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Brooklyn Academy of Music Inc

EIN 11-2201344 · Brooklyn, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair65 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF BAM IS TO BE THE HOME FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE AND ADVENTUROUS IDEAS. BAM SUPPORTS ARTISTIC EXPERIMENTATION AND CHAMPIONS INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY THROUGHOUT THE ARTS AS PRESENTER, ACTIVATOR, AND CONNECTOR.

Income
$52.5 million
Spending
$50.6 million
Spent on programs
76%
Reserves
-1.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 48%
Employees
814
Volunteers
34
Highest pay
$610,613, president (outgoing)

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 65 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 5% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    76% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    34 of 34 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $8.7 million spent. THEATER PROGRAMS - BAM'S FY25 THEATER PROGRAMS FEATURED WORLD-CLASS PRESENTATIONS AND SHOWCASED ARTISTS AND COMPANIES FROM COUNTRIES SUCH AS GERMANY, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, ARGENTINA, AND THE UNITED STATES. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED: SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED, CREATOR LEE SUNDAY EVANS' INVENTIVE MUSICAL-THEATER REIMAGINING OF THE CULT-CLASSIC FILM OF THE SAME NAME, WHICH RECEIVED TWO OUTER CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS; THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED AND AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS' A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, DIRECTED BY REBECCA FRECKNALL AND STARRING PATSY FERRAN, PAUL MESCAL, AND AJANA VASAN, WHICH WAS NOMINATED FOR TWO DRAMA DESK AND ONE DRAMA LEAGUE AWARD AND WON A THEATRE WORLD AWARD; THE THREEPENNY OPERA, DIRECTOR BARRIE KOSKY'S NEW PRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL 1928 PLAY BY BERTOLT BRECHT, PERFORMED BY THE BERLINER ENSEMBLE, AND PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ST. ANN'S WAREHOUSE; AND MACBETH IN STRIDE, WHITNEY WHITE'S REWRITTEN AND RECONTEXTUALIZED VERSION OF THE SCOTTISH PLAY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF LADY MACBETH.
  2. $5.1 million spent. FILM PROGRAMS - IN FY2025, BAM FILM SERVED AUDIENCES THROUGH FIRST RUN AND FILM SERIES THAT FOCUSED ON PRESENTING WORKS BY INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL FILMMAKERS. SELECT FIRST RUN FILMS INCLUDE: NOSFERATU, DIRECTOR ROBERT EGGERS' ATMOSPHERIC TAKE ON THE 1922 SILENT FILM; THE BRUTALIST, THE ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING EPIC PERIOD DRAMA BY DIRECTOR BRADY CORBET AND STARRING ADRIAN BRODY; AND SINNERS, CREATOR RYAN COOGLER'S HIGHLY ACCLAIMED HORROR FILM STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN. SELECT FILM SERIES INCLUDE CONTEMPORARY ARAB CINEMA, FEATURING VITAL NEW WORKS FROM BOLD FILMMAKERS FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA; MIRROR OF LIFE: MANOEL DE OLIVEIRA 1996-2004, EXPLORING THE NEWLY RESTORED WORKS OF PROLIFIC PORTUGUESE DIRECTOR MANOEL DE OLIVEIRA; FILMAFRICA, THE CINEMATIC COMPONENT OF BAM'S 48TH ANNUAL DANCEAFRICA FESTIVAL, WHICH FEATURED DOCUMENTARY AND FICTIONAL WORKS FROM ACROSS AFRICA AND THE DIASPORA, WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON FILMS FROM AND ABOUT MOZAMBIQUE; AND THE CARIBBEAN FILM SERIES, BAM'S BIANNUAL SERIES HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LUMINAL THEATER AND THIRD HORIZON OF DIVERSE CINEMA FROM NEW AND ACCLAIMED FILMMAKERS FROM THE CARIBBEAN AND THE DIASPORA.
  3. $4.2 million spent. NEXT WAVE 2024 - BAM OPENED ITS FY25 PERFORMANCE SEASON WITH THE ICONIC 2024 NEXT WAVE SERIES WHICH ENGAGED INDIVIDUALS THROUGH PRODUCTIONS BY ARTISTS FROM CANADA, ARGENTINA, UNITED KINGDOM, THAILAND, FRANCE, PORTUGAL, AND THE UNITED STATES. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED: ANDRE 3000: NEW BLUE SUN LIVE IN CONCERT, A SPECIAL PRESENTATION OF THE RAPPER'S BOLD FORAYS INTO UNEXPECTED MUSICAL REALMS; STILL/HERE, THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY PRESENTATION OF BILL T. JONES' MULTIMEDIA DANCE THEATER WORK ABOUT LIVING WITH TERMINAL ILLNESS; SUN DOGS: FILMMAKER AND COMPOSER PAIRINGS, FEATURING ORIGINAL SHORT-FORMAT FILMS WITH NEWLY COMPOSED MUSIC CREATED BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED FILMMAKERS AND MUSICIANS AND PERFORMED LIVE BY ENSEMBLE, ALARM WILL SOUND; JOURNEY LIVE, AN INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION OF THE VIDEOGAME JOURNEY ACCOMPANIED BY A LIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE GRAMMY-NOMINATED SCORE BY AMERICAN COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA AND CONDUCTOR AND COMPOSER AUSTIN WINTORY; AND THE HARD NUT, MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP'S IRREVERENT AND MUCH LOVED, RETRO-MODERN TAKE ON THE HOLIDAY FAVORITE THE NUTCRACKER.
  4. $20.3 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since December 1969.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

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