Whitney Museum of American Art
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART PRESENTS, COLLECTS, AND INSPIRES DIALOGUE AROUND ART OF THE UNITED STATES FROM THE TWENTIETH AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURIES. (SEE SCHEDULE O)WE CHAMPION LIVING ARTISTS, WELCOME BROAD AUDIENCES, AND CREATE DYNAMIC EXPERIENCES THAT FOSTER CREATIVITY, COMMUNITY, AND THE EXCHANGE OF NEW IDEAS.
- Income
- $191.4 million
- Spending
- $96.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 66%
- Reserves
- 16.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 68%
- Employees
- 590
- Volunteers
- 111
- Highest pay
- $999,235, alice pratt brown director
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 50% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 64% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1566% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 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. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2545 of 46 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 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 (3)
- $46.8 million spent. EXHIBITIONS AND PERMANENT COLLECTION IN FY25, THE WHITNEY PRESENTED 13 EXHIBITIONS. THESE INCLUDED: THE WHITNEY'S COLLECTION: SELECTIONS FROM 1900 TO 1965 (JUNE 28, 2019 - MAY 1, 2025); SURVIVAL PIECE #5: PORTABLE ORCHARD (JUNE 29, 2024 - JANUARY 5, 2025); WHAT IT BECOMES (AUGUST 24, 2024 - JANUARY 12, 2025); MARK ARMIJO MCKNIGHT: DECREATION (AUGUST 24, 2024 - JANUARY 12, 2025); HYUNDAI TERRACE COMMISSION: TORKWASE DYSON (MARCH 20, 2024 - FEBRUARY 9, 2025); EDGES OF AILEY (SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 - FEBRUARY 9, 2025); JEANNE MOUTOUSSAMY-ASHE AND THE LAST GULLAH ISLANDS (DECEMBER 5, 2024 - MAY 1, 2025); (SEE SCHEDULE O) SHIFTING LANDSCAPES (NOVEMBER 1, 2024 - PRESENT); CHRISTINE SUN KIM: ALL DAY ALL NIGHT (FEBRUARY 8, 2025 - SEPTEMBER 21, 2025); AMY SHERALD: AMERICAN SUBLIME (APRIL 9, 2024 - AUGUST 10, 2025); LOUISE NEVELSON: COLLECTION VIEW (APRIL 9, 2025 - AUGUST 10, 2025); HYUNDAI TERRACE COMMISSION: MARINA ZURKOW (APRIL 9, 2025 - JANUARY 11, 2026); MARINA ZURKOW: PARTING WORLDS (APRIL 9, 2025 - JANUARY 11, 2026); MARY HEILMANN: LONG LINE (APRIL 9, 2025 - JANUARY 19, 2026). FY25 INCLUDED AN ACCOMPANYING SUITE OF PERFORMANCES INSPIRED BY AND RESPONDING TO EDGES OF AILEY. FEATURED PERFORMERS WERE THE ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER AND AILEY II. THE ENTIRE PROGRAM CONSISTED OF 90 PERFORMANCES WITH 171 PERFORMERS FROM 14 DIFFERENT COMPANIES. AN ONGOING SERIES OF OUTDOOR ART SHOWN ACROSS GANSEVOORT STREET FROM THE MUSEUM HAD TWO INSTALLATIONS: RAQUE FORD: A LITTLE SPACE FOR YOU RIGHT UNDER MY SHOE (AUGUST 26, 2024 - MARCH 24, 2025) AND AMY SHERALD: FOUR WAYS OF BEING (MARCH 25, 2025 - PRESENT). IN FY25, THE WHITNEY COMMISSIONED THREE DIGITAL WORKS TO ADD TO ITS ARTPORT SERIES, INCLUDING MAYA LYNN: A REALISTIC DAY IN MY LIFE LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY, ASHLEY ZELINSKIE: TWIN QUASAR, AND INFANT: BANNED SKILLS.
- $6.5 million spent. CURATORIAL AND RELATED SUPPORTIN FY25, THE WHITNEY CONTINUED ITS ONGOING STUDY INTO THE MORE THAN 27,000 OBJECTS IN THE COLLECTION BY OVER 6,000 ARTISTS. THE WHITNEY CONTINUED THE WORK INITIATED BY THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION STRATEGIC PLAN (CSP), MAKING TARGETED ACQUISITIONS AND IMPLEMENTING DECISION-MAKING STRATEGIES BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THE CSP. THE MUSEUM CONVENED A WORKING GROUP TO MAKE PLANS FOR THE LONG-TERM STORAGE OF THE WHITNEY'S HOLDINGS, WHICH WILL BE CRUCIAL TO THE CARE AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE PERMANENT COLLECTION IN THE FUTURE. (SEE SCHEDULE O) DURING FY25, THE WHITNEY ADDED 646 NEW WORKS TO THE COLLECTION, INCLUDING WORKS BY 70 ARTISTS ENTERING THE COLLECTION FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE WHITNEY CONTINUES TO REFINE AND EXPERIMENT WITH ITS STRATEGIES FOR DISPLAYING MORE OF THE COLLECTION WITHIN ITS GALLERY SPACES. DURING FY25, THE WHITNEY MOUNTED THE AMBITIOUS EXHIBITION EDGES OF AILEY, WHICH TRACED THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ALVIN AILEY THROUGH AMERICAN ART AND AILEY'S OWN ARCHIVES. THIS EXHIBITION INCLUDED MANY WORKS FROM THE WHITNEY'S COLLECTION, WEAVING TOGETHER LARGER NARRATIVES IN AMERICAN ART, AND SPECIFICALLY THE VOICES OF BLACK ARTISTS, INTO THE STORY OF ALVIN AILEY AND THE AILEY COMPANY. IN APRIL 2025, THE MUSEUM OPENED A SUITE OF SHOWS ON THE 5TH FLOOR, LAYERING COLLECTION DISPLAYS AROUND THE SPECIAL EXHIBITION AMY SHERALD: AMERICAN SUBLIME. THREE SHOWS, OPENED CONCURRENTLY, TOOK INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO DISPLAYING COLLECTION WORKS. COLLECTION VIEW: LOUISE NEVELSON PRESENTED A SELECTION OF THE WHITNEY'S DEEP HOLDINGS OF NEVELSON'S SCULPTURES. MARINA ZURKOW: PARTING WORLDS PRESENTED TWO OF ZURKOW'S DIGITAL WORKS FROM THE WHITNEY'S COLLECTION ALONGSIDE HER LARGE-SCALE OUTDOOR PROJECT FOR THE HYUNDAI TERRACE COMMISSION. MARY HEILMANN: LONG LINE INTENTIONALLY CREATED A SPACE FOR VISITORS TO REST AND ENJOY THE VIEW OF THE RIVER USING A SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION OF MARY HEILMANN: SUNSET, INCLUDING HER SIGNATURE CHAIRS. OVER THE COURSE OF F25, CURATORIAL STAFF BEGAN PLANNING FOR A NEW INSTALLATION OF THE WHITNEY'S PERMANENT COLLECTION DISPLAY ON THE 7TH FLOOR. THIS DISPLAY, WHICH OPENED IN EARLY FY26, BROUGHT MANY NEW ACQUISITIONS ON VIEW FOR THE FIRST TIME, ENGAGING WITH SOME OF THE GOALS OF THE CSP. THE 7TH FLOOR WAS ALSO INSTALLED IN A MORE SPACIOUS LAYOUT, IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXPANDED AUDIENCES VISITING THE MUSEUM VIA THE VARIOUS FREE ADMISSIONS INITIATIVES. WORK WAS ONGOING TO DIGITIZE THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS, A PROJECT THAT IS A CRUCIAL ASPECT OF THE INCREASED SCOPE OF THE CURATORIAL, CONSERVATION, AND RESEARCH RESOURCES TEAMS IN THE MUSEUM'S ENLARGED FACILITY. THE WHITNEY'S COLLECTION IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ONLINE AS A SEARCHABLE RESOURCE AND IS UPDATED REGULARLY AS NEW WORKS ENTER THE COLLECTION. IMPORTANT LIBRARY AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS HOLDINGS ARE KEPT ON SITE, AS WELL AS OVER 19,000 WORKS ON PAPER THAT ARE STORED IN THE SONDRA GILMAN STUDY CENTER, FACILITATING ACCESS TO THEM FOR CURATORS AND SCHOLARS. THE SONDRA GILMAN STUDY CENTER SUPPORTS CROSS-MEDIUM, CROSS-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, ALLOWING MUSEUM STAFF, ARTISTS, SCHOLARS, AND RESEARCHERS ACCESS TO THE COLLECTION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR CLOSE MATERIAL AND TECHNICAL EXAMINATION OF OBJECTS. AS SUCH, THE STUDY CENTER IS AN EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCE FOR HISTORIANS AND CURATORS OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, MAKING THE WHITNEY'S WORLD-CLASS HOLDINGS AVAILABLE FOR PRIMARY RESEARCH AND IN-DEPTH CONSULTATION. DURING FY25, 41 EXTERNAL VISITS, WITH 347 UNIQUE VISITORS, WERE HELD IN THE STUDY CENTER.
- $6.7 million spent. EDUCATION PROGRAMS THE WHITNEY EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SERVED A TOTAL OF 71,970 VISITORS IN PERSON AND ONLINE THROUGH SCHOOL, YOUTH, FAMILY, PUBLIC, AND ACCESS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. AN ADDITIONAL 61,597 ASYNCHRONOUS USERS ENGAGED DIGITALLY WITH INTERPRETIVE CONTENT SUCH AS AUDIO GUIDES, RECORDED VIDEOS OF PROGRAMS ON YOUTUBE AND PODCASTS. A TOTAL OF 16,975 OF THESE IN PERSON AND ONLINE VISITORS WERE K-12 STUDENTS. EDUCATION STAFF WORKED WITHIN AND ACROSS PROGRAM AREAS ON ZOOM TO PRESENT DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING THAT EXPLORED CRITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT AMERICAN ART, CULTURE AND SOCIETY. (SEE SCHEDULE O) THE SCHOOL PROGRAMS TEAM COMPLETED 95 ONLINE LESSONS AND SERVED 1,405 K-12 STUDENTS IN ONLINE PROGRAMMING; OF THE 16,147 GRAND TOTAL OF K-12 STUDENTS, 3,549 WERE FROM OUR ELEVEN PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS. IN FY25, THE WHITNEY SERVED 195 UNIQUE TEENS WHO PARTICIPATED IN YOUTH INSIGHTS PROGRAMS. THE DROP-IN TEEN EVENTS CREATED AND HOSTED BY WHITNEY EDUCATORS AND YOUTH INSIGHTS LEADERS WERE WELL ATTENDED, WITH 326 ATTENDEES FOR TEEN EVENTS, 337 PARTICIPANTS AT 5 TABLING EVENTS, AND 471 ATTENDEES FOR OPEN STUDIO FOR TEENS. THE MUSEUM ALSO CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY FOR VISITORS WITH DISABILITIES TO EXPERIENCE THE RICHNESS AND COMPLEXITY OF AMERICAN ART IN AN ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH REMOTE AND IN-PERSON OFFERINGS. THIS INCLUDES VISITORS WHO IDENTIFY AS DISABLED, D/DEAF, DEAF-BLIND, NEURODIVERGENT, AUTISTIC, LOW VISION AND/OR EXPERIENCE A RANGE OF COGNITIVE, INTELLECTUAL, AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY, PHYSICAL DISABILITY, CHRONIC ILLNESS AND/OR SENSORY SENSITIVITIES. IN FY25, THE ACCESS TEAM CONTINUED TO FOCUS ON THREE MAIN AREAS: DEVELOPING PROGRAMMING FOR DISABLED COMMUNITIES, CREATING ACCESS RESOURCES AND CONTENT FOR THE MOBILE GUIDE, AND ADVISING DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE MUSEUM ON ACCESSIBLE PRACTICES WITHIN THEIR AREAS. THE EXHIBITION CHRISTINE SUN KIM: ALL DAY ALL NIGHT CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASED DEAF-CENTERED PROGRAMMING AND THE PRODUCTION OF MORE ACCESS RESOURCES LIKE ASL VIDEOS, CAPTIONS. APPROXIMATELY 1103 PEOPLE ATTENDED AN ACCESS PROGRAM IN FY25, AND TOTAL OF 1609 STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES FROM 36 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED IN EITHER AN IN-PERSON GUIDED VISIT OR ONLINE LESSON WITH THE WHITNEY. IN FY25, 6,703 PEOPLE ATTENDED ARTMAKING, TOURS AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AT THE WHITNEY SERVED AS A FOCAL POINT FOR EXPLORATION, DIALOGUE, AND SELF-EXPRESSION FOR THE MUSEUM'S DIVERSE NEIGHBORS WHO DESIRE TO CONNECT TO ART. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS DEVELOPED INDIVIDUALIZED EXTENDED PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF OUR DIVERSE PARTNERS OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, WHO IN TOTAL, REQUESTED 302 TOURS AND MUSEUM VISITS TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERSERVED AUDIENCES OF ALL AGES. PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN FY25 PRESENTED PROVOCATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL EVENTS THAT ENGAGED AUDIENCES IN CRITICAL DIALOGUES ON ART AND CULTURAL PRODUCTION. THE DIVISION OFFERED 38 PROGRAMS AND SERVED APPROXIMATELY 4,923 VISITORS, WITH 2,615 ATTENDING IN-PERSON AT THE WHITNEY AND 2,308 ATTENDING VIRTUALLY. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDED CONVERSATIONS, LECTURES, WORKSHOPS, AND SCREENINGS, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EDGES OF AILEY, SURVIVAL PIECE #5: PORTABLE ORCHARD, MARK ARMIJO MCKNIGHT: DECREATION, JEANNE MOUTOUSSAMY-ASHE AND THE LAST GULLAH ISLANDS, CHRISTINE SUN KIM: ALL DAY ALL NIGHT, AND SHIFTING LANDSCAPES EXHIBITIONS. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE A SEASON-LONG COLLABORATION WITH AILEY EXTENSION TO CELEBRATE ALVIN AILEY'S DIVERSE DANCE INFLUENCES THROUGH MOVEMENT-BASED WORKSHOPS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS LED BY EXPERTS IN THE FIELD. IN SEPTEMBER, WE HOSTED THE LUNDER INSTITUTE FOR AMERICAN ART AS PART OF THEIR LUNDER INSTITUTE @ PROGRAM. THIS INITIATIVE FOSTERS DIALOGUE BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS AND ENCOURAGES CRITICAL EXAMINATIONS OF AMERICAN ART, ITS HISTORY, FUTURE, AND EVOLUTION. ADDITIONALLY, WE PARTNERED WITH ACCESS PROGRAMS AND BIENNIAL ARTIST JJJJEROME ELLIS DURING DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH TO CREATE WELCOMING PROGRAMS FOR AUDIENCES AND SPEAKERS WHO STUTTER TO SHARE AND CONNECT. THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CENTER FOR DISABILITY STUDIES AT NYU AND WHITE COLUMNS WE CO-PRODUCED CELEBRATIONS OF ARTWORK BY CHRISTINE SUN-KIM AND GORDON MATTA-CLARK, RESPECTIVELY. THIS YEAR, THE WHITNEY CONTINUED OUR MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE US LATINX ART FORUM (USLAF) TO ORGANIZE X AS INTERSECTION: SEEING UNTOLD STORIES / X COMO INTERSECCIN: VER HISTORIAS NO CONTADAS, WHICH WAS HOSTED AS A HYBRID EVENT FOR THE FIRST TIME (PREVIOUS ITERATIONS HAVE BEEN ONLINE ONLY).THE PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT TEAM CONTINUES TO PARTNER WITH COLLEAGUES ON PROGRAMMING FOR FREE FRIDAY NIGHTS AND FREE SECOND SUNDAYS. IN FY25, 14,501 PEOPLE, INCLUDING 6,325 KIDS AND 8,176 ADULTS, ATTENDED A FAMILY PROGRAM. THE FAMILY PROGRAMS STAFF HOSTED 64 PROGRAMS IN TOTAL: 26 OPEN STUDIOS, 2 LARGE-SCALE/ARTIST-LED OPEN STUDIOS, 12 SECOND SUNDAYS, WHICH INCLUDE 13 RECORRIDOS FAMILIARES AND 11 GALLERY STATIONS. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE INTERPRETATION DIVISION, THE FAMILY PROGRAMS STAFF DEVELOPED 4 WHITNEY KIDS ART CHALLENGE VIDEOS AND 4 BILINGUAL ACTIVITY GUIDES. WHITNEY DOCENTS WELCOME AND ENGAGE VISITORS BY GIVING EXTENDED INTRODUCTORY TOURS OF CURRENT EXHIBITIONS AND PROVIDING INSIGHTS INTO THE IDEAS BEHIND THE WORKS OF ART ON VIEW. THEY HELP VISITORS MAKE SENSE OF OFTEN CHALLENGING ART BY OFFERING INTERPRETIVE CONTENT AND PROVIDING A LARGER CONTEXT FOR THE WORK. FOR THE DOCENT PARTICIPANTS, THE PROGRAM OFFERS LIFE-LONG LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND PROVIDES A COMMUNITY OF LIKE-MINDED PEERS. DOCENTS RECEIVE RIGOROUS INITIAL TRAINING UPON ENTERING THE PROGRAM AND ONGOING EDUCATION TO PREPARE FOR SPECIAL EXHIBITION TOURS AND TO SUPPORT PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES TO SUPPORT AUDIENCE-CENTERED VISITOR ENGAGEMENT. THE JOAN TISCH TEACHING FELLOWS PROGRAM EXPANDS THE EXPERIENCES OF ADVANCED GRADUATE STUDENTS EMBARKING ON SCHOLARLY CAREERS IN ART HISTORY. PH.D. CANDIDATES TEACH FROM THE WHITNEY'
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
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1936.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.