PIECE BY PIECE
EIN: 20-8348198
Mission
Piece by Piece's mission is to empower residents who have experienced homelessness or economic insecurity by providing free mosaic art workshops enabling them to build confidence, earn income, promote wellness and an improved quality of life.
Ruling year
2008
Managing Director
Maggie Bohlman
Main address
1001 Wilshire Blvd. #1151
Los Angeles, CA 90017 USA
EIN
20-8348198
Arts and culture
Ceramic arts
Urban development
Population served
Adults
Women and girls
Ethnic and racial groups
Economically disadvantaged people
Low-income people
NTEE code
Arts, Cultural Organizations - Multipurpose (A20)
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
Affiliations
Programs and results
Reports and documents
Download annual reports Download other documentsWhat we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Mosaic Art Training Workshops
Piece by Piece workshops build community and a sense of belonging. Learners are inspired to set goals for themselves and are invested in the success of others. The resulting impact is improved connection, esteem and motivation lending to increased stability and quality of life. Our skills training series offers opportunities for advancement and earnings, promoting the achievement of each person to his or her highest potential. Our unique program creates a culture of mutual support and high expectations for individual success. Participants train in the context of meaningful contribution to the learning community, with personal connection the key factor promoting achievement.
Piece by Piece workshops nurture connection and creativity, bringing improved wellness to the lives of individuals facing complex issues that have made them vulnerable to homelessness and/or economic insecurity. Our community fosters hope and in so doing reduces barriers to success often faced by those who have
Mosaic Certification Program
Individuals are welcome to participate in any of our free workshops for art wellness. They can also work toward completing our optional Certificate program, which guides participants through mastering a series of mosaic skills and techniques. This helps our artists challenge themselves, set goals and earn much-needed supplemental income. Each person works at their own pace to complete up to four different levels.
Artists who have taken beginning and advanced Piece by Piece classes and who have a recommendation form their instructor are eligible to move into the certification program. They will progress through the four levels of certification at their own pace, according to skill and time.
At completion of the program artists will...
✓ Demonstrate improved Safety Procedures, Core mosaic knowledge, Color theory, Cutting and Andamento, Grout and Finishing
✓ Have had exposure to new techniques and tools
✓ Experience working on large commissions and community projects
✓ Learn insta
Social Enterprise
The Piece by Piece Social Enterprise’s objectives are to provide a supportive community for individuals who have experienced homelessness or economic insecurity. Participants create mosaic art, earn income, and master soft skills while beautifying Los Angeles.
Our focus is on training and employing individuals who otherwise would have more limited opportunities.
Piece by Piece generates revenue to support our artists and nonprofit through the creation of mosaic artwork. We create small-scale housewares and art as well as large scale art commissions. We are an employment-related social enterprise.
The Piece by Piece Social Enterprise’s objectives are to provide a supportive community and a path towards self-sufficiency, self-love, and economic stability. Participants create mosaic art, earn income, and learn soft skills training while beautifying Los Angeles.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
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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?
Piece by Piece provides a unique opportunity for residents of Skid Row and South Los Angeles to gain marketable skills through study and practice in the Mosaic Art discipline. Participants attain Artisan-level skills and compensated work fulfilling orders for mosaic art. Supporting this activity, our on-the-job training program offers recently-homeless women transitional employment in their role managing and preparing donated materials for use in the creation of mosaics.
Our impact lies with building learning communities through the delivery of mosaic art workshops that are shown to improve wellness, quality of life and housing stability among individuals vulnerable to homelessness. Piece by Piece values promoting respect for self and others and fostering community through teamwork and collaboration. Our workshop community offers the support essential to developing talents such that each may reach their full potential to contribute. Our activities and the creativity that is fostered help to make the world a better place!
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Our Recipe for Success
Piece by Piece workshops build community and a sense of belonging. Learners are inspired to set goals for themselves and are invested in the success of others. The resulting impact is improved connection, esteem and motivation lending to increased stability and quality of life. Our skills training series offers opportunities for advancement and earnings, promoting the achievement of each person to his or her highest potential.
The Piece by Piece Learning Community
Our unique program creates a culture of mutual support and high expectations for individual success. Participants train in the context of meaningful contribution to the learning community, with personal connection the key factor promoting achievement.
Discover What Art Can Do!
Working with residents of Skid Row and South Los Angeles, where learning opportunities and jobs are limited, residents take part in community art workshops or enroll for skills training in mosaic fabrication linked to earned income. With advanced training and practice participants attain Artisan status and earn income for their work completing mosaic orders attained through Piece by Piece social enterprise sales. Personal works of art created by our Artisans are regularly exhibited, with proceeds upon sale returned to the maker.
Reaching 290 annually through workshop programs, Piece by Piece enrolled 164 in training workshops in 2015, graduating 27 to Artisan status. Sales generated $70,000 in earnings among Artisans.
Studio Prep Associates On-The-Job Training Program
Our Studio Prep Associate positions are filled by women residing in Skid Row supportive housing with significant barriers to employment. Associates provide key support to workshops in their role sorting, preparing and managing donated mosaic materials while gaining valuable work experience and building job skills.
Workshop Offerings
Workshop Offerings nurture connection and creativity, bringing improved wellness to the lives of persons facing complex issues that have made them vulnerable to homelessness. The community fosters hope and in so doing reduces barriers to success often faced among those who have lacked opportunity. Piece by Piece offers a means of developing individual talents in order that each may reach their full potential to contribute in the social context. Offerings include:
Community Art Workshop
Skills-Building Series
Directed Studies / Visiting Artists
Artisan Studio
Outreach Workshops in Skid Row Supportive Housing buildings
Social Enterprise Marketing/Sales
Piece by Piece conducts a variety of cultural activities that bring awareness to our Mission and provide a setting for exhibit and sale of Mosaics created through our program. Activities include:
Operation of our Gallery at Mercado La Paloma
Program Events
Volunteer Events
Partner-Hosted Exhibition Events
Street Fair Pop-Up Activities
Ecommerce at www.thepieceshop.com
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Staffing. The effort to clarify objectives and monitor progress toward achieving impact has been led by two salaried positions, our Managing and Program Directors, supported by a Program Associate and Community Relations Associate. Program Associate, Daniel Villa, conducts outreach activity, supports day-to-day workshop operations, and leads the collection of data consistent with our evaluation plan. Community Relations Associate Melissa Macedo leads volunteer recruitment, and serves a key role in supporting community relations and marketing activities. Sales Manager, Faye Smoley, coordinates all facets for start-up of our new shop at Mercado La Paloma and the execution of a business plan to drive sales and commissions to be marketed through the Project.
Workshops are led by a cadre of professional Artist-Instructors. Our instructors are not only accomplished artists, they boast years of experience working with vulnerable populations to build esteem, establish goals and work to attain them. The most compelling aspect of our work is how our program creates a culture of mutual-support and high expectations for individual success. Art training offers purposeful engagement and the opportunity to develop talents. The community fosters hope and reduces barriers to success often faced among persons living in poverty that have lacked supports essential to reaching their full potential.
Piece by Piece operates as an affiliate of Skid Row Housing Trust (the Trust) to bring its program to residents of the Trust's 24 supportive housing buildings as well as supportive housing units operated by other providers in the Skid Row area. As an independent 501c3 organization, Piece by Piece is autonomous in its program operations and in raising operational funds. A Partnership Agreement supports Piece by Piece substantially through in-kind facilities, administrative infrastructure and access to direct service staff deployed in Trust buildings. Our home base within the Trust's Star Apartments, a $21Million complex with expansive community spaces, facilitates our reach throughout Skid Row. Opened in 2013, the Star houses 100 individuals identified by the County of Los Angeles as highest at risk to chronic homelessness. Workshop and studio spaces at Star, together with workshops held in community spaces of other buildings, enable Piece by Piece to direct program activities to residents throughout the Skid Row area. The center of our service in South LA remains at Broadway Village II, a low-income residential complex operated by Deep Green Housing, where we maintain a strongly-attended workshop.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Strategic Planning. Our Board of Directors in 2015 established a strategic plan to guide development of a social enterprise model designed to sustain opportunities for residents to improve their lives and financial stability through arts learning. As we advance our plans to grow our impact within the communities that we serve, we look to address the community's need for creative self-advancement and empowerment through the arts.
2016 Evaluation Focus Objectives: (A) Growing participation in community workshops and enrollment in skills-building series (per Participation Data Reports). (B) Minimum 70% of participants attending 3 or more sessions monthly on continuing basis express improved esteem/wellness cultivated as a result of their participation (Per Participant Interview/Survey). (C) 100% of participants with sustained enrollment (2months+) in skills series advance marketable skill sets to Level 1, with 20% attaining level 2 Artisan skill upon 3 months sustained enrollment. (Per Participant Achievement Log and Mosaic Skills Scoring Rubric)
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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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
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
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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 share the feedback we received with the people we serve, 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?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
17.06
Months of cash in 2021 info
13.9
Fringe rate in 2021 info
8%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
PIECE BY PIECE
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jan 01 - Dec 31
SOURCE: IRS Form 990
PIECE BY PIECE
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 PIECE BY PIECE’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 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $90,755 | -$89,506 | $91,241 | $103,772 | $187,408 |
| As % of expenses | 24.7% | -24.5% | 32.1% | 42.5% | 58.4% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $90,755 | -$89,506 | $91,241 | $103,772 | $187,408 |
| As % of expenses | 24.7% | -24.5% | 32.1% | 42.5% | 58.4% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $458,884 | $275,982 | $375,031 | $347,904 | $508,385 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | 25.8% | 0.0% | 35.9% | -7.2% | 46.1% |
| Program services revenue | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Membership dues | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Investment income | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Government grants | 18.9% | 30.9% | 15.8% | 40.4% | 19.0% |
| All other grants and contributions | 27.6% | 49.4% | 40.8% | 40.2% | 62.5% |
| Other revenue | 53.5% | 19.7% | 43.4% | 19.4% | 18.5% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $368,129 | $365,488 | $284,101 | $244,132 | $320,977 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | -4.0% | 0.0% | -22.3% | -14.1% | 31.5% |
| Personnel | 55.8% | 30.6% | 35.4% | 40.0% | 49.1% |
| Professional fees | 9.8% | 23.3% | 22.8% | 36.5% | 28.3% |
| Occupancy | 6.5% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 27.9% | 46.1% | 39.9% | 21.3% | 20.1% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $368,129 | $365,488 | $284,101 | $244,132 | $320,977 |
| One month of savings | $30,677 | $30,457 | $23,675 | $20,344 | $26,748 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $62,300 |
| Fixed asset additions | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $398,806 | $395,945 | $307,776 | $264,476 | $410,025 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 11.8 | 13.9 |
| Months of cash and investments | 2.0 | 0.9 | 2.8 | 11.8 | 13.9 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | 6.6 | -0.5 | 3.2 | 8.8 | 13.7 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $61,983 | $26,602 | $66,913 | $239,227 | $372,510 |
| Investments | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Receivables | $181,917 | $941 | $18,953 | $7,588 | $14,831 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $3,336 | $3,336 | $3,336 | $3,336 | $3,336 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 16.7% | 153.5% | 11.4% | 27.1% | 5.8% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $203,923 | -$15,196 | $76,045 | $179,817 | $367,225 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total net assets | $203,923 | -$15,196 | $76,045 | $179,817 | $367,225 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
Managing Director
Maggie Bohlman
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
PIECE BY PIECE
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
PIECE BY PIECE
Highest paid employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
PIECE BY PIECE
Board of directorsas of 04/01/2023
Board of directors data
Sophie Alpert
Community Volunteer
Term: 2021 - 2024
Alan Alpert
Alpert & Alpert Iron and Metal
Derek Alpert
President, Concern Foundation
Sophie Alpert
Community Volunteer
Wendy Levin
Business Leaders Taskforce on Homelessness
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
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 04/01/2023GuideStar 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 disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- 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 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.
Professional fundraisers
Fiscal year endingSOURCE: IRS Form 990 Schedule G
Solicitation activities
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