Mission: Founded in 1933, the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is the nation's oldest folk arts organization. The NCTA stresses quality and authenticity in pr ... (More)
National Council for the Traditional Arts is a 501(c)(3) organization, with an IRS ruling year of 1963, and donations are tax-deductible.
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Contact Information
8757 Georgia Ave
Suite 450
Silver Spring MD 20910
Important note on the timeliness of ratings
The IRS is significantly delayed in processing nonprofits' annual tax filings (Forms 990). As a result, the Financial and Accountability & Transparency score for National Council for the Traditional Arts is outdated and the overall rating may not be representative of its current operations. Please check with the charity directly for any questions you may have.
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Star Rating System by Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator evaluates a nonprofit organization’s financial health including measures of stability, efficiency and sustainability. We also track accountability and transparency policies to ensure the good governance and integrity of the organization.
Exceptional
This charity's score is 91.67, earning it a 4-Star rating. Donors can "Give with Confidence" to this charity.
This score is calculated from two sub-scores:
Finance: 95.80 View details
Accountability & Transparency: 89.00 View details
This score represents Form 990 data from 2019, the latest year published by the IRS.
View this organization’s historical ratings.
Star Rated Report
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Program Expense Ratio
90.3%
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three 990s).
This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver. Dividing a charity's average program expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Administrative Expenses
8.1%
As reported by charities on their IRS Form 990, this measure reflects what percent of its total budget a charity spends on overhead, administrative staff and associated costs, and organizational meetings. Dividing a charity's average administrative expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Expenses
1.4%
This measure reflects what a charity spends to raise money. Fundraising expenses can include campaign printing, publicity, mailing, and staffing and costs incurred in soliciting donations, memberships, and grants. Dividing a charity's average fundraising expenses by its average total functional expenses yields this percentage. We calculate the charity's average expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Liabilities to Assets Ratio
4.4%
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent 990).
Part of our goal in rating the financial performance of charities is to help donors assess the financial capacity and sustainability of a charity. As do organizations in other sectors, charities must be mindful of their management of total liabilites in relation to their total assets. This ratio is an indicator of an organization’s solvency and or long term sustainability. Dividing a charity's total liabilities by its total assets yields this percentage.
Source: IRS Form 990
Fundraising Efficiency
$0.01
The amount spent to raise $1 in charitable contributions. To calculate a charity's fundraising efficiency, we divide its average fundraising expenses by the average total contributions it receives. We calculate the charity's average expenses and average contributions over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Working Capital Ratio
0.56 years
Determines how long a charity could sustain its level of spending using its net available assets, or working capital, as reported on its most recently filed Form 990. We include in a charity's working capital unrestricted and temporarily restricted net assets, and exclude permanently restricted net assets. Dividing these net available assets in the most recent year by a charity's average total expenses, yields the working capital ratio. We calculate the charity's average total expenses over its three most recent fiscal years.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense Growth
5.30%
We compute the average annual growth of program expenses using the following formula: [(Yn/Y0)(1/n)]-1, where Y0 is a charity's program expenses in the first year of the interval analyzed, Yn is the charity's program expenses in the most recent year, and n is the interval of years passed between Y0 and Yn.
Source: IRS Form 990
Governance
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990 that the organization has these governance practices in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990
| Governance: | |
|---|---|
| Independent Voting Board Members ... (More) | |
| No Material Diversion of Assets ... (More) A diversion of assets – any unauthorized conversion or use of the organization's assets other than for the organization's authorized purposes, including but not limited to embezzlement or theft – can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We check the charity's last two Forms 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets. If the charity does report a diversion, then we check to see if it complied with the Form 990 instructions by describing what happened and its corrective action. This metric will be assigned to one of the following categories:
| |
| Audited Financials Prepared by Independent Accountant ... (More) Audited financial statements provide important information about financial accountability and accuracy. They should be prepared by an independent accountant with oversight from an audit committee. (It is not necessary that the audit committee be a separate committee. Often at smaller charities, it falls within the responsibilities of the finance committee or the executive committee.) The committee provides an important oversight layer between the management of the organization, which is responsible for the financial information reported, and the independent accountant, who reviews the financials and issues an opinion based on its findings. We check the charity's Form 990 reporting to see if it meets this criteria.
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| Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From Related Parties ... (More) | |
| Documents Board Meeting Minutes ... (More) | |
| Distributes 990 to Board Before Filing ... (More) | |
| Compensates Board ... (More) |
Policies
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization has these policies in place.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Policies: | |
|---|---|
| Conflict of Interest ... (More) | |
| Whistleblower ... (More) | |
| Records Retention and Destruction ... (More) | |
| CEO Compensation Process ... (More) | |
| Donor Privacy ... (More) Donors can be reluctant to contribute to a charity when their name, address, or other basic information may become part of donor lists that are exchanged or sold, resulting in an influx of charitable solicitations from other organizations. Our analysts check the charity's website to see if the organization has a donor privacy policy in place and what it does and does not cover. Privacy policies are assigned to one of the following categories:
The privacy policy must be specific to donor information. A general website policy which references "visitor" or "user" personal information will not suffice. A policy that refers to donor information collected on the website is also not sufficient as the policy must be comprehensive and applicable to both online and offline donors. The existence of a privacy policy of any type does not prohibit the charity itself from contacting the donor for informational, educational, or solicitation purposes. (Less) |
Transparency
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the Form 990, or for some metrics on the charity's website, that the organization makes this information easily accessible.
Sources Include: IRS Form 990 and organization's website
| Transparency: | |
|---|---|
| CEO Salary Listed on 990 ... (More) | |
| Board of Directors Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Key Staff Listed on Website ... (More) | |
| Audited Financial Statements on Website ... (More) | |
| Form 990 Available on Website ... (More) |
Additional Information
Unscored
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Total Revenue and Expenses
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Salary of Key Persons
Presented here are this organizations key compensated staff members as identified by our analysts. This compensation data includes salary, cash bonuses and expense accounts and is displayed exactly how it is reported to the IRS. The amounts do not include nontaxable benefits, deferred compensation, or other amounts not reported on Form W-2. In some cases, these amounts may include compensation from related organizations. Read the IRS policies for compensation reporting
Lora Bottinelli, Executive Director
$88,105 (4.48% of Total Expenses)
Current CEO and Board Chair can be found in the Leadership & Adaptability report below.
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2019
Business Master File Data
Below are some key data points from the Exempt Organization IRS Business Master File (BMF) for this organization. Learn more about the BMF on the IRS website
Activities:
Other cultural or historical activities (BMF activity code: 119)
Other school related activities (BMF activity code: 059)
Foundation Status:
Organization which receives a substantial part of its support from a governmental unit or the general public 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) (BMF foundation code: 15)
Affiliation:
Independent - the organization is an independent organization or an independent auxiliary (i.e., not affiliated with a National, Regional, or Geographic grouping of organizations). (BMF affiliation code: 3)
Data Sources: IRS Forms 990
The Form 990 is a document that nonprofit organizations file with the IRS annually. We leverage finance and accountability data from it to form Encompass ratings. Click here to view this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available).
Pandemic Response
Due to the unprecedented nature of the pandemic, we give charities such as this one the opportunity to share the story of COVID's impact on them. Charities may submit their own pandemic responses through their nonprofit portal.
National Council for the Traditional Arts reported being impacted by COVID-19 in the following ways:
Program Delivery
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's operations financially:
NCTA remains in good fiscal health despite the extended challenges of the pandemic and cancellation of major in-person events in 2020 and 2021. NCTA applied and received ARP grants and the PPP loan to help offset costs and enable us to provide programming.
How COVID-19 impacted the organization's delivery of programs:
In response to COVID, NCTA cancelled in-person programs through August 2021 and reduced the number of performance stages/artists at the 80th National (MD) and Richmond (VA) Folk Festivals. NCTA launched initiatives to leverage social media platforms, resources and partnerships to maintain audience engagement and strengthen connections with culture bearers. Loss of payments to culture bearers performing at NCTA events is significant—over $750,000 artist fees not contracted by NCTA due to missed performance opportunities at these major multistage, free festivals during the two-season interruption.
How this organization adapted to changing conditions caused by COVID-19:
In April 2020, in response to and concern of the impacts (health, fiscal, creative and more) the pandemic was having on the folk and traditional arts landscape, NCTA began daily posts on its social media in an effort to expand visibility of various COVID-19 support and response resources made available to the arts sector at large. Resource Alerts - Resilience, Reframing, Actions (RARRA) is a proud steppingstone for NCTA’s ongoing and expanding efforts focused on serving and connecting with the diverse folk arts practitioners, culture bearers and folklife administrators. In just two years the number of resources posted has grown from a handful to hundreds. NCTA shifted programming to online platforms for the 2020 National Folk Festival Virtual Celebration and the 2020 Richmond Folk Festival.
Innovations the organization intends to continue permanently after the pandemic:
Since its launch, the RARRA campaign has grown to include monthly newsletters (a digest and post highlights of the RARRA postings), expanded it’s scope of posting content to include not just emergency funding, but also a variety of opportunities and outlets that are conducive to resilience for the arts sector and reframing systemic issues pertaining to access, equity and representation. RARRA’s Power BI platform is a powerful tool that allows site visitors to navigate through RARRA’s posting history. Through the platform visitors can see the story told (in real time) by the RARRA data history, and learn compelling insights on the states of resource sharing and development in and for arts and culture.
Historical Ratings
| Date Published | Form 990 FYE | Overall Score | Overall Rating |
| Rating Version: 2.1 | |||
| 6/1/2021 | 2019 | 91.67 | |
| 3/1/2020 | 2018 | 90.75 | |
| 3/1/2019 | 2017 | 92.02 | |
| 7/1/2018 | 2016 | 93.91 | |
| 2/1/2017 | 2015 | 90.01 | |
| 6/1/2016 | 2014 | 85.38 |  |
| Rating Version: 2.0 | |||
| 3/1/2016 | 2014 | 80.13 | |
| 5/1/2015 | 2013 | 78.49 |  |
| 2/1/2014 | 2012 | 78.42 | |
| 6/1/2013 | 2011 | 80.36 | |
| 3/1/2013 | 2011 | 75.14 | |
This organization received multiple star ratings within this fiscal year, due to an update to its Accountability and Transparency data and/or the receipt of an amended Form 990. | |||
| 4/1/2012 | 2010 | 79.84 | |
| 9/20/2011 | 2009 | 81.93 | |
| Rating Version: 1.0 | |||
| 4/1/2011 | 2009 | 88.16 | |
| 5/1/2010 | 2008 | 87.03 | |
| 2/1/2009 | 2007 | 76.87 | |
| 2/1/2008 | 2006 | 84.34 | |
| 5/1/2007 | 2005 | 90.85 | |
| 5/1/2006 | 2004 | 93.21 | |
| 4/1/2005 | 2003 | 70.44 | |
Previous: Finance & Accountability / Next: Leadership & Adaptability
Impact & Results
This score estimates the actual impact a nonprofit has on the lives of those it serves, and determines whether it is making good use of donor resources to achieve that impact.
Impact & Results Score
Not Currently Scored
National Council for the Traditional Arts cannot currently be evaluated by our Encompass Rating Impact & Results methodology because either (A) it is eligible, but we have not yet received data; (B) we have not yet developed an algorithm to estimate its programmatic impact; (C) its programs are not direct services; or (D) it is not heavily reliant on contributions from individual donors.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Do you work at National Council for the Traditional Arts? Join the waitlist for an updated Impact & Results score.
Additional Information
Unscored
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Largest Programs
National Council for the Traditional Arts reported its three largest programs on its FY 2019 Form 990 as:
$688,811
Spent in most recent FY
39%
Percent of program expenses
Folk & Traditional Arts Program
$648,941
Spent in most recent FY
37%
Percent of program expenses
National Park Service Work
$356,074
Spent in most recent FY
20%
Percent of program expenses
Services To NEA
Previous: Impact & Results / Next: Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
This score provides an assessment of the organization's leadership capacity, strategic thinking and planning, and ability to innovate or respond to changes in constituent demand/need or other relevant social and economic conditions to achieve the organization's mission.
Leadership & Adaptability Score
100
out of 100
The score earned by National Council for the Traditional Arts is a passing score. This score has no effect on the organization's Star Rating.
Encompass Rating V4 provides an evaluation of the organization's Leadership & Adaptability through the nonprofit organization submitting a survey response directly to Charity Navigator.
Leadership & Adaptability Report
100
of 100 points
Mission
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s mission
The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk and traditional arts in the United States. Founded in 1933, it is the nation’s oldest folk arts organization and the only one committed to producing live performances throughout the entire country. Its programs celebrate and honor deeply rooted cultural expressions - music, dance, crafts, rituals, foodways and stories passed on through time in families, communities, tribal, ethnic, regional, religious and occupational groups. NCTA presents the nation’s finest artists in festivals, tours, cultural exchanges, workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions, media productions, school programs and other activities. It works in partnership with communities across America to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that deliver lasting social, cultural and economic benefits.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Vision
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization’s vision.
NCTA is committed to presenting those arts that collectively define us as a people, that represent continuity from the past to the present and into the future. It believes that bringing diverse grassroots tradition-bearers of the highest caliber to the citizens of our nation creates powerful experiences that are transformative, fostering cultural understanding and strengthening civil society. NCTA supports the keepers of our cultural heritage who ensure the transmission of these arts to future generations. NCTA’s community collaborations are exercises in cultural democracy and demonstrate the organization’s commitment to working at the grassroots level, as well as the national, in its many endeavors. NCTA champions the interests of folk and traditional artists and organizations in the arena of public policy.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Strategic Goals
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking and goal setting through sharing their most important strategic goals.
Goal One: NCTA strives to support the stewardship of traditional artists and their lifeways for future generations.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Two: Creating dynamic opportunities for culture bearers to share their traditions with the general public.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Goal Three: NCTA has served the nation for nearly a century and enables this work which highlights and endeavors promoting celebrating the peoples of the United States in cultural practice.
Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Leadership Development
The nonprofit provides evidence of investment in leadership development
Describe an investment in leadership
Leadership and professional development opportunities are made available to staff based on their areas of growth and needs. Specific examples include engagement in the Event Safety Alliance by three staff and NCTA membership with the of Cultural Advocacy Group - including participation in monthly peer-to-peer conversations/support with those from across a variety of arts disciplines.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Mobilizing for Mission
The nonprofit provides evidence of leadership through focusing externally and mobilizing resources for the mission.
This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:
Strategic Partnerships
Networks of Collective Impact Efforts
Thought Leadership
Raising Awareness
Community Building
Policy Advocacy
What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?
NCTA leadership is intentionally focused on the mobilization of the mission of our organization. NCTA is excited to be leading an effort amongst federal partners and community initiatives that can be brought forth for American 250 commemorations; we build coalitions and communities that engage stakeholders in interests such as economic development, education, arts equity, revitalization efforts, volunteerism and more; we make ourselves available to academic and cultural organizations to support their development and growth as well as provide pro bono support for festivals (especially during the pandemic); we have presented and/or led at the American Folklore Society annual conference, the Maryland Arts Summit, Living Traditions Network, and CAG; and are deeply engaged in collaboration with other organizations/collectives such as LTN and MD Citizens for the Arts.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Story of Adaptability
The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
In response to COVID, NCTA cancelled in-person programs through August 2021 and reduced the number of performance stages/artists at the 80th National (MD) and Richmond (VA) Folk Festivals. NCTA launched initiatives to leverage social media platforms, resources and partnerships to maintain audience engagement and strengthen connections with culture bearers. Loss of payments to culture bearers performing at NCTA events is significant—over $750,000 artist fees not contracted by NCTA due to missed performance opportunities at these major multistage, free festivals during the two-season interruption. In April 2020, in response to and concern of the impacts (health, fiscal, creative and more) the pandemic was having on the folk and traditional arts landscape, NCTA began daily posts on its social media in an effort to expand visibility of various COVID-19 support and response resources made available to the arts sector at large. Resource Alerts - Resilience, Reframing, Actions (RARRA) is a proud steppingstone for NCTA’s ongoing and expanding efforts focused on serving and connecting with the diverse folk arts practitioners, culture bearers and folklife administrators. In just two years the number of resources posted has grown from a handful to hundreds. NCTA shifted programming to online platforms for the 2020 National Folk Festival Virtual Celebration and the 2020 Richmond Folk Festival.
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Additional Information
Unscored
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Organization Leadership
Lora Bottinelli
Executive Director
George Holt
Chairman
Previous: Leadership & Adaptability
Culture & Community
This score provides an assessment of the organization's culture and connectedness to the community it serves. Learn more about how and why we rate Culture & Community.
Culture & Community Score
Not Currently Scored
National Council for the Traditional Arts is currently not eligible for a Culture & Community score because we have not received its Constituent Feedback or Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion data. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the How We Listen and Equity Practices sections of their Candid profile.
Note: The absence of a score does not indicate a positive or negative assessment, it only indicates that we have not yet evaluated the organization.
Culture & Community Report
Unscored
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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
This organization has not provided information regarding the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices it is presently implementing. As such, the organization has not earned a score on this metric. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations implementing effective DEI policies and practices can enhance a nonprofit's decision-making, staff motivation, innovation, and effectiveness.
Methodology
We are utilizing data collected by Candid to document and assess the DEI practices implemented by the organization. Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to fill out the Equity Strategies section of their Candid profiles to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Constituent Feedback
Constituent Feedback and Listening Practice data are not available for this organization. Charity Navigator believes nonprofit organizations that engage in inclusive practices, such as collecting feedback from the people and communities they serve, may be more effective.
Methodology
We've partnered with Candid to survey organizations about their feedback practices. Nonprofit organizations can fill out the How We Listen section of their Candid profile to receive a rating.
Learn more about the methodology.
Analysis and Research
Like the overall Encompass Rating System, the Culture & Community Beacon is designed to evolve as metrics are developed and ready for integration. Below you can find more information about the metrics we currently evaluate in this beacon and their relevance to nonprofit performance.
Constituent Feedback
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
