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Silver Spring MD | IRS ruling year: 1963 | EIN: 52-0847374
Organization 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)
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 presenting traditional artists to the public in festivals, national and international tours, concerts, radio and television programs, films, recordings and other programs. NCTA's work includes a nationwide touring program, the creation and programming of large-scale festivals and special events, the planning of cultural programs in National Parks, and numerous other activities. In the past five years, the NCTA has presented 13 major multi-day festivals, 81 traditional arts concerts and 5 national tours with 146 performances, reaching 26 states, and produced 24 nationally distributed compact disc recordings. (Less)
Great
This charity's score is 96%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 90% Accountability & Finance, 10% Leadership & Adaptability. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.
We recognize that not all metrics and beacons equally predict a charity’s success. The percentage each beacon contributes to the organization’s overall rating depends on the number of beacons an organization has earned.
Use the tool below to select different beacons to see how the weighting shifts when only one, two, or three beacons are earned.
Charity Navigator's ratings previously did not consider Leadership & Adaptability, Culture & Community, or Impact & Results. The historic rating mainly reflects a version of today’s Accountability and Finance score. More information on our previous rating methodologies can be found on our rating methodology page.
| Date Published | Overall Rating | ||
| 6/1/2021 | | ||
| 3/1/2020 | | ||
| 3/1/2019 | | ||
| 7/1/2018 | | ||
| 2/1/2017 | | ||
| 6/1/2016 |  | ||
| 3/1/2016 | | ||
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. | |||
| 5/1/2015 |  | ||
| 2/1/2014 | | ||
| 6/1/2013 | | ||
| 3/1/2013 | | ||
| 4/1/2012 | | ||
| 9/20/2011 | | ||
| 4/1/2011 | | ||
| 5/1/2010 | | ||
| 2/1/2009 | | ||
| 2/1/2008 | | ||
| 5/1/2007 | | ||
| 5/1/2006 | | ||
| 4/1/2005 | | ||
Score
Most Recent Fiscal Year:
FY 2021
This beacon provides an assessment of a charity's financial health (financial efficiency, sustainability, and trustworthiness) and its commitment to governance practices and policies.
Learn more
Full Credit
Partial Credit
No CreditMajority Independent Board Members - 100% independent members8 out of 8 points Majority Independent Board Members - 100% independent members8 out of 8 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. We check to see that a majority of board members are identified as independent on their tax form.
Source: IRS Form 990
Independent Board Size - 28 independent members7 out of 7 points Independent Board Size - 28 independent members7 out of 7 points
Industry professionals strongly recommend an independent governing body to allow for full deliberation and diversity of thinking on governance and other organizational matters. For most organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least three independent board members. For large, donor-funded organizations, we check to see if the organization has at least five independent board members
Source: IRS Form 990
Financial Statements - Audit and Oversight Committee15 out of 15 points Financial Statements - Audit and Oversight Committee15 out of 15 points
An Audit, Review, or Compilation provides important information about financial accountability and accuracy. Organizations are scored based on their Total Revenue Amount:
| Total Revenue Amount | Expectation to Receive Credit |
| $2 million or higher and 40% or higher donor support | Expected to complete an audit and have an audit oversight committee |
| $1 million or higher | Expected to complete an audit |
| $500,000 - $1 million | Expected to complete an audit, review, or compilation |
| Less than $500,000 | No expectation (removed from scoring methodology) |
Source: IRS Form 990
Material Diversion of Assets - None10 out of 10 points Material Diversion of Assets - None10 out of 10 points
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 — also can seriously call into question a charity's financial integrity. We review the charity's most recent IRS Form 990 to see if the charity has reported any diversion of assets.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditWebsite Listed on Tax Form - Listed2 out of 2 points Website Listed on Tax Form - Listed2 out of 2 points
Charity Navigator looks for a website on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency metric.
Nonprofits act in the public trust and reporting publicly on activities is an important component.
Source: IRS Form 990
Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points Conflict of Interest Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a conflict of interest policy on the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy protects the organization and by extension those it serves, when it is considering entering into a transaction that may benefit the private interest of an officer, director and/or key employee of the organization.
Source: IRS Form 990
Whistleblower Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points Whistleblower Policy - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a whistleblower policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy outlines procedures for handling employee complaints, as well as a confidential way for employees to report financial or other types of mismanagement.
Source: IRS Form 990
Document Retention and Destruction - Listed4 out of 4 points Document Retention and Destruction - Listed4 out of 4 points
Charity Navigator looks for the existence of a document retention and destruction policy per the IRS Form 990 as an accountability and transparency measure.
This policy establishes guidelines for the handling, backing up, archiving and destruction of documents. These guidelines foster good record keeping procedures that promote data integrity.
Source: IRS Form 990
Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes2 out of 2 points Documents Board Meeting Minutes - Yes2 out of 2 points
Charity Navigator looks to confirm on the IRS Form 990 that the organization has this process in place as an accountability and transparency measure.
An official record of the events that take place during a board meeting ensures that a contemporaneous document exists for future reference.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditTax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Missing0 out of 4 points Tax Form Posted on Nonprofit's Website - Missing0 out of 4 points
For almost all charities, we check the charity's IRS Form 990 to see if it discloses that the Form 990 is available on the charity's website. As with the audited financial statement, donors need easy access to this financial report to help determine if the organization is managing its financial resources well.
Source: IRS Form 990
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditLiabilities to Assets: Ratio - 15.82%15 out of 15 points Liabilities to Assets: Ratio - 15.82%15 out of 15 points
The Liabilities to Assets Ratio is determined by Total Liabilities divided by Total Assets (most recent IRS Form 990). This ratio is an indicator of an organization's solvency and/or long-term sustainability.
Source: IRS Form 990
Program Expense: Ratio - 81.89%25 out of 25 points Program Expense: Ratio - 81.89%25 out of 25 points
The Program Expense Ratio is determined by Program Expenses divided by Total Expense (average of most recent three IRS Forms 990). This measure reflects the percent of its total expenses a charity spends on the programs and services it exists to deliver.
Source: IRS Form 990
This chart displays the trend of revenue and expenses over the past several years for this organization, as reported on their IRS Form 990.
Presented here are up to five of this organization's highest compensated employees. 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
$102,660
George Holt, Chairman Of The Board
Compensation not entered
David Morrison, Board President
Compensation not entered
Diana Parker, Board Vice-president
Compensation not entered
Nathan Pearson Jr, Board Treasurer
Compensation not entered
Source: IRS Form 990 (page 7), filing year 2021
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
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)
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 search for this organization's Forms 990 on the IRS website (if any are available). Simply enter the organization's name (National Council for the Traditional Arts) or EIN (520847374) in the 'Search Term' field.
Not Currently Scored
National Council for the Traditional Arts cannot currently be evaluated by our 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.
Not Currently Scored
National Council for the Traditional Arts cannot currently be evaluated by our Culture & Community methodology because we have not received data from the charity regarding its Constituent Feedback or Equity Practices strategies.
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.
Score
This beacon 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.
Learn more
Full CreditPartial CreditNo CreditMission 10/10 points Mission 10/10 points
The nonprofit organization presents evidence of strategic thinking through articulating the organization's 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 presenting traditional artists to the public in festivals, national and international tours, concerts, radio and television programs, films, recordings and other programs. NCTA's work includes a nationwide touring program, the creation and programming of large-scale festivals and special events, the planning of cultural programs in National Parks, and numerous other activities. In the past five years, the NCTA has presented 13 major multi-day festivals, 81 traditional arts concerts and 5 national tours with 146 performances, reaching 26 states, and produced 24 nationally distributed compact disc recordings.
Vision 10/10 points Vision 10/10 points
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 c
Source: Nonprofit submitted responses
Goals 20/20 points Goals 20/20 points
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.
Leadership Development 15/15 points Leadership Development 15/15 points
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.
Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points Mobilizing for Mission 15/15 points
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.
Adaptability Story 30/30 points Adaptability Story 30/30 points
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.
Impact & Results
Accountability & Finance
Culture & Community
Leadership & Adaptability
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