WITHIN THIS PROGRAM, WE PROUDLY ADMINISTER THE FUTURES FUND. THE FUTURES FUND IS THE WALLS PROJECTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND DIGITAL LITERACY INITIATIVE, DESIGNED TO EQUIP YOUTH AND ADULTS WITH THE TECHNICAL SKILLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS IN TODAYS JOB MARKET. THROUGH INDUSTRY-DRIVEN TRAINING IN CODING, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY, THE PROGRAM BRIDGES THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND PROVIDES PATHWAYS TO HIGH-WAGE CAREERS. FUTURES FUND HAS EMPOWERED THOUSANDS OF PARTICIPANTS BY OFFERING HANDS-ON LEARNING, MENTORSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES. WHETHER THROUGH AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, WORKFORCE READINESS WORKSHOPS, OR TECH- FOCUSED COMMUNITY EVENTS, FUTURES FUND ENSURES THAT INDIVIDUALSREGARDLESS OF BACKGROUNDGAIN ACCESS TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS NECESSARY TO THRIVE IN AN INCREASINGLY DIGITAL WORLD. ADDITIONALLY, CULTIVATE ENCOMPASSES BATON ROOTS, OUR THRIVING URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM. THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, WE CULTIVATE A 5-ACRE GARDEN AT HOWELL PARK IN BATON ROUGE, LA, AND EXTEND OUR OPERATIONS TO 11 HOUSING AUTHORITY SITES AND THREE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS. BY SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATING THESE PROGRAMS, WE CONTINUE TO FOSTER GROWTH, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. CULTIVATE - CULTIVATE EMBODIES THE ORGANIZATION'S COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING YOUNG ADULTS BY PROVIDING DIVERSE PATHWAYS TO ACQUIRE ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, ALL WHILE EMPHASIZING CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COMMUNITIES. WITHIN THIS PROGRAM, WE PROUDLY ADMINISTER THE FUTURES FUND. THE FUTURES FUND IS THE WALLS PROJECTS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND DIGITAL LITERACY INITIATIVE, DESIGNED TO EQUIP YOUTH AND ADULTS WITH THE TECHNICAL SKILLS NEEDED FOR SUCCESS IN TODAYS JOB MARKET. THROUGH INDUSTRY-DRIVEN TRAINING IN CODING, DIGITAL MEDIA, AND CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY, THE PROGRAM BRIDGES THE DIGITAL DIVIDE AND PROVIDES PATHWAYS TO HIGH-WAGE CAREERS. FUTURES FUND HAS EMPOWERED THOUSANDS OF PARTICIPANTS BY OFFERING HANDS-ON LEARNING, MENTORSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES. WHETHER THROUGH AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, WORKFORCE READINESS WORKSHOPS, OR TECH- FOCUSED COMMUNITY EVENTS, FUTURES FUND ENSURES THAT INDIVIDUALSREGARDLESS OF BACKGROUNDGAIN ACCESS TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS NECESSARY TO THRIVE IN AN INCREASINGLY DIGITAL WORLD. ADDITIONALLY, CULTIVATE ENCOMPASSES BATON ROOTS, OUR THRIVING URBAN AGRICULTURE PROGRAM. THROUGH THIS INITIATIVE, WE CULTIVATE A 5-ACRE GARDEN AT HOWELL PARK IN BATON ROUGE, LA, AND EXTEND OUR OPERATIONS TO 11 HOUSING AUTHORITY SITES AND THREE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS. BY SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATING THESE PROGRAMS, WE CONTINUE TO FOSTER GROWTH, CREATIVITY, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
- $173,745 spent. REACTIVATE - REACTIVATE IS OUR DEDICATED INITIATIVE AIMED AT COMBATTING BLIGHT WITHIN THE BATON ROUGE AND DALLAS COMMUNITIES BY HARNESSING THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERISM. THE CORNERSTONE OF THIS EFFORT IS OUR ANNUAL MLK FEST, A VIBRANT CELEBRATION THAT DRAWS THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS AND RESIDENTS EACH YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE EXPANDED OUR IMPACT BY INTRODUCING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS IN BOTH BATON ROUGE AND DALLAS, FURTHER ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AND FOSTERING A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THESE FESTIVALS, WE ORGANIZE NUMEROUS CITY CLEAN-UP PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE REVITALIZATION OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. THROUGH THESE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS, WE REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR MISSION TO ADDRESS BLIGHT AND CREATE MORE VIBRANT, WELCOMING COMMUNITIES. REACTIVATE - REACTIVATE IS OUR DEDICATED INITIATIVE AIMED AT COMBATTING BLIGHT WITHIN THE BATON ROUGE AND DALLAS COMMUNITIES BY HARNESSING THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERISM. THE CORNERSTONE OF THIS EFFORT IS OUR ANNUAL MLK FEST, A VIBRANT CELEBRATION THAT DRAWS THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS AND RESIDENTS EACH YEAR. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE EXPANDED OUR IMPACT BY INTRODUCING JUNETEENTH CELEBRATIONS IN BOTH BATON ROUGE AND DALLAS, FURTHER ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AND FOSTERING A SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THESE FESTIVALS, WE ORGANIZE NUMEROUS CITY CLEAN-UP PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, OFFERING OPPORTUNITIES FOR COUNTLESS VOLUNTEERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE REVITALIZATION OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. THROUGH THESE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS, WE REMAIN STEADFAST IN OUR MISSION TO ADDRESS BLIGHT AND CREATE MORE VIBRANT, WELCOMING COMMUNITIES.
- $74,518 spent. ONE ROUGE COALITION - THE ONE ROUGE COALITION IS A DYNAMIC RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, AIMING TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE IN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. WITH A NETWORK OF OVER 400 ORGANIZATIONS, THIS COALITION LEVERAGES A COLLECTIVE IMPACT MODEL THAT UNITES VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS. BY CHAMPIONING STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, PROGRAMS, AND COLLABORATIVE TEAMS, THE COALITION MOBILIZES COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WORK TOGETHER ON SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, WE STRIVE TO ENHANCE BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY CAPACITIES, PROMOTE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, AND ESTABLISH A FOUNDATION OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR THOSE IN NEED, FOSTERING POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES ALIKE.
- ONE ROUGE COALITION - THE ONE ROUGE COALITION IS A DYNAMIC RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES EXACERBATED BY THE PANDEMIC, AIMING TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE IN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. WITH A NETWORK OF OVER 400 ORGANIZATIONS, THIS COALITION LEVERAGES A COLLECTIVE IMPACT MODEL THAT UNITES VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS. BY CHAMPIONING STRATEGIC INITIATIVES, PROGRAMS, AND COLLABORATIVE TEAMS, THE COALITION MOBILIZES COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WORK TOGETHER ON SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, WE STRIVE TO ENHANCE BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY CAPACITIES, PROMOTE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, AND ESTABLISH A FOUNDATION OF SUSTAINABILITY FOR THOSE IN NEED, FOSTERING POSITIVE OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES ALIKE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 2015.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 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.