Youth Speaks Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
YOUTH SPEAKS CREATES SAFE SPACES TO EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS, SELF-DEFINED ARTISTS, AND VISIONARY ACTIVISTS THROUGH WRITTEN AND ORAL LITERACIES. WE CHALLENGE YOUTH TO FIND, DEVELOP, PUBLICLY PRESENT, AND APPLY THEIR VOICES AS CREATORS OF SOCIETAL CHANGE. ULTIMATELY, WE HOPE TO SHIFT THE PERCEPTIONS OF YOUTH BY COMBATING ILLITERACY, ALIENATION, AND SILENCE, CREATING A GLOBAL MOVEMENT OF BRAVE NEW VOICES BRINGING THE NOISE FROM THE MARGINS TO THE CORE. SINCE 1996, YOUTH SPEAKS HAS CHAMPIONED A LOCALIZED, NATIONAL, AND INCREASINGLY GLOBAL MOVEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE BOLDLY DECLARING THEMSELVES PRESENT.
- Income
- $2.9 million
- Spending
- $4.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 63%
- Reserves
- 10.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 51%
- Employees
- 21
- Volunteers
- 17
- Highest pay
- $171,602, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 47% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1563% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 30 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (youth development, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
0 of 5Reports that it does not keep 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
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 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)
- $2.1 million spent. NATIONAL & FIELD BUILDING PROGRAMS - (1) BRAVE NEW VOICES -- YOUTHSPEAKS FIRST FOUNDED THE BRAVE NEW VOICES (OR "BNV") FESTIVAL AS THENATIONAL YOUTH POETRY SLAM IN 1998, AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE LOCAL WORKIN THE BAY AREA. THE FIRST SLAM HAD FOUR TEAMS; WE NOW HAVE 55COMPETING TEAMS AND FIVE TO TEN NON-COMPETING TEAMS JOIN US EACH YEAR.BNV IS ABOUT BRINGING TOGETHER YOUNG POETS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE SOTHAT THEY CAN CREATE NEW PATHWAYS TOWARD ARTISTIC GROWTH, CIVICENGAGEMENT, AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. BNV TAKES PLACE IN A DIFFERENT CITYEACH YEAR, AND REACHES UP TO 200,000 PEOPLE EACH FESTIVAL. BEGINNING INFY14, THE PROGRAM WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE BNV NETWORK INITIATIVE, ACOMPREHENSIVE MULTI-YEAR INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS ANDORGANIZATIONS IN THE FIELD OF ARTS EDUCATION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GRANTS, CONSULTING SERVICES, FELLOWSHIPS, AND OTHER RESOURCES,FROM WITHIN THE EXISTING BNV NETWORK AND BEYOND, TO BECOME STRONGER,MORE SUSTAINABLE, AND MORE IMPACTFUL ORGANIZATIONS. (2) THE BIGGERPICTURE IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN YOUTH SPEAKS, AND THE UNIVERSITY OFCALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO CENTER FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS DESIGNED TOCOMBAT THE RISING EPIDEMIC OF TYPE 2 DIABETES BY EMPOWERING YOUTH TOCHANGE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DISEASE, AND WORK TO CHANGE THESOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT HAVE LED TO ITS SPREAD,IN THE BAY AREA AND THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA. WE AIM TO INSPIRE YOUNGPEOPLE TO CHALLENGE AND NAME THE INSTITUTIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL ANDSOCIAL CAUSES OF TYPE 2 DIABETES. IT IS OUR HOPE THAT BY RAISING THEIRVOICE, TAKING ACTION AND JOINING THE CONVERSATION, THEY WILL INEVITABLYALTER THE TRAJECTORY OF THE DISEASE, AND PROVIDE YOUTH WITH A VIRTUALPLATFORM, AND REAL LIFE PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR STORIES TOBE HEARD. (3) LIFE IS LIVING IS A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTTHAT TESTS IDEAS ABOUT ENGAGING YOUTH, PRESENTING PUBLIC ART, FOSTERINGLITERACY AND STORYTELLING, DEVELOPING ARTS AUDIENCES, ESTABLISHINGNON-TRADITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, TRANSFORMING THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICEMOVEMENT, AND CATALYZING COMMUNITY-BUILDING.
- $558,838 spent. BAY AREA PROGRAMS - EVERY TIME A THOUGHT IS PUT INTO WORDS, IT IS A CREATIVE ACT (THUS THE TERM, LANGUAGE ARTS). THE SAME WAY A STUDENT RECOGNIZES AND IS ABLE TO PRACTICE VISUAL ARTS BY LEARNING IMAGES, DRAWING, PAINTING, AND/OR SCULPTING, A PERSON'S LANGUAGE SKILLS EXPAND THE MORE S/HE COMMUNICATES IDEAS, PROBLEMS, FEELINGS, AND SOLUTIONS. OUR LOCAL PROGRAMMING SITS AT THE CORE OF YOUTH SPEAKS. PROGRAMS SUCH AS OUR AFTER SCHOOL WORKSHOPS, IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCIES, UNCER 21 OPEN MIC, BRINGING THE NOISE FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., TEEN POETRY SLAM, UNIFIED DISTRICT POETRY CLAM, OAKLAND POET LAUREATE, QUEERIOSITY AND MC OLYMPICS, FULLY EMBODY OUR UNIQUE PEDAGOGY WHICH COMBINES ARTS EDUCATION, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, PERFORMANCE AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR STRENGTH AS A NATIONAL LEADER IS INTRINSICALLY CONNECTED TO THE DEPTH AND EXCELLENCE OF OUR CORE LOCAL PROGRAMS AND PEDAGOGY. YOUTH SPEAKS IS ALSO ACTIVELY CREATING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND PATHWAYS AS PART OF BAY AREA PROGRAM. WE DEVELOPED THE FIRST SOUND INSTITUTE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, TO BRING TOGETHER ARTISTS AND SECONDARY EDUCATORS FROM ACROSS THE BAY AREA AND BEYOND TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO OUR PEDAGOGY, OUR PHILOSOPHICAL UNDERPINNINGS OF OUR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND OUR ARTS DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES.
- $22,886 spent. THEATER PROGRAM - YOUTH SPEAKS THEATER PROGRAM IS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING LITERARY PERFORMANCE IN THE VERSE OF OUR TIME. AESTHETICALLY URBAN, PEDAGOGICALLY FREIREAN, OUR THEATER PROGRAM DERIVES PERSONAL PERFORMED NARRATIVES OUT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION. THOUGH ITS METHODOLOGY INCLUDES DANCE, MUSIC, AND FILM, THE COMPANY'S EMPHASIS IS SPOKEN STORYTELLING.WE SUPPORT THE CREATION OF VERSE-BASED WORK THAT IS SPOKEN THROUGH THE BODY, ILLUSTRATED BY VISUAL AND SONIC SCORES, AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE IMPORTANT SOCIAL ISSUES AND MOVEMENTS OF THE IMMEDIATE MOMENT. YOUTH SPEAKS THEATER PROGRAM IS ALSO CENTRALLY FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF THEATER ARTISTS, TECHNICAL PERSONNEL AND LEADERS, INCLUDING WRITERS, DIRECTORS, PERFORMERS AND PRODUCERS, THROUGH OUR EMERGING ARTISTS FELLOWSHIP. EMERGING ARTISTS FELLOWS ARE ALUMNI OF YOUTH SPEAKS YOUTH PROGRAMS AND THE BRAVE NEW VOICES NETWORK.
- OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: YOUTH SPEAKS CONVENED A STATEWIDE NETWORK OF 10 NETWORK ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS CALIFORNIA TO BE TRAINED IN THE DELIVERY OF BEST PRACTICES IN SPOKEN WORD PROGRAMMING BASED IN YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE PRINCIPLES. YOUTH SPEAKS ALSO PARTNERED WITH UCSFS CENTER FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TO THE INCREASE OF TYPE II DIABETES IN CERTAIN POPULATIONS THROUGH CULTURAL WORK TO DRIVE BEHAVIORAL CHANGE.
Source: Form 990 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 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 June 2025.
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 December 2001.
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.