City Lore Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CITY LORE'S MISSION IS TO FOSTER NEW YORK CITY - AND AMERICA'S - LIVING CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS. WE DOCUMENT, PRESENT AND ADVOCATE FOR NEW YORK CITY'S GRASSROOTS CULTURES TO ENSURE THEIR LIVING LEGACY IN STORIES AND HISTORIES, PLACES AND TRADITIONS. WE WORK IN FOUR CULTURAL DOMAINS: URBAN FOLKLORE AND HISTORY; PRESERVATION; ARTS EDUCATION; AND GRASSROOTS POETRY TRADITIONS. IN EACH OF THESE REALMS, WE SEE OURSELVES AS FURTHERING CULTURAL EQUITY AND MODELING A BETTER WORLD WITH PROJECTS AS DYNAMIC AND DIVERSE AS NEW YORK CITY ITSELF.
- Income
- $3.8 million
- Spending
- $3.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 1.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 57%
- Employees
- 45
- Volunteers
- 18
- Highest pay
- $123,349, co-director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.8 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 45% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 37% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 19 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (1)
- $3.3 million spent. IN 2024, CITY LORE CONTINUED TO FURTHER ITS MISSION TO FOSTER NEW YORK CITY AND AMERICA'S LIVING CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS. OUR IN-SCHOOL PROGRAMS WERE IN FULL GEAR. TOGETHER WE REACHED OVER 10,400 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH LONG TERM ARTS RESIDENCIES, WHICH INCLUDED: FROM HOMER TO HIP HOP WHICH INTRODUCED SCHOOL STUDENTS TO SPOKEN WORD POETRY, AND ARTIST/MASTER TEACHER PROGRAM OFFERING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS. URBAN EXPLORERS ALLOWED A GROUP OF 25 UNDERSERVED STUDENTS TO RESEARCH AND TELL STORIES OF THE CITY'S DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES. THE CITY LORE GALLERY FEATURED THE EXHIBITIONS, GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: ARTWORK BY NAIMA RAUAM; RUMBA ENTRE PUENTES ABOUT THE RUMBA COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK; AND THE CALLING: THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN DOLL AND PUPPET MAKING. OUR NAMING THE LOST MEMORIALS OUTDOOR EXHIBIT HONORING COVID DEATHS WITH COMMUNITY-GENERATED PANELS ON THE FENCES AROUND GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY AND ST. MARKS' CHURCH WERE VIEWED BY OVER 5,000 VISITORS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1987.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.