GOLD2024

VITAL ARTS

aka Vital Arts, Inc.   |   Berkeley, CA   |  https://www.vitalarts.org

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Mission

Vital Arts seeks to honor the victims of the Ghost Ship fire by ensuring access to safe, affordable spaces for artists to live, work and perform.

Ruling year info

2019

Co-Founder and President

Edwin Bernbaum

Executive Director

Sharmi Basu

Main address

1831 Solano Avenue #7612

Berkeley, CA 94707 USA

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EIN

82-3947930

NTEE code info

Arts Service Activities/Organizations (A90)

Alliance/Advocacy Organizations (L01)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Bay Area Artist Census

The Bay Area Artist Census (BAAC) is a collaborative initiative rooted in equity and justice, connecting artists from diverse backgrounds. This project will educate artists, organizations, foundations, and local governments on critical issues such as affordable housing, safe workspaces, healthcare, food justice, and workers' rights. What makes this project different is our emphasis on community engagement and trust-building, with the aim of empowering artists through the process of data gathering. It's more than data; it's a platform for artists to tell their stories, lead in designing vital metrics, fostering fiscal literacy, political education, resource building, coalition development, data sovereignty, and advocacy. Our ultimate goal is to build artist capacity to engage with this type of work, equip them with resources, and provide them with concrete pathways toward deliverable solutions.

Population(s) Served
Activists
Artists and performers
Self-employed people

Vital Arts has launched the Artist Displacement Prevention Grant (ADPG), a critical initiative addressing artist displacement in the Bay Area. With a total funding of $30,000, this project will provide 12 need-based small grants of $2,500 each. The grants will be distributed twice a year, with six grants awarded in March 2024 and an additional six in August 2024. This pilot program prioritizes historically oppressed artists to alleviate our most pressing issue: housing.

The Artist Displacement Prevention Grant offers emergency relief to artists facing eviction, rent hikes, or homelessness. Collaborating with local artists and organizations, we ensure fair distribution. Vital Arts is committed to providing technical assistance to interested applicants to support navigating housing challenges. We know that these emergency funds will help stabilize struggling artists and also aid us in prioritizing those most vulnerable in our community.

Population(s) Served
Artists and performers
Low-income people
Internally displaced people

Where we work

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

VITAL ARTS
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

Subscribe

Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

VITAL ARTS

Board of directors
as of 05/06/2024
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Edwin Bernbaum, PhD

Retired

Term: 2017 -

Beth Jay

attorney, former Administrator for CA State Supreme Court

Steven Berger

independent investor

Amir Massih

Co-Founder and President, 4 Terra Northern California

Malcolm Margolin

Executive Director, California Institute of Community, Art & Nature

Marcial Chao

Architect/Partner, Pyatok Architecture & Urban Design

Jason Vargas

Creative Development Partners

Diane Bernbaum

Retired

Amanda Bornstein

Director of Real Estate Solutions, Community Vision

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 4/25/2024
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Asian/Asian American
Gender identity
Non-binary, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person with a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/19/2023

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.