Form 990 for tax year 2024

Totals

Total revenue

$4,430,352

Total expenses

$4,030,354

Contributions and grants received

$4,279,152

Grants paid

$474,669

Program service revenue

$112,783

Investment income

$37,310

Other revenue

$1,107

Total assets, end of year

$3,833,565

Total liabilities, end of year

$74,141

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$3,759,424

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$3,478,699

Management and general expenses

$551,655

Fundraising expenses

$0

Program service expenses (Part III)

$3,478,699

Program services were 86.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2024

• THE SCRIPT-TO-SCREEN SUMMER CAMP OFFERED AN EXCEPTIONAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ASPIRING FILMMAKERS IN GRADES 6 THROUGH 12. THROUGH AN IMMERSIVE, HANDS-ON CAMPS SPANNING 6 WEEKS, STUDENTS LEARNED THE ART OF SCREENWRITING, FILM PRODUCTION, AND EDITING. THESE CAMPS WERE DESIGNED AND LED BY ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS. THROUGHOUT THE 5 WEEKS OF PROGRAMMING, STUDENTS HEARD FROM 12 GUEST SPEAKERS, EACH CAMPER WENT ON A STUDIO TOUR, ONE LUCKY GROUP TOURED THE LUX VOLUME STAGE, TRILITH FOUNDATION PROVIDED FIVE WEEKLY WELLNESS DAYS, AND THE CAMPERS CREATED FOUR SHORT FILMS AND 12 ADDITIONAL SCRIPTS. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDED PARTICIPANTS WITH A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT TO LEARN THE CREATIVE, COOPERATIVE, AND COLLABORATIVE SKILLS CRUCIAL TO FUTURE SUCCESS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

  Expenses $705,271 · Revenue $49,590

• THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AREA SAW A PERIOD OF RAPID GROWTH AND EXPANSION THANKS TO PREVIOUS WORK DONE IN STRATEGIC ANALYSIS, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LONG-FORM, CREATIVE, INDUSTRY-FOCUSED PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COURSES. THE DEPARTMENT PARTNERED WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE ALLIANCE THEATER, DAD'S GARAGE, AND MISFIT ADVENTURES TO DEVELOP A SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM FOR ADULT LEARNERS. SKILLS-BASED COURSES WERE OFFERED IN FOUNDATIONS OF FILMMAKING, INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING, TELEVISION WRITING, INTRODUCTION TO VISUAL EFFECTS AND COMPUTER ANIMATION, THE BUSINESS OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING, ACTING FOR CAMERA, CINEMATIC STORYBOARDING, AND NARRATIVE DIRECTING FOR THE SCREEN. COURSES WERE OFFERED IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS, INCLUDING ONLINE, AND LASTED FROM 6 TO 15 WEEKS. ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS PRESENT THEIR WORK EACH SEMESTER AT THE STUDENT SHOWCASE, WHERE THEY NETWORK WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, PITCH PROJECTS, AND GAIN REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING WHAT THEY LEARNED.

  Expenses $798,660 · Revenue $35,639

• THE EMERGING CREATIVE RESIDENCY PROGRAM ADVANCED FROM CONCEPT TO TANGIBLE IMPACT, DELIVERING BOTH COMPLETED WORKS AND MEANINGFUL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE YEAR SAW THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR A MESS OF MEMORIES, THE PROGRAM'S FIRST FEATURE-LENGTH PRODUCTION, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POLISHED PITCH PACKAGE FOR ANIMATION PROJECT JUNIOR DETECTIVES. BOTH PROJECTS SERVED AS EVIDENCE OF THE PROGRAM'S MISSION TO GENERATE ORIGINAL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY FROM GEORGIA-BASED CREATIVES, FURTHER ANCHORING TALENT WITHIN THE TRILITH COMMUNITY. A CENTRAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR WAS THE CREATION OF PAID STUDENT CREW POSITIONS, DESIGNED TO PAIR EMERGING PROFESSIONALS WITH SEASONED INDUSTRY EXPERTS IN A TRULY HANDS-ON LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THESE OPPORTUNITIES NOT ONLY STRENGTHENED GEORGIA'S CREATIVE WORKFORCE PIPELINE BUT ALSO ENSURED THAT STUDENTS GAINED REAL-WORLD PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE WITHIN A PROFESSIONAL STUDIO FRAMEWORK.

  Expenses $781,591

• WORKSHOPS - WORKSHOPS WERE DEVELOPED TO SUPPORT AND CULTIVATE CREATIVE TALENT AT ALL AGES. K-12 LEARNERS HAD ACCESS TO WORKSHOPS COVERING TOPICS FROM WRITING IN A WEEKEND WRITERS' WORKSHOP TO PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP TAUGHT BY PROFESSIONAL ACTORS, TO GEAR DEMONSTRATIONS, CAMERA AND GRIP, AND ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT DEMONSTRATIONS FROM LEADERS IN THE FILM INDUSTRY. OTHER K-12 WORKSHOPS INCLUDED: SILENT FILM, TRADITIONAL STORYBOARDING, BABIES OFF BOOK AND FAMILY STORYTELLING. ADULT LEARNERS AND ASPIRING FILMMAKERS PARTICIPATED IN WORKSHOPS TO SHARPEN THEIR DISTRIBUTION SKILLS IN THE PREPPING FOR FILM FESTIVAL WORKSHOP. WE HOSTED A VARIETY OF OTHER WORKSHOPS INCLUDING A PA SERIES IN WHICH ATTENDEES LEARNED HOW TO SURVIVE THE FIRST DAYS AS AN OFFICE, SET, OR POST PA. OTHER WORKSHOPS INCLUDED: SOUND DESIGN, PERFECT THE PITCH WITH WIFTA, COMEDY WRITING, ACTING FOR CAMERA, IMPROV, VOICE ACTING, AND OUR TWO PART DIRECTING WORKSHOPS.UTOPIAN - THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDED A GRANT TO UTOPIAN ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS TRILITH, WHICH PROVIDES AN ACADEMICALLY RICH EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WITH CREATIVE DIGITAL ARTS PATHWAYS. THIS GRANT ALLOWED THE UTOPIAN ACADEMY OF THE ARTS TO LEASE FACILITIES NEAR TRILITH, ALLOWING STUDENTS TOEXPERIENCE STUDIO TOURS, EXPERT GUEST SPEAKERS, AND FILM EQUIPMENT DEMONSTRATIONS FROM TRILITH INSTITUTE INDUSTRY PARTNERS.WRG - AFTER HIRING A PART-TIME CONSULTANT TO SERVE AS PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE WRITERS ROOM OF GEORGIA (WRG), OUR MEMBERS GAINED NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOWCASE THEIR WRITING AND CONNECT IN PERSON AT A HOLIDAY MIXER. WITH THE PROGRAM MANAGER'S SUPPORT, WE UPDATED OUR BUSINESS PLAN TO BETTER SERVE WRG MEMBERS AND CONTINUED BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE TELEVISION AND FILM INDUSTRY. WE ALSO EXPANDED OUR ONLINE PRESENCE THROUGH ENHANCED WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA EFFORTS AND LAUNCHED A DISCORD SERVER TO FOSTER VIRTUAL COLLABORATION. THESE INITIATIVES HAVE HELPED US GROW TO APPROXIMATELY 316 MEMBERSLOCAL GEORGIA WRITERS WHOSE CREATIVITY AND TALENT CONTINUE TO THRIVE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.STUDENT EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE - THE ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED AN INTEGRATED EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE COLLABORATIVE AT TRILITH DESIGNED TO ENRICH THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND STRENGTHEN CONNECTIONS ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF LEARNING, FROM K12 THROUGH MFA PROGRAMS. THIS DEDICATED TEAM LEAD STRATEGIC ANALYSIS, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INITIATIVES TO FACILITATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. THIS WORK INCLUDED WORKING WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND UNIVERSITIES, FORMING PARTNERSHIPS, AND BUDGETING FOR LONG-TERM EXECUTION.THROUGH THE COLLABORATIVE, THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES ACCESS TO RESOURCES, FACILITIES, PROGRAMMING, GUEST SPEAKERS, AND TOURS THAT CONNECT LEARNING DIRECTLY TO THE FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY. FOR EXAMPLE, MFA STUDENTS RECEIVED EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO NETWORK WITH WORKING TELEVISION DIRECTORS, HEADS OF PRODUCTION, AND OTHER INDUSTRY LEADERS, GAINING MENTORSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT WHILE COMPLETING THEIR THESIS PROJECTS. MEANWHILE, MORE THAN 2,000 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS PARTICIPATED IN FIELD TRIPS AT TRILITH, WHERE SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTS LEAD TALKS AND DEMONSTRATIONS PROVIDING HANDS-ON EXPOSURE TO POTENTIAL CAREER PATHS IN ENTERTAINMENT. TOGETHER, THESE INITIATIVES FOSTER A SUPPORTIVE AND PURPOSE-DRIVEN ENVIRONMENT THAT PREPARES STUDENTS AT EVERY LEVEL FOR SUCCESS IN CREATIVE INDUSTRIES.

  Expenses $1,193,177 · Grants $474,669 · Revenue $28,661

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

• UTOPIAN ACADEMY FOR THE ARTS

  $378,000

  GRANT FUNDS ARE TO BE USED SPECIFICALLY TO COVER THE LEASE PAYMENTS FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FACILITY LOCATED AT 225 VETERANS PARKWAY, FAYETTEVILLE, GA 30214

• INSTITUTE FOR SELF DIRECTED LEARNING

  $96,669

  THIS GRANT IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE INSTITUTE FOR SELF DIRECTED LEARNING IN FAYETTEVILLE, GA. SPECIFICALLY RENT, PLATFORM FEES, CURRICULUM WRITING, STANDARDS WORK, AND AD SPEND.

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2024

Filed

14 November 2025

IRS schema version

2024v5.2

Source object

202503189349312215

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