Northern Indiana Clay Alliance Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Northern Indiana Clay Alliance advances ceramic arts education and community engagement in the Michiana region by providing programming, resources and events that support artists, students and arts enthusiasts, while working toward a permanent facility to sustain and expand its mission long-term.
- Income
- $66,659
- Spending
- $54,139
- Reserves
- 10.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 53%
- Highest pay
- $10,000, executive director
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 73% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 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 (3)
- $24,000 spent. The Michiana Pottery Tour is an annual two-day self-guided studio tour connecting the public with ceramic artists across the Michiana region. In its most recent year, the tour featured 60 participating artists across 10 stops and drew approximately 450 visitors, generating $125,000 in direct artist sales and an estimated $250,000-$290,000 in regional economic impact. The tour serves a dual mission: supporting the economic vitality of regional ceramic artists by providing direct access to buyers, and connecting the broader public with the ceramic arts through an immersive, educational experience. Visitors travel between working studios and gallery spaces, giving them rare access to artists in their creative environments, an opportunity to learn about the craft firsthand and a chance to purchase original work directly from the makers. The program benefits artists at varying stages of their careers, from emerging ceramicists to established studio potters, providing a platform that would be difficult to replicate individually. For the public, the tour serves as an accessible entry point into the ceramic arts, fostering appreciation, education and long-term community support for the medium.
- $3,000 spent. The Michiana Spring Clay Tour is an annual self-guided studio tour held each spring, designed to provide NICA members at all experience levels an accessible opportunity to open their studios to the public and sell their work directly to buyers. With 19 locations, the tour is intentionally inclusive, open to all NICA members rather than a curated selection, lowering the barrier to entry and giving emerging artists meaningful exposure alongside more established makers. The tour serves a complementary role to the fall Michiana Pottery Tour, extending NICA's economic support for ceramic artists across two seasons. For participating artists, it provides a structured platform to build a customer base, develop their public presence and generate direct sales revenue. For visitors, it offers an intimate look into working studios across the Michiana region and an opportunity to engage directly with the ceramic arts community. The program benefits NICA members across a range of career stages and backgrounds, with particular value for newer artists who may not yet have the profile or following to drive traffic independently. By organizing and marketing the tour collectively, NICA amplifies reach for all participants while building broader regional awareness of the ceramic arts.
- $5,000 spent. The Holiday Michiana Pottery Show is an annual indoor juried sale held each holiday season in the historic Goshen Theater ballroom. Bringing together 18 ceramic artists in a single curated venue, the event offers the public a convenient and festive opportunity to discover and purchase handcrafted pottery as gifts during the holiday season. In its most recent year the show drew approximately 250 visitors and generated $12,000 in direct artist sales. By centralizing artists in a single elegant venue, the event creates an elevated shopping experience that distinguishes handcrafted ceramic work from mass-produced alternatives, reinforcing the cultural and economic value of supporting local makers. The show serves both participating artists and the broader community. For artists, it provides a high-visibility sales opportunity during the most commercially significant time of year. For visitors, it offers direct access to a curated collection of regional ceramic work in a welcoming, community-oriented setting. The Goshen Theater venue also deepens NICA's connection to the local arts community and reinforces the organization's role as a convener of creative culture in the Michiana region.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 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 October 13, 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 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 October 2022.
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 October 21, 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.