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U B W INC A/K/A URBAN BUSH WOMEN INC
BROOKLYN, NY · EIN 133645651 · Form 990 · FY2023 · NTEE A620 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M)
revenue
$2.7M
expenses
$3.1M
net assets
$3.9M
employees
34
program ratio
59%
mission · from form 990

FOUNDED IN 1984 BY JAWOLE WILLA JO ZOLLAR, URBAN BUSH WOMEN IS A DANCE ENSEMBLE THAT ENGAGES A DIVERSE AUDIENCE BY PRODUCING BOLD AND LIFE-AFFIRMING WORK BASED ON WOMEN'S EXPERIENCES, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA. COMPANY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE CREATION AND PERFORMANCE OF WORKS FOR THE STAGE; ARTIST TRAINING IN DANCE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT; AND PUBLIC PROJECTS WHICH ENCOURAGE CULTURAL ACTIVITY AS AN INHERENT PART OF COMMUNITY LIFE. IN 2020, THE FORD FOUNDATION NAMED URBAN BUSH WOMEN ONE OF "AMERICA'S CULTURAL TREASURES," A GRANT RECIPIENT DESIGNATION THAT PROVIDES FOR SIGNIFICANT MULTI-YEAR FUNDING, AS WELL AS A DEEPLY-APPRECIATED RECOGNITION OF THE COMPANY'S IMPACT ON AMERICA'S ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE.

profile · synthesized from sources

Urban Bush Women is a Brooklyn-based dance ensemble founded in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. The organization creates and performs original works rooted in African American history, women's experiences, and cultural traditions of the African diaspora. It also provides artist training and community engagement programs to promote cultural expression as part of community life.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Artist Training Program
Professional development and training for dancers in Urban Bush Women’s artistic and community engagement methodologies
Community Engagement Projects
Public programs that integrate cultural activity into community life through workshops, residencies, and collaborative events
Stage Performance Works
Creation and national touring of original dance-theater works centered on African American history and women’s experiences
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Community-Engaged Public Art Projects 1 activity
    • Conducting public cultural projects to strengthen community life
      Implements public-facing projects that integrate cultural activity into community life, fostering engagement and public participation in the arts.
  • Original Dance Performance Production 1 activity
    • Producing dance performances centered on women's experiences and African diaspora cultures
      Creates and stages dance performances that explore women's lived experiences, African American history, and cultural influences of the African diaspora, presented as part of its core artistic programming.
  • Ballet and Dance Education Programs 1 activity
    • Providing artist training in dance and community engagement
      Offers professional development and training programs for artists in dance technique and community-based artistic practices.
financials · form 990 · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$2.71M
Contributions & grants$1.77M65%
Program service revenue$857K32%
Investment income$84K3%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$3.05M
Program expenses59%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising17%
Salaries & benefits$1.62M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.99M
Cash$389K
Investments$3.20M
Liabilities$48K
Net assets$3.95M
Liquid reserves14.1 mo
6 years on record · 2018–2023 · YoY revenue +38.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
TAHNIA BELLE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 40 $99K
JAWOLE WILLA JO ZOLLAR DIRECTOR/ARTISTIC DIRECTOR 40 $93K
board members · 13
  • ASHLY NIKKOLE DAVIS — SECRETARY
  • DEBRA BROOKES — DIRECTOR
  • ELIZABETH WILLIAMS-RILEY — DIRECTOR
  • JENNIFER SMITH — TREASURER
  • KAREN GARRETT — DIRECTOR
  • KENYA NYOTA LEE — DIRECTOR
  • KYISHIA LEWIS — DIRECTOR
  • MARC BLEYER — DIRECTOR
  • MICHELLE DORANT-SMITH — DIRECTOR
  • NGOZI OGBONNA — DIRECTOR
  • TAMARA GREENFIELD — DIRECTOR
  • TAMMY BORMANN — CHAIR
  • YVAHN MARTIN — VICE CHAIR
relationships · 1

Who they work with

  • Ford Foundation Funder — Provided multi-year funding through the "America's Cultural Treasures" grant initiative.
strategies · 1

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.