Mission
The mission of Words Beats and Life is to transform individual lives and communities through Hip-Hop culture in all its forms: emceeing, deejaying, graffiti, street art, spoken word poetry, dance, beat production, and knowledge of self.
Public Charity
Words Beats and Life Inc
Words Beats and Life Inc is a Public Charity headquartered in Washington, DC. Financial data from the 2025 filing: $1.8M revenue, $1.9M expenses, $280K total assets. 34 publicly reported grants to this organization, totaling roughly $855K, appear in IRS filings.
EIN: 270062812
Washington, DC
Performing Arts Centers
NTEE: A61
Latest filing: 2025
Total Revenue$1.8M
Total Expenses$1.9M
Total Assets$280K
Grant Records34
Funding Total$855K
Filing Years2020–2025
Where $100 goes at Words Beats and Life Inc
How Words Beats and Life Inc divides every $100 it spends, from its own Form 990 filings, averaged across 8 years.
$83
Programs
the work itself
$14
Management
running the organization
$3
Fundraising
raising the next dollar
Inside the $83 for programs
$83
Our Arts Education programming exposes students to new knowledge, techniques and methods, as well as provides opportunities to grow their knowledge and network through alternative winter and spring…
Source: Form 990 filings with the IRS, latest fiscal year 2025. Shares are from the organization's reported expenses. Data by Imperigo; not affiliated with the IRS.
Sample Grants Received
GENERAL SUPPORT
$60,000
GENERAL SUPPORT
$43,929
GENERAL SUPPORT
$43,929
GENERAL SUPPORT
$52,814
General Support
$36,260
Showing up to 5 of 34 total records — full history available with membership.
Officers & Directors
Member
Cherietta Cobb
Treasurer
Elaine Kennedy
Member
Erwin Kwawu
Member
Gloria Nauden
Member
Helen Bryant
Chair
Jamila Sams
Officer compensation and complete director data available with membership.
Top Grant Purposes
Financial Trends
| Year | Revenue | Expenses | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.8M | $1.9M | $280K |
| 2024 | $2.3M | $2.4M | $541K |
| 2023 | $1.9M | $1.8M | $434K |
| 2021 | $1.1M | $1.0M | $127K |
| 2020 | $510K | $515K | $103K |
Between 2020 and 2025, reported annual revenue grew from $510K to $1.8M (+251%), with total assets most recently reported at $280K.
Interactive year-over-year charts and full filing details available with membership.