Creative Center of Los Altos
88% goes to programs $6 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Creative Center of Los Altos is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Los Altos, California, registered in 1964, with $73,677,830 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 88% of spending to programs.
327 Fremont Ave, Los Altos, CA, 94024 EIN 94-1527492 Since 1964
Revenue (FY2023)
$73.7M
▲ 34.5% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$50.2M
Net assets
$117.1M
Employees
405
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating88% to programs · $6 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Creative Center of Los Altos: 88% to programs · $6 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating28 mo reserves · +32% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Creative Center of Los Altos: 28 mo reserves · +32% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AGovernance25% of the rating5 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Creative Center of Los Altos: 5 of 6 checks met earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Creative Center of Los Altos: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Independent schools serving grades k-12 with approximately 1,270 students.
Contact & location
- Address
- 327 Fremont Ave, Los Altos, CA, 94024
- City
- Los Altos
- State
- California
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Elementary & Secondary Schools
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $27.3M (FY2013) to $73.7M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $133.7MNet assets $117.1M
Operating margin
31.9%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$250.9M
Total liabilities
$133.7M
Net assets
$117.1M
Salaries & benefits
$31.7M
63% of expenses
Board members
5
0 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $73,677,830▲34.5% | $50,165,502▲4.0% | $117,142,456▲28.7% | $250,866,312▲13.5% | 990 |
| 2022 | $54,795,174▲9.1% | $48,221,288▲12.5% | $91,015,397▲11.3% | $220,960,861▲29.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $50,231,203▲15.2% | $42,847,217▲9.0% | $81,801,748▲2.1% | $170,822,611▲1.5% | 990 |
| 2020 | $43,610,979▲9.2% | $39,317,738▲5.6% | $80,155,053▲15.0% | $168,356,588▲7.5% | 990 |
| 2019 | $39,953,371▲8.1% | $37,222,040▲9.1% | $69,695,032▲1.0% | $156,584,269▲23.8% | 990 |
| 2018 | $36,955,057▲5.4% | $34,120,642▲5.6% | $69,019,534▲5.3% | $126,435,174▲14.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $35,054,603▲20.9% | $32,310,102▲6.3% | $65,576,644▲5.2% | $110,760,154▲5.2% | 990 |
| 2016 | $28,997,003▼4.1% | $30,392,158▲12.5% | $62,357,646▲1.2% | $105,264,910▲5.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $30,229,511▼4.8% | $27,010,947▲2.6% | $61,635,426▲4.2% | $99,987,366▲11.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $31,767,428▲16.5% | $26,329,812▲10.1% | $59,149,511▲8.6% | $90,115,816▲5.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $27,270,425 | $23,905,704▲9.8% | $54,476,805▲9.7% | $85,175,096▲5.6% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $21,781,367▲9.0% | $49,661,981▲10.6% | $80,657,370▲5.8% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $19,989,652▲10.3% | $44,916,880▼2.2% | $76,202,299▼1.4% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $18,130,707 | $45,942,011 | $77,270,951 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Scott Riches — $514,484 (1.03% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Riches | President & Pinewood Head | 65 | $514,484 |
| Michelle Helvey | Head of School, Oakwood | 65 | $461,665 |
| Gabriel D Lemmon | Pinewood Head of Upper Campus | 55 | $237,369 |
| Sarah Haun | Pinewood Head of Middle Campus | 55 | $225,073 |
| Ayesha Masud | Pinewood Director of Devel | 55 | $220,211 |
| Christine Shales | Oakwood Head of Lower and Middle Campus | 55 | $194,756 |
| Brynn Hambly | Pinewood Head of Middle Campus | 55 | $193,450 |
| Laura Blotter | Secretary, Curriculum Dir.k-6 | 40 | $111,233 |
| Kathleen Pickett | Board Member, Curriculum Oversight | 15 | $22,815 |
| Dennis Riches | Board Member, Financial Oversight | 10 | $10,000 |
| L Victor Riches | Board Member, Facilities Oversight | 10 | $10,000 |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hines Building Maintenance | Facilities Maintenance and Janitorial Se | $704,174 |
| All Cities Limousine | Transportation Services | $288,412 |
| Epicurean Group | Food Service Provider | $206,741 |
| Anago of Northern California | Campus Cleaning Services | $175,802 |
| Armanino LLP | Audit and Tax Services | $114,388 |
Grants received · $6.2M total
91 grants to Creative Center of Los Altos totaling $6.2M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $50,000 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $30,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2024 | $25,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $24,656 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2024 | $23,500 |
| Greater Horizons | Education | 2024 | $6,450 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2023 | $514,474 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $128,685 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $88,050 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2023 | $57,600 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2023 | $29,500 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2023 | $25,000 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2023 | $22,500 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Religion | 2023 | $18,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2023 | $16,000 |
Grants made · $2.4M in FY2022
1 grant totaling $2.4M in FY2022. All grants made by Creative Center of Los Altos →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Pledge | $2,355,500 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Creative Center of Los Altos a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Creative Center of Los Altos is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-1527492, based in Los Altos, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Creative Center of Los Altos's EIN?
- Creative Center of Los Altos's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-1527492.
- How much revenue does Creative Center of Los Altos report?
- Creative Center of Los Altos reported $73,677,830 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Creative Center of Los Altos's spending goes to programs?
- Creative Center of Los Altos spends about 88% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Creative Center of Los Altos have?
- CharityIndex grades Creative Center of Los Altos A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Creative Center of Los Altos's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Creative Center of Los Altos's latest Form 990 is $514,484, paid to Scott Riches (President & Pinewood Head).
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Data for Creative Center of Los Altos (EIN 94-1527492) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.