Rock Paper Scissors Collective
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
RPSC, A COMMUNITY ART ORGANIZATION, PROVIDES VARIOUS CREATIVE PROGRAMS.
- Income
- $32,422
- Spending
- $77,455
- Reserves
- 4.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 73%
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 57 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 139% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 (4)
- $7,401 spent. WORKSHOPS THE WORKSHOPS PROGRAM OFFERS TEACHING AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES (PLEASE SEE SCHEDULE O FOR FULL DESCRIPTION.)
- $4,441 spent. GALLERY THE GALLERY EXHIBITS WORK BY LOCAL ARTISTS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS. (PLEASE SEE SCHEDULE O FOR FULL DESCRIPTIONS)
- $1,405 spent. RETAIL:THE RETAIL PROGRAM SUPPORTS ARTISTS THROUGH CONSIGNMENT SALE OF GOODS. THE RETAIL SPACE GREATLY SUPPORTS ARTISTS DISPLAYED IN THE GALLERY SPACE- OFFERING A VEHICLE FOR THEM TO RECEIVE PAYMENT FOR THEIR WORK.
- $63,393 spent. MISSION STATEMENT ROCK PAPER SCISSORS COLLECTIVE IS A VOLUNTEER-RUN ORGANIZATION THAT FOSTERS CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL COMMUNITIES, ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, AND EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE MODELS. WE PROMOTE THE SHARING OF IDEAS, SKILLS, AND RESOURCES THROUGH THE CELEBRATION OF ART, CRAFT, EDUCATION, AND PERFORMANCE. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 1 LINE 28 --WORKSHOPS THE WORKSHOPS PROGRAM PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ARTISTS AND FOLKS WITH SKILLS TO SHARE THEIR PASSION AND KNOWLEDGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AT OUR STOREFRONT SPACE AND OTHER LOCATIONS IN OAKLAND. WORKSHOPS ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE ARTS EDUCATION TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS. ALL OF OUR WORKSHOPS ARE OFFERED AT A LOW COST OR ON A SLIDING SCALE TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY. WE ALSO HOST WORKSHOPS WITH ASL INTERPRETERS AND SSPS, INCLUDING SEWING AND TACTILE COLLAGE. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 2 LINE 29-- GALLERY THE GALLERY PRODUCES EXHIBITIONS OF WORK BY BAY AREA ARTISTS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. EXHIBITIONS ARE TYPICALLY MONTHLY AND CONSIST OF AT LEAST THREE ARTISTS. WE ACCEPT EXHIBITION PROPOSALS FROM EMERGING AND MID-CAREER ARTISTS, GROUPS, AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. THE GALLERY DOES NOT PRODUCE SOLO EXHIBITIONS, BECAUSE OUR MISSION CENTERS ON "COLLABORATION IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL COMMUNITIES." WE SEEK TO AMPLIFY ARTISTS' WORK BY INTENTIONALLY OVERLAPPING PERSONAL NETWORKS AND SOCIAL CIRCLES TO EXPAND AUDIENCES. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 3 LINE 30 -- RETAIL THE RETAIL PROGRAM SUPPORTS ARTISTS AND MAKERS THROUGH CONSIGNMENT SALE OF HANDMADE AND INDEPENDENTLY PRODUCED GOODS. BY PROVIDING A PHYSICAL LOCATION FOR ARTISTS AND MAKERS TO SELL FROM, WE PROVIDE A POINT OF ENTRY TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITH A LOW BARRIER TO PARTICIPATION. ARTISTS AND MAKERS WHO SELL IN THE RPSC SHOP AND VOLUNTEER A FEW HOURS PER MONTH ARE ABLE TO OBTAIN A GREATER CONSIGNMENT RATE OF 60%. YOUTH PARTICIPATING IN RPSC PROGRAMS RECEIVE A CONSIGNMENT RATE OF 80%. FORM 990-EZ, PART III, LINE 31 - ALL OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 4 ZINES THE ZINES PROGRAM PROMOTES INDIVIDUAL AND COLLABORATIVE STORYTELLING THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ZINES (LIKE "MAGA-ZINES") AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING. THE ZINES PROGRAM AIMS TO UPLIFT MARGINALIZED VOICES AND STORIES BY OFFERING WRITING WORKSHOPS, A RECURRING EVENT CALLED ZINE JAMS (COLLABORATIVE ZINE CREATION SESSIONS), AND SALE OF ZINES MADE BY BAY AREA ARTISTS. RPSC ALSO SHOWCASES THE WORK OF ARTISTS AND WRITERS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD IN OUR ZINE LIBRARY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COLLECTIONS OF UNDERGROUND PUBLICATIONS ON THE WEST COAST. RPSC IS ALSO A CO-FOUNDER OF THE EAST BAY ALTERNATIVE BOOK AND ZINE FEST (EBABZ), AN ANNUAL GATHERING OF ZINE MAKERS, AND REMAINS INVOLVED IN THAT EVENT AS ITS FISCAL SPONSOR. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 5 EVENTS COMMUNITY EVENTS ARE CENTRAL TO RPSC'S OVERALL PROGRAM. THESE TAKE A VARIETY OF FORMS, BUT THEY ALL CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER AROUND A COMMON INTEREST, OR JUST FOR FUN SINCE 2020, RPSC MEMBER LIONEL MCNEELY (ALAMEDA COUNTY BIKE CHAMPION OF THE YEAR FOR 2021) HAS HOSTED THE OAKLAND ART RIDE. THESE RIDES SHOWCASE PUBLIC ART OF ALL KINDS ACROSS OAKLAND AND THE GREATER BAY AREA. OTHER HALLMARK EVENTS INCLUDE THE VEGAN CUPCAKE BAKE OFF, CRAFT-A-THON, AND RO-SHAM-BO-NANZA, CRAFT BABIES, AND REGULAR GALLERY HOURS WHERE PEOPLE CAN MEET AND SHARE SPACE WHILE WORKING THROUGH CREATIVE PROJECTS. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 6 VOLUNTEERS RPS IS A LARGELY VOLUNTEER-RUN ORGANIZATION, ORIENTING AND TRAINING NEW VOLUNTEERS IS ESSENTIAL TO RPSC'S CONTINUED SUCCESS. THROUGH THE VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS ARE ABLE TO TAP INTO THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY AND DEVELOP NEW RELATIONSHIPS. THIS IS ALSO A WAY FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS TO GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 7 YOUTH TO PROMOTE YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN OUR PROGRAMMING, RPSC OFFERS INTERNSHIPS TO HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE-AGED ADOLESCENTS (13-25). THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF INTERNSHIPS. THE FIRST IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH METWEST HIGH SCHOOL, ALIGNED WITH THE OUSD ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR. THE SECOND IS OPEN FOR APPLICATION ON A ROLLING BASIS. YOUTH INTERNS WORK TO COMPLETE A PROJECT UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF THE COLLECTIVE MEMBER WHO OVERSEES THE INTERN'S AREA OF INTEREST. IF APPLICABLE, STUDENTS MAY RECEIVE ACADEMIC CREDIT. RPSC ALSO RESERVES ONE MONTH PER YEAR FOR A GALLERY EXHIBITION CURATED BY AND/OR FEATURING WORK BY YOUTH. THIS PROVIDES STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THEIR WORK EXHIBITED IN A BONA FIDE GALLERY SPACE AND PROMOTED TO AN ONLINE FOLLOWING OF MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMAIL. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 8 COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS INCLUDE A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS THAT ARE COMMISSIONED AND DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH INSTITUTIONS AND BUSINESSES. THESE OFTEN TAKE THE FORM OF BESPOKE WORKSHOPS, EVENTS, CURATION, ETC. RECENT PARTNERS INCLUDE OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. PROGRAM SERVICE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT 9 ACCESSIBILITY THE ACCESSIBILITY DEPARTMENT MISSION IS TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INCLUDING PAID ASL INTERPRETERS, SSP'S (SUPPORT SERVICE PROVIDERS FOR DEAFBLIND PARTICIPANTS), BRAILLE/LARGE PRINT ARTIST STATEMENTS, ARTMAKING SUPPLIES TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO BLIND AND LOW VISION ATTENDEES SUCH AS BRAILLE LABELS ON ART SUPPLIES, FULL SPECTRUM LIGHTS, RAISED DOTS, ETC. TO FACILITATE INCLUSION IN RPSCOLLECTIVE'S PROGRAMMING. A BROAD RANGE OF WORKSHOPS FROM PAPERMAKING TO ORIGAMI, TEXTILE COLLAGE AND ZINEMAKING HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH THE ABOVE ACCOMMODATIONS. PAST EVENTS WITH GRANT FUNDED ASL INTERPRETERS AND DEAF SSPS HAVE INCLUDED INTERPRETED ART OPENINGS, ARTIST TALKS BY DEAFBLIND EXHIBITORS, CRAFTATHON WORKSHOPS, A SERIES OF MIXED MEDIA COLLAGE AND TEXT
Source: Form 990EZ 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 March 2012.
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.