Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Modern Warrior Live

EIN 82-2092292 · Cleveland, OH

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood71 out of 100GovernanceFair60 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

MODERN WARRIOR LIVE BUILDS BRIDGES BETWEEN VETERAN AND CIVILIAN COMMUNITITES THROUGH LIVE PERFOMANCES, COLLABORATIVE WORKSHOPS, THE SHARING OF VETERAN STORIES AND DISCUSSIONS. THROUGH HIGHLIGHTING STORIES OF POST- TRAUMATIC GROWTH, MODERN WARRIOR LIVE WORKS TO HELP DESTIGMATIZE OUR VETERANS BY FOCUSING ON THE SHARED HUMAN EXPERIENCE, WHILE PROVIDING HOPE AND A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING ACROSS COMMUNITIES.

Income
$503,699
Spending
$455,073
Spent on programs
88%
Reserves
2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 59%
Employees
2
Volunteers
85
Highest pay
$48,000, executive vi

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 16% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 25% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    88% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Fair: 60 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 11 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

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • 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, 2024, 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. $402,197 spent. CREATED BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED MUSICIAN DOMINICK FARINACCI AND US ARMY VETERAN JAYMES POLING, THE CENTERPIECE OF OUR NATIONAL 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT IS OUR TOURING PRODUCTION THAT CHRONICLES THE STORY OF U.S. ARMY VETERAN JAYMES POLING, HIS JOURNEY THROUGH THREE DEPLOYMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT TRANSITION BACK HOME. NARRATED BY POLING, THIS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PRODUCTION WEAVES TOGETHER HIS STORY WITH A CAST OF WORLD-CLASS ARTISTS IN MULTIPLE GENRES LED BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED TRUMPETER DOMINICK FARINACCI. IT SHARES A PERSONAL AND EMOTIONAL JOURNEY OF THE CHALLENGES OF MILITARY SERVICE AND THE EXPERIENCE VETERANS FACE WHEN THEY RETURN HOME, AND IT IS A CATALYST FOR MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. WITH MORE THAN 150 PERFORMANCES TO-DATE, MODERN WARRIOR LIVE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, THE 26TH U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE GENERAL JAMES MATTIS AND HAS BEEN SHOWCASED AT AMAZON HEADQUARTERS AND AT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR MENTAL WELLBEING CONFERENCE OPENING FOR BREN BROWN. VETERAN COMMUNITIES REALIZING THE IMPACT OUR PRIMARY PRODUCTION HAS HAD ON COMMUNITIES, WE BUILT A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS PARTICIPANTS A PLATFORM TO PROCESS AND SHARE THEIR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES USING THE UNIQUE STORYTELLING MODEL WE CREATED, WEAVING TOGETHER PERSONAL NARRATIVES, MUSIC, AND FILM. EACH STORYTELLER IS SUPPORTED BY OUR MODERN WARRIOR ARTISTIC TEAM LED BY DOMINICK FARINACCI, AND CULMINATES IN A FILMED LIVE PERFORMANCE. WORK & REENTRY WE'VE WELL-ESTABLISHED OUR ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE VETERAN AND MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITIES. AS WE'VE BROUGHT THESE STORIES TO COMMUNITIES, WE BEGAN TO SEE THROUGH LINES THAT CONNECTED VETERAN STORIES TO RETURNING CITIZENS INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. CHAMPIONING THE BELIEF THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PAST, HAS THE CAPACITY FOR GROWTH, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION, WE'VE EXPANDED THE PROGRAM BEYOND VETERANS TO INCLUDE FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. "STIGMA OFTEN CREATES BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION THAT LEAVE SO MANY OF US FEELING ISOLATED AND UNABLE TO SHARE OUR STRUGGLES. IN DOING THIS, WE RISK FURTHER SEPARATING FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT CAN HELP US HEAL," SAYS JAYMES POLING. "WITH THE MODERN WARRIOR EXPERIENCE PROGRAM, WE STRIVE TO TEAR DOWN THOSE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION, ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO SHARE THE UNFILTERED REALITY OF THEIR JOURNEY, AND IN DOING SO CARVE A PATH FOR OTHERS HOPING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW," SAYS DOMINICK FARINACCI. CREATED BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED MUSICIAN DOMINICK FARINACCI AND US ARMY VETERAN JAYMES POLING, THE CENTERPIECE OF OUR NATIONAL 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT IS OUR TOURING PRODUCTION THAT CHRONICLES THE STORY OF U.S. ARMY VETERAN JAYMES POLING, HIS JOURNEY THROUGH THREE DEPLOYMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN, AND HIS SUBSEQUENT TRANSITION BACK HOME. NARRATED BY POLING, THIS AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL PRODUCTION WEAVES TOGETHER HIS STORY WITH A CAST OF WORLD-CLASS ARTISTS IN MULTIPLE GENRES LED BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED TRUMPETER DOMINICK FARINACCI. IT SHARES A PERSONAL AND EMOTIONAL JOURNEY OF THE CHALLENGES OF MILITARY SERVICE AND THE EXPERIENCE VETERANS FACE WHEN THEY RETURN HOME, AND IT IS A CATALYST FOR MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. WITH MORE THAN 150 PERFORMANCES TO-DATE, MODERN WARRIOR LIVE HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, THE 26TH U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE GENERAL JAMES MATTIS AND HAS BEEN SHOWCASED AT AMAZON HEADQUARTERS AND AT THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR MENTAL WELLBEING CONFERENCE OPENING FOR BREN BROWN. VETERAN COMMUNITIES REALIZING THE IMPACT OUR PRIMARY PRODUCTION HAS HAD ON COMMUNITIES, WE BUILT A PROGRAM THAT OFFERS PARTICIPANTS A PLATFORM TO PROCESS AND SHARE THEIR INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES USING THE UNIQUE STORYTELLING MODEL WE CREATED, WEAVING TOGETHER PERSONAL NARRATIVES, MUSIC, AND FILM. EACH STORYTELLER IS SUPPORTED BY OUR MODERN WARRIOR ARTISTIC TEAM LED BY DOMINICK FARINACCI, AND CULMINATES IN A FILMED LIVE PERFORMANCE. WORK & REENTRY WE'VE WELL-ESTABLISHED OUR ORGANIZATION WITHIN THE VETERAN AND MENTAL HEALTH COMMUNITIES. AS WE'VE BROUGHT THESE STORIES TO COMMUNITIES, WE BEGAN TO SEE THROUGH LINES THAT CONNECTED VETERAN STORIES TO RETURNING CITIZENS INVOLVED IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. CHAMPIONING THE BELIEF THAT EVERY INDIVIDUAL, REGARDLESS OF THEIR PAST, HAS THE CAPACITY FOR GROWTH, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION, WE'VE EXPANDED THE PROGRAM BEYOND VETERANS TO INCLUDE FORMERLY INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS. "STIGMA OFTEN CREATES BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION THAT LEAVE SO MANY OF US FEELING ISOLATED AND UNABLE TO SHARE OUR STRUGGLES. IN DOING THIS, WE RISK FURTHER SEPARATING FROM THE COMMUNITIES THAT CAN HELP US HEAL," SAYS JAYMES POLING. "WITH THE MODERN WARRIOR EXPERIENCE PROGRAM, WE STRIVE TO TEAR DOWN THOSE BARRIERS TO COMMUNICATION, ALLOWING INDIVIDUALS TO SHARE THE UNFILTERED REALITY OF THEIR JOURNEY, AND IN DOING SO CARVE A PATH FOR OTHERS HOPING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW," SAYS DOMINICK FARINACCI.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

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

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since February 2018.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.