Destination Crenshaw
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF DESTINATION CRENSHAW PROJECT, DESTINATION CRENSHAW IS BUILDING BLACK GLOBAL CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC PLATFORMS THAT ALLOW BLACK ARTISTS AND BUSINESSES TO THRIVE AND DRIVE INVESTMENT THAT SUPPORTS THE BLACK COMMUNITY.THESE PLATFORMS INCLUDE PUBLIC ART AND CULTURAL ASSETS, COLLABORATIONS WITH LOCAL BLACK BUSINESSES, COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES THAT CELEBRATE BLACK ART, AND MORE. ACKNOWLEDGING THE CHALLENGES THAT SURROUND INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS, WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING AND PRESERVING EXISTING BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS WITHIN OUR POWER.
- Income
- $18.2 million
- Spending
- $4.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- -96 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 74%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 4
- Highest pay
- $224,199, president
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
Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 48% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 77% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 37% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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
Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
18 of 254 of 4 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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 (2)
- $1.0 million spent. THIS COMMUNITY-INSPIRED PROJECT WILL USE THE ICONIC CRENSHAW BOULEVARD AS A CANVAS AND ANCHOR FOR PUBLIC ART AND STREETSCAPE DESIGN. DESTINATION CRENSHAW WILL BE BUILT FOR, BY, AND IN HONOR OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WILL CELEBRATE THE HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY CONTRIBUTIONS OF BLACK LOS ANGELES --THE LARGEST BLACK COMMUNITY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. SINCE 2017, THE ORGANIZATION HAS INITIATED A CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO RAISE FUNDS NEEDED TO EXECUTE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, A DIGITAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN, AND THE CAPITAL PROJECTS NEEDED TO CREATE THE 1.3-MILE-LONG OUTDOOR ART AND CULTURE EXPERIENCE CELEBRATING BLACK LOS ANGELES. THE PROJECT WILL COMMISSION MORE THAN 100 WORKS BY BLACK ARTISTS WHO HAVE STRONG TIES TO LOS ANGELES, CREATING A PIPELINE OF WORK AND JOBS FOR EMERGING, SEASONED AND INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTISTS.
- $2.0 million spent. ORGANIZATION IS DEVELOPING POCKET PARKS THAT WILL LINE THE PROJECT SITE RESULTING IN REFORESTING THE BOULEVARD BY PLANTING MORE THAN 800 TREES AND DEVELOPING OVER 30,000 SQUARE FEET OF SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING. THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO FUEL CONSTRUCTION CAREERS AND INCLUDES UNPRECEDENTED 70% LOCAL HIRING REQUIREMENT IN THE ORGANIZATION'S CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT. PROGRAMMING IS ALSO IN DEVELOPMENT TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES ALONG THE CORRIDOR IN ADDITION TO PROGRAMMING RELATED TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
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
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.
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.
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.
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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 2018.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 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.