PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC
Children. Families. Community.
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC
EIN: 41-0706132
Mission
We create pathways for individuals to discover their strengths and take control of their futures.
Notes from the nonprofit
Phyllis Wheatley Community Center has provided consistent support for the diverse Greater Minneapolis community for more than 98 years. As a steward of our community, we create pathways out of poverty through programs in lifelong learning, job skills, child development, and family support for the people we serve. PWCC’s history of serving families is legendary in our community. Our organization has been there to provide a safe space, leading edge programming, family services, and economic development initiatives, and serves as a hub for community collaboration. We have served generations of residents of the North Minneapolis community, beginning as a settlement house and evolving to provide important programming to uplift African Americans. Today, PWCC is culturally responsive and provides services that evolve along with the changing needs of our clients. We have remained relevant and focused on holistic support in our community.
Ruling year
1945
Executive Director
Ms. Suzanne E. Fuller Burks
Main address
1301 10th Avenue N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411 USA
Formerly known as
Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House
EIN
41-0706132
Equal opportunity in education
Continuing education
Computer literacy
Student retention
Early childhood education
Population served
Children and youth
Adults
Parents
People of African descent
Social and economic status
NTEE code
Neighborhood Center, Settlement House (P28)
Child Day Care (P33)
Other Youth Development N.E.C. (O99)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Persistent inequities and exclusion of the African American population of North Minneapolis, a historically poor, dangerous district that continues to reel from the George Floyd murder and ensuing violence and rioting. We offer educational opportunities to people of all ages with a focus on creating pathways to financial stability through training programs, early childhood education, youth enrichment, tech skills programs, initiatives that advance health equity, financial literacy and wealth building strategy for women, and more.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Early Childhood Development
The Mary T. Wellcome Child Development Center (MTW) prepares children of low-income and working parents for successful transition to school by providing a safe, affordable, quality pre-academic program for infants to pre-kindergarten age children. The center provides comprehensive, research based curriculum and learning experiences including developmentally appropriate math, language, literacy, creative arts, social & emotional development, and cultural awareness. Staff works closely with parents to ensure each child achieves developmental milestones and is fully prepared to succeed in school. MTW is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and is a Four-Star Parent Aware rated program.
Youth Development
Year-round activities, during & after school, provide school age children and youth with stable, positive role models and mentors who strengthen and reinforce academic and life skills by providing meaningful opportunities to experience success in a variety of settings. The program builds upon family and community strengths to accelerate student learning, build developmental assets, promote leadership skills and engage & energize low performing students who come from diverse cultural, economic and language backgrounds, to reach their full potential. A partnership with Hamline University’s Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching and Bethune Community School, the program employs licensed teachers and trained tutors & mentors to implement the Urban Learner Framework. During the summer we offer an affordable, open enrollment, all-day school age program that blends developmentally appropriate academic activities with recreational and cultural activities.
Community Resource Services
Referral services available to anyone in the community but emphasizing people who are participants in PWCC's other programs who need assistance in other areas of their lives. Staff helps identify resources available to them and partners with other organizations to form a strong network of wraparound services for individuals and families, develop a personal plan and achieve realistic personal and family stability goals they set for themselves. Activities help participants discover their strengths, learn skills to resolve conflict without violence, improve financial literacy, strengthen parenting and build family & community leadership skills.
Restorative Programs
Men's, Women's, and youth programs that teach individuals how to cope with relationships and find healthy ways to address issues after being involved in (either as perpetrator or victim of) intimate partner violence. Intensive, 20-week programs teach people the skills they need to end the cycle of violence in the home and move on to better, more fulfilling lives, free of violence.
Covid-19 Testing and Vaccine Clinics
We offer Covid-19 tests every day and hold vaccine clinics monthly to reach people in our area who are not comfortable with going to a clinic or hospital, or who are hesitant.
Digital TechWorks Academy
A suite of five programs that aim to provide kids and adults with the digital literacy needed to obtain high paying jobs in technology and help our community break the poverty cycle. Wheatley eSports Club teaches teens to use their favorite pastime - video games - to learn development and design; Girls Who Code and ManCode Mentoring give girls and young men coding skills; adult basic literacy teaches people the tech skills they need to make career changes; and Microsoft Certification training and testing opens doors to sustainable, well paying positions in tech firms and other companies.
Camp Katharine Parsons
Summer youth camp serving kids from Minneapolis
Where we work
Awards
Four Star Rating 2009
Parent Aware
Meets All Standards 2010
Charities Review Council, Minnesota
Sesquicentennial - 150th Anniversary celebration One of the State of MN’s 150 People, Places and Things 2012
Selected in 2012 as one of the State of MN’s 150 People, Places and Things during the Sesquicentennial - 150th Anniversary celebration
Greater Twin Cities United Way Delta Innovation award 2013
Selected Greater Twin Cities United Way Delta Innovation award recognition for the codification of the Family Services men’s program
Dr. Reatha Clark King Award 2013
2013 PWCC received the seventh annual Reatha Clark King Award for excellence in Youth Motivation through the Cultural Arts
80x3 Initiative 2022
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Digital Tech Works Academy -NBA Initiative 2021
NBA Foundation
Adult tech skills grants 2021
Microsoft Foundation
Racial and Economic Justice Award 2022
Minneapolis Foundation
General Operating Support 2022
Otto Bremer Trust
Hometown 2021
Target Foundation
Covid Vaccine Program Grant 2021
Target Foundation
Fire Award - Community Builder 2022
Minne-Inno
CFO of the Year- Nonprofit 2022
Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journals
Affiliations & memberships
United Neighborhood Centers of America 2005
Alliance for Children and Families - Member 2008
NAEYC 2022
MACC 2022
Northside STEM District 2021
Prosperity Now 2022
Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce 2023
Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce 2023
MN350 Climate Action Pledge 2023
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of Facebook followers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Community Resource Services
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
FB growth
Number of multi-year contracts received
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Youth Development
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
In 2022, PWCC received a number of multi-year contracts from various grantors; previous years had county contracts that were more than a year.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Provide necessary services to the people of North Minneapolis, a majority-black neighborhood that has experienced enormous trauma over the past several years. We provide educational programming with an emphasis on digital tech job readiness, domestic violence courses, early childhood development, and many other programs. Our ultimate goal is to empower individuals in our community to take control of their futures financially, emotionally, and physically, and to build a strong, thriving North Minneapolis filled with opportunity and committed to equity for all.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
PWCC programming reaches people of all ages in the North Minneapolis community, providing myriad services such as Covid testing and vaccines, an early childhood development center, digital skills programs, digital access, truancy programs, violence and anger management programming, and more. By engaging our community, we frequently change and add to our programming to meet the emerging needs of the people we serve. We also keep our fingers on the beat of emerging needs in our community so that we can adjust and change our programming to meet those most pressing. We are also working to building partnerships with organizations whose work aligns with our mission, enabling us to reach more people in need and touch lives in areas we have not traditionally worked in, creating a holistic approach to reducing disparities for African Americans and others in our community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
PWCC has a storied history of 96 years in the community for making a significant impact in times of tremendous change, shame, victory, and celebration. It's legacy far exceeds all other organizations of African descent in the Twin Cities, and his heritage and prominence will continue to forge its direction to achieve its stated goals. The goals are to:
Eliminate poverty in our community by creating programming to address the disparities;
Begin to help women gain financial literacy, find opportunities, and build wealth, breaking the poverty cycle through education and supportive services;
To ensure through partnerships that all residents that we serve have access to health care, tests, vaccines, and other referrals to health care assistance;
To ensure that all children have access to quality, trustworthy healthcare professionals and address mental health, asthma, and vaccine hesitancy, issues that are most prevalent among African Americans in Minnesota;
To provide quality education in early childhood to ensure that children have a strong start at a quality education, regardless of their families' financial situations;
To support our community programming and advocacy to ensure that gender equality is respected, embraced and promoted in programming at PWCC and in the community;
To promote programming such as Skilled Work programming to ensure that highly trained workers are ready for competitive employment opportunities in the technology positions;
Supporting reduced inequality in our community by demonstrating outcomes in our programs and services to BIPOC; and
Provide outdoor adventure and camp experiences that lend themselves to character development and open the minds of urban youth who would not otherwise have access to outdoor spaces;
Creating sustainable cities and communities by producing data that demonstrate our impact of the above.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
1. PWCC Early Childhood Education Program has a 99% rate of ensuring that the children are kindergarten ready
2. PWCC has launched its ManCode Mentoring program for low income youth in the community teaching them coding and ensuring the mentoring with a volunteer from 100 Black Men - Twin Cities Chapter in November 2020
3. PWCC launched its Skills Employability training programming targeting women, Blacks, Indigenous, and People of Color to be trained for certified jobs in technology based high paying jobs through a program funded by Microsoft Philanthropy for three years of support
4. PWCC is Community COVID-19 Coordinator with a 24-hour resource hot-line for information
5. PWCC is a selected and funded site for FREE COVID-19 testing for residents in the community
6. PWCC is being targeted for a site for FREE COVID-19 vaccines for residents in the community
7. PWCC has been a service to the community addressing the food insecurity issuing over 100 meals to needy families in 2020
8. PWCC provided youth development to over 146 school children to help them stay on track and out of the criminal justice system and in school
9. PWCC supported over 562 adults who dealt with racial inequality and injustices by providing them with resources and empowerment resources
10. PWCC raised more than $5 million in 2021; thus far in 2022 we have exceeded half of our goal for the year, by the end of March
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
African Americans and other people living in our North Minneapolis neighborhoods whose lives are complicated by inequity, inopportunity, and lack of educational and healthcare access, which keeps them in the poverty cycle.
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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, community convening
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
The problems behind racial inequities are numerous in our community. However, one of the most significant problems for our younger adults is securing livable wage employment opportunities. This was a reoccurring theme in data collected and young adult community sessions – “we need jobs that are sustainable and will assist us in caring for our children and elders.” With this feedback we were able to launch digital literacy programming supported by Microsoft Philanthropy. Addressing this racial disparity and opportunity gap in our community, assisted us in creating a vibrant and transformative society.
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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
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for 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, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
Financial documents
Download audited financialsRevenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
1.93
Months of cash in 2021 info
4.2
Fringe rate in 2021 info
20%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
This snapshot of PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | -$8,650 | $185,050 | $1,710,852 | $429,792 | $96,862 |
| As % of expenses | -0.8% | 13.5% | 132.0% | 24.7% | 3.7% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | -$108,792 | $79,224 | $1,604,444 | $323,966 | -$41,201 |
| As % of expenses | -9.0% | 5.4% | 114.4% | 17.6% | -1.5% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $1,127,433 | $1,498,545 | $1,262,497 | $2,201,734 | $2,770,647 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -2.4% | 32.9% | -15.8% | 0.0% | 25.8% |
| Program services revenue | 25.9% | 24.9% | 32.1% | 19.4% | 21.2% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Government grants | 32.5% | 21.6% | 30.4% | 23.7% | 53.4% |
| All other grants and contributions | 38.1% | 52.7% | 36.8% | 56.6% | 25.1% |
| Other revenue | 3.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $1,111,929 | $1,374,859 | $1,296,141 | $1,740,114 | $2,595,035 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | -4.8% | 23.6% | -5.7% | 0.0% | 49.1% |
| Personnel | 68.2% | 52.1% | 58.5% | 57.2% | 47.1% |
| Professional fees | 10.1% | 18.0% | 7.0% | 13.5% | 7.2% |
| Occupancy | 6.4% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.6% |
| Interest | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 10.6% | 12.3% | 7.0% | 6.9% |
| All other expenses | 13.3% | 14.4% | 16.8% | 19.0% | 36.6% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $1,212,071 | $1,480,685 | $1,402,549 | $1,845,940 | $2,733,098 |
| One month of savings | $92,661 | $114,572 | $108,012 | $145,010 | $216,253 |
| Debt principal payment | $25,182 | $25,810 | $33,378 | $26,484 | $25,973 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $1,329,914 | $1,621,067 | $1,543,939 | $2,017,434 | $2,975,324 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 0.4 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 5.3 | 4.2 |
| Months of cash and investments | 0.4 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 5.3 | 4.2 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | -20.7 | -14.0 | 0.3 | 8.2 | 4.5 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $38,437 | $191,595 | $53,449 | $764,489 | $914,628 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $112,635 | $101,199 | $118,441 | $712,863 | $722,469 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $3,138,884 | $2,057,933 | $2,987,189 | $3,081,723 | $3,201,958 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 22.6% | 30.9% | 24.9% | 31.2% | 32.2% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 25.0% | 23.9% | 23.5% | 12.5% | 13.6% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $55,201 | $295,948 | $1,899,053 | $2,994,980 | $2,857,618 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $1,917,190 | $1,739,110 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $1,917,190 | $1,739,110 | $0 | $195,650 | $454,400 |
| Total net assets | $1,972,391 | $2,035,058 | $1,899,053 | $3,190,630 | $3,312,018 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Executive Director
Ms. Suzanne E. Fuller Burks
Suzanne Fuller Burks is the Executive Director of Phyllis Wheatley Community Center. Suzanne has a demonstrated professional track record as an Integrative Leader, a Business Developer, an Innovative Thinker and Philanthropic Strategist, a Market Optimizer, and a Relationship Builder.
Suzanne has a record of accomplishment as a business developer, an innovative thinker and philanthropic strategist, and a relationship builder. She began her career with General Mills, Inc. (GMI). Over a 20-year period she worked her way up from a summer intern through a variety of positions of increasing responsibility throughout the company. In her last two GMI positions, Suzanne served as the director of the General Mills Foundation and as the executive director of Ethnic Community Relations. She worked with Global Novations, a global diversity, equity and inclusion firm located in Boston, MA/Atlanta, GA, where she held various senior executive positions for more than 15 years. Suzanne is currently t
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY COMMUNITY CENTER INC
Board of directorsas of 04/08/2023
Board of directors data
Scott Morris
3M
Term: 2023 - 2025
Scott Morris
3M
Batala-Ra McFarlane
McFarlane Media Interests
Kenard Rockette
Fredrikson Law
Erica Edwards
Caribou Coffee
Adriene Thornton
Children's Minnesota
Trent Bowman
Bremer Bank
Molly Greenman
Retired, The Family Partnership
Bryan Tyner
Fire Chief, City of Minneapolis
Cliff Shaw
Comcast
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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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
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
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/11/2021GuideStar 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
- 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.
- 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 measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- 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.
Contractors
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