Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ALVIN AILEY DANCE FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO FURTHER THE PIONEERING VISION OF THE CHOREOGRAPHER, DANCER, AND CULTURAL LEADER ALVIN AILEY BY BUILDING AN EXTENDED CULTURAL COMMUNITY WHICH PROVIDES DANCE PERFORMANCES, TRAINING AND EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS FOR ALL PEOPLE. THIS PERFORMING ARTS COMMUNITY PLAYS A CRUCIAL SOCIAL ROLE, USING THE BEAUTY AND HUMANITY OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE AND OTHER CULTURES TO UNITE PEOPLE OF ALL RACES, AGES AND BACKGROUNDS.
- Income
- $49.0 million
- Spending
- $54.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 20.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 51%
- Employees
- 770
- Volunteers
- 44
- Highest pay
- $750,634, trustee/executive 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
Good: 89 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 20.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 11% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2528 of 29 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 (4)
- $19.3 million spent. ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER: SEE SCHEDULE OFOUNDED BY ALVIN AILEY IN 1958, ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER NOW ANNUALLY REACHES ABOUT 300,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ACROSS THE GLOBE. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE COMPANY HAS PERFORMED IN 71 COUNTRIES ON 6 CONTINENTS FOR AN ESTIMATED 25 MILLION PEOPLE AT VENUES WORLDWIDE, PLUS TENS OF MILLIONS MORE PEOPLE VIA TELEVISION APPEARANCES. IN 2008, THE AILEY COMPANY WAS DESIGNATED "A VITAL AMERICAN CULTURAL AMBASSADOR TO THE WORLD" BY THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS. THE COMPANY CONSISTS OF THIRTY TWO OF THE MOST TALENTED AND VERSATILE DANCERS IN THE WORLD, AND ITS DIVERSE REPERTORY IS UNPARALLELED IN MODERN DANCE. A TYPICAL ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER SEASON INCLUDES A U.S. TOUR TO OVER 20 CITIES, INTERNATIONAL TOURING, AND TWO ENGAGEMENTS IN ITS HOME BASE OF NEW YORK CITY: A SPRING ENGAGEMENT AT BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC AND A 5-WEEK WINTER ENGAGEMENT AT NEW YORK CITY CENTER, WHERE AILEY IS THE PRINCIPAL DANCE COMPANY AND HAS APPEARED ANNUALLY SINCE 1972.
- $19.3 million spent. AILEY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS: SEE SCHEDULE OTHROUGH THE AILEY SCHOOL, ITS ENTENSIVE ARTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND THE AILEY EXTENSION, THE ORGANIZATION IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING DANCE INTO THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS. FOUNDED IN 1969, THE AILEY SCHOOL IS AN ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONAL MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF DANCE AND SERVES AS THE OFFICIAL SCHOOL OF THE ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER. THE SCHOOL OFFERS MORE THAN 300 CLASSES WEEKLY FOR AGES 3 THROUGH 25 IN A BROAD RANGE OF DANCE TECHNIQUES. THE SCHOOL'S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES ASSISTANCE FOR TALENTED AND DESERVING STUDENTS; APPROXIMATELY 200 SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED EACH YEAR AND THE MAJORITY OF FINACIAL ASSISTANCE GOES TO MINORITY STUDENTS. IN CONJUCTION WITH FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, THE AILEY SCHOOL ALSO OFFERS A BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS DEGREE IN DANCE. EACH YEAR, AILEY ARTS IN EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS PROVIDE YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DIVERSE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THEIR CREATIVE POTENTIAL, BUILD SELF-ESTEEM, AND DEVELOP LIFE-SKILLS SUCH AS TEAMWORK AND SELF-DISCIPLINE. PROGRAMS INCLUDE AILEYCAMP, A UNIQUE SUMMER DAY CAMP PROGRAM FOR UNDERSERVED CHILDREN IN MAJOR CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES; AILEY DANCE KIDS, WHICH PRESENTS DANCE CLASSES AND CROSS-CURRICULAR LESSONS TO APPROXIMATELY 4,000 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NY AND NJ; REVELATIONS: AN INTERDISCIPLICARY APPROACH, A CURRICULUM-BASED INITIATIVE THAT USES ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER'S SIGNATURE PIECE TO TEACH ACADEMIC SUBJECTS IN CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE AILEY EXTENSION OFFERS DANCE AND FITNESS CLASSES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, WITH MORE THAN 80 CLASSES EACH WEEK IN A VARIETY OF TECHNIQUES INCLUDING HORTON, BALLET, WEST AFRICAN, AND ZUMBA. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2005, MORE THAN 125,000 PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN CLASSES THROUGH THE AILEY EXTENSION.
- $2.8 million spent. AILEY II: SEE SCHEDULE OLAUNCHED BY MR. AILEY IN 1974, AILEY II IS NOW UNIVERSALLY RENOWNED FOR MERGING THE COUNTRY'S BEST YOUNG DANCE TALENT WITH THE CREATIVE VISION OF TODAY'S MOST OUTSTANDING EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHERS. AILEY II IS COMPRISED OF 12 OF THE AILEY SCHOOL'S MOST PROMISING SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS AND REACHES AUDIENCES IN MORE THAN 40 CITIES EACH YEAR ACROSS THE U.S. AND ABROAD. THE COMPANY OFFERS ITS DANCER INVALUABLE PERFORMING AND TEACHING EXPERIENCE AND CRUCIAL TRAINING, CREATING A BRIDGE FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE STAGE.
- $2.0 million spent. ANCILLARY ON-SITE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS (STUDIO OPERATIONS AND RENTALS)
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 March 1968.
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.
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