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4theville

EIN 85-3430968 · Saint Louis, MO

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong95 out of 100GovernanceGood75 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

4theVille is a Cultural Heritage Development Organization dedicated to championing the legacy of The Ville. We build upon the legacy through collaborative growth, activation, and stewardship, ensuring a vibrant future

Income
$303,034
Spending
$167,810
Spent on programs
93%
Reserves
18.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 64%
Employees
0
Volunteers
12

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: 95 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 18.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 45% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    93% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a 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

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • 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. $49,225 spent. CDA Neighborhood Transformation Grant - Cultural Blvd Corridor Planning 4theVille received the Neighborhood Transformation Grant from the City of St. Louis Community Development Administration, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, to develop a corridor plan for Dr. Martin Luther King Drive as a planning component of our Cultural Boulevard project. To conduct the planning process, we hired Lamar Johnson Collaborative (LJC) as our planning consultant, we contracted 8 community liaisons, we leased a small 400 sqft storefront space as a drop-in information center, we applied to purchase a parcel on Dr. Martin Luther King Drive from the City of St. Louis Land Reutilization Authority (LRA), and we increased our insurance coverage for the new info center and vacant parcel. Through the close of 2024, LJC kicked off the planning process and began researching the existing conditions of the commercial corridor. We convened the community liaisons for 3 meetings, including their first workshop to expand their knowledge about commercial corridors. The commercial corridor workshop included a bus tour of five commercial corridors in the St. Louis region. We also signed the lease on the 400 sqft storefront and began paying monthly rent.
  2. $59,700 spent. African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Grant - 4TV Strategic Plan 4theVille was granted a variance from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to rebudget our AACHAF grant toward hiring a strategic planning consultant to complete a 3-year organizational strategic plan and 3-year fund development plan. Through a competitive bidding process, 4theVille hired Key Strategic Group (KSG) as our strategic planning consultant. KSG led our board of directors through a 9-month strategic planning process to develop new mission, purpose, core values, and theory of change statements in addition to establishing 4 strategic priorities: internal infrastructure and capacity building, organizational growth and sustainability, placekeeping, and cultural heritage & tourism. Year-by-year objectives were developed for each strategic priority. KSG also completed robust stakeholder engagement and landscape research to inform the strategic planning process. Through the strategic planning process, KSG met bi-weekly with our ad hoc strategy committee consisting of 2 board members, a cultural tourism partner, and a community development partner. KSG also presented to the board of directors 3 times and hosted a board retreat in April 2024. After the strategic planning was complete, 4theVille contracted Doerhouse to design and execute a communications campaign for our new strategic plan, including development of a new mission moment video.
  3. $20,934 spent. Sumner High School Museum Studies Program 4theVille continued to operate our museum studies program at Sumner high school for the second year. In 2024, our teaching artist, Mack Williams, taught 35 students in two classes. The classes were conducted on an A-B schedule, and Mr. Williams taught every day from 12:30-2PM. We were also fortunate enough to have 7 students qualify for the state competition in Columbia, Missouri, and one 1 student qualified for the national competition in Washington, D.C. Our teaching artist and the students attended state competition on April 27th, and they attended the national competition on June 9th-13th. Additionally, the museum studies class produced 6 new lock exhibits in the high school.
  4. $25,580 spent. OTHER PROGRAMS

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 2025.

    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 March 2021.

    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.