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We Love Buford Highway Inc

EIN 82-2154696 · Roswell, GA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong91 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

We Love Buford Highway is a 501(c)3 nonprofit preserving the multicultural identity of Atlanta's Buford Highway. We curate a multicultural coalition to illuminate how immigrants thrive in an ever-changing south.

Income
$380,577
Spending
$277,541
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
16.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 63%
Employees
3
Volunteers
100
Highest pay
$72,458, executive director

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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 16.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 9% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 27% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 4% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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

Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 76% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 14 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps 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

    5 of 5

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

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (4)
  1. $132,333 spent. Buford Highway Orchestra Program. The Buford Highway Orchestra Program continues to pave paths for the corridor's children while building strong and lasting, community engagements and connectivity. The year started with 32 returning students and 35 interested students for our 2024-2025 NEW BHOP Beginning Orchestra Cohort. In March, BHOP Children Orchestra attended the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE) Level II/III, and the team received 4 Superior ratings, highest given at the evaluation. An original documentary by Xerophile Studios, through a grant by the Latino Public Broadcasting's Digital Media Fund, tells the story of BHOP, which serves immigrant families along Buford Highway - Georgia's most diverse corridor. Told through cinéma vérité, carefully crafted scenes and personal archival footage, La Orquesta tells a different kind of immigrant story - one that centers art, beauty and the transformative power of music. The film is set to release for public viewing in 2025. We served 57 students in 24/25 school year of 14 local district schools, 4 community performances. Over 5000 snacks were distributed, 257 number of parents joined in Facebook Community private page (a growth of 44% since 2023), over 350 attendees to community performances. One of our students was accepted into the Reach for Excellence Program, another was one of 28 students accepted into the IB Program at Tucker High School. And another student received a full scholarship to attend a leadership camp during 2024 summer (sponsored by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation), she also received a full scholarship for four years to Marist.
  2. $52,053 spent. Feeding Families Mobile Events. We fed 2857 individuals in 2024 through two mobile events (July 27, 2024 and distributed 200 school supplies to families); and December 14th, distributing 200 socks to families)
  3. $23,981 spent. Buford Highway Business Circle. We continue to work in the space of advocacy and support to building more connections for Buford Highway's small business communities. We curated and operationalized year two of the Buford Highway Restaurant Month, with an interactive twist through an artistically fun passport. The business resource guide was shared through several chamber and association events with the Marketing 101 portion distributed in English, Spanish, Chinese (traditional), Korean, and Vietnamese. 1696 Number of activation visits to the Buford Highway Restaurant Month platform; 38 Number of downloads of our Small Business Resource Guide; 351 People submitted passport cards for a chance to win prizes; 45% Increase in business participation.
  4. $21,756 spent. Little Bodega - We had 524 visits to the Little Bodega in 2024, serving approximately 780 families within two cohorts on a rotation, nearly 90% were in < than 4 mile proximity. Storytelling (Humanities, Arts & Culture) - PLOT My Buford Highway Story is a place-based humanities project with a goal to raise awareness, uplift, and catalyze multicultural coalitions to ensure that immigrants thrive in an-ever changing South. 36 stories mapped: https://youtu.be/T83EqmxCEao

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 May 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.