PLATINUM2022

Positively Arts

We Empower Kids For Life

aka Positively Arts   |   Las Vegas, NV   |  www.positivelyarts.org

Mission

Positively Arts is a 501c3 non-profit that empower kids for life in our community by utilizing the tools of artistic discovery and performance to fortify students’ social & emotional development and creative & critical thinking skills. We utilize the arts as a tool to educate, inspire, heal, and empower youth! ​

Ruling year info

2014

CEO

Pilita Marie Simpson

Main address

4455 W Sunset Rd

Las Vegas, NV 89118 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Positively Arts Foundation, Inc.

EIN

45-2847061

NTEE code info

Youth Development Programs (O50)

Arts Education/Schools (A25)

Scholarships, Student Financial Aid, Awards (B82)

IRS filing requirement

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

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2020, 2019 and 2018.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Arts education and training have proven to help develop psychological resilience in children, as well as benefit their social-emotional and cognitive development. Unfortunately, many students in Southern Nevada do not have access to arts programming in their schools. Continual budget cuts have resulted in schools having to cut back or eliminate arts programs. Positively Arts fills this need by offering quality performing arts camps to local youth that seek to build self-confidence and self-esteem through artistic expression in an environment that promotes peer support and anti-bullying messages. We strive to create positive arts programs in spaces where the arts are absent, hoping to give students a creative and productive outlet during times when they’re most susceptible to stress.

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?

Anti-Bullying School Tour

Positively Arts sends teaching artists into schools to lead students in empowering performance arts programs that engender confidence, resiliency and teamwork.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth

Children facing their battle with this disease may feel they have no choice in how their emotions and situations play out. Through script-writing, role-playing and the dramatic arts, Positively Arts affords these children the opportunity to RE-WRITE their roles according to how they WANT to be played. This activity allows the children to see how envisioning a change can actually put that change into motion. Even with the challenges they face, we empower them to be in control of their actions and reactions, reinforcing their strength and resilience.

Population(s) Served
People with diseases and illnesses
Children and youth

Professional performers from Disney, Cirque, Broadway and more lend their expertise and mentorship to at-risk and disadvantaged youth. Classes are taught in the performance arts, building confidence through the mastery of skills and empowering through performance showcases held at professional venues. Youth also learn about respect, teamwork and leadership through our dance, theatre, voice and other interactive arts curriculum.

Population(s) Served
At-risk youth
Children and youth

Get Launched Vegas is our two-month long “American Idol-style” performance experience that prepares students for the rejection, obstacles, and challenges that come with the audition process. Let’s face it, when someone chooses the performance industry, they’re also signing up for an uphill battle and must develop the confidence, resilience, and perseverance necessary to advance in their performance career. Get Launched Vegas simulates this rigorous and sometimes disappointing process in a supportive, encouraging, and safe environment. We teach students to face adversity with hope for the next opportunity, and to love themselves every step of the way. In addition, we pair national celebrities directly with aspiring local youth talent. Through empowering performances, youth build confidence and resilience while being mentored by leading professionals in the entertainment industry. This program inspires youth to work hard and dream big.

Population(s) Served
Children and youth
Multiracial people
Non-adult children
Girls
Boys

Where we work

Videos

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Total number of off-site performances held

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Decreasing

Context Notes

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Positively Arts suspended off-site performances through much of 2020.

Total number of free performances given

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Decreasing

Context Notes

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Positively Arts free performances were held virtually through much of 2020.

Number of students registered for online courses

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of teachers recruited

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Input - describing resources we use

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of students per teacher during the reporting period

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Increasing

Hours of expertise provided

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Positively Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that uses the arts to EMPOWER, INSPIRE, EDUCATE and HEAL young people from all backgrounds in southern Nevada. Through artistic discovery and performance, students build the confidence needed to excel in every aspect of their lives. We use the arts to strengthen a child’s social emotional development and create resilience by providing the tools, coping mechanisms, and positive outlets for self-expression.

Positively Arts serves children in southern Nevada through camps, master classes, performance opportunities and onsite visits to professional performance venues. Positively Arts believes that every student deserves equal access to arts training and programs regardless of their economic circumstance; and the study of arts is essential to developing minds. Performing arts uniquely enhances cognitive, language, physical, and social-emotional learning in children. Positively Arts offers the tools, coping mechanisms, and a positive creative outlet for self-expression through artistic discovery and performance. This fosters self-awareness, self-confidence and self-actualization through the mastery of a student’s artistic skills and passions within the arts.

Positively Arts has formed a powerful collaborative partnership with the Las Vegas entertainment and arts community, public and private schools in Clark County, and community leaders to provide much-needed arts-integration programs to students most in need. Positively Arts is committed to prioritizing the delivery of much-needed arts programs to at-risk children in our community. Our program opens its doors to all youth and works with community partners to identify low-income students who have a passion for the arts, but do not have the means to fulfill those dreams.

Since 2014, Positively Arts has served over 10,000 students through our anti-bullying programs in-schools and empowerment programs; provided more than $40,000 in scholarships and over $90,000 in donated private lessons and instruction to build confidence and strengthen the social-emotional development of children in greater Las Vegas.

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.

  • Who are the people you serve with your mission?

    Youth in Southern Nevada

  • 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, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • 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 look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), 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, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

Positively 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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  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

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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.

Positively Arts

Board of directors
as of 11/17/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Pilita Simpson

Elizabeth Matthews

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Pilita Simpson

Positively Arts

Alana Kohl

AdvisorPR

Jen Bambao

Capitol Roots Studio

Michelle Guyot

Joel Mann

Joanna Johnston

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 ? Yes
  • 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? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 11/9/2022
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
Multi-Racial/Multi-Ethnic (2+ races/ethnicities)
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

 

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Last updated: 03/29/2021

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

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • 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.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.