Swiss Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SWISS INSTITUTE (SI) IS AN INDEPENDENT NON-PROFIT CONTEMPORARY ART INSTITUTION DEDICATED TO PROMOTING FORWARD-THINKING AND EXPERIMENTAL ART MAKING THROUGH INNOVATIVE EXHIBITIONS, EDUCATION, AND PROGRAMS.
- Income
- $4.9 million
- Spending
- $7.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- -0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 82%
- Employees
- 35
- Volunteers
- 21
- Highest pay
- $200,817, 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
Weak: 22 out of 100. Higher than 1% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 90% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 52% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 21% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 22 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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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)
- $5.9 million spent. PROMOTING FORWARD-THINKING AND EXPERIMENTAL ART MAKING THROUGH INNOVATIVE EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS. (SEE SCHEDULE O FOR ACTIVITY DETAIL) EXHIBITIONS IN 2024, SI PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING EXHIBITIONS OF INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, ITS EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, PUBLIC PROGRAM SERIES INCLUDING THESE SEASONS, AND ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM. TSCHABALALA SELF: "BODEGA RUN" JAN 11 - JAN 13, 2024 SWISS INSTITUTE PRESENTED A BOOK LAUNCH AND INSTALLATION BY TSCHABALALA SELF TO CELEBRATE THE CULMINATION OF THE ARTIST'S LONG-TERM PROJECT, "BODEGA RUN". LORENZA LONGHI: "WORLD OF YUM YUM" JAN 25 - APR 14, 2024 "WORLD OF YUM YUM", WAS THE FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION IN THE US BY ARTIST LORENZA LONGHI, FEATURING NEWLY COMMISSIONED PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURES IN A SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION. RAVEN CHACON: "A WORM'S EYE VIEW FROM A BIRD'S BEAK" JAN 25 - APR 14, 2024 "A WORM'S EYE VIEW FROM A BIRD'S BEAK", RAVEN CHACON'S FIRST MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL SOLO EXHIBITION, WAS ORGANIZED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NORDNORSK KUNSTMUSEUM IN TROMSO. THE SHOW BROUGHT TOGETHER GROUNDBREAKING WORKS FROM THE LAST 25 YEARS WITH A NEWLY COMMISSIONED SOUND AND VIDEO INSTALLATION, NOVEL ITERATIONS OF PIONEERING WORKS, AND A MAJOR PUBLIC ART MURAL ON SI'S BUILDING. SI OFFSITE | JAMES BANTONE: "202420242024" MAR 15 - MAY 05, 2024 "202420242024", WAS THE FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION IN THE US BY ARTIST JAMES BANTONE, FEATURING A SUITE OF NEWLY COMMISSIONED WORKS. SHUANG LI: "I'M NOT" MAY 01 - AUG 25, 2024 "I'M NOT", WAS THE FIRST INSTITUTIONAL SOLO EXHIBITION BY ARTIST SHUANG LI, FEATURING NEWLY COMMISSIONED SCULPTURE AND VIDEO INSTALLATIONS. KOBBY ADI: "CLOISTERS & INSTRUMENTS" MAY 01 - AUG 25, 2024 "CLOISTERS & INSTRUMENTS", WAS THE FIRST INSTITUTIONAL SOLO EXHIBITION IN THE US BY LONDON-BASED ARTIST KOBBY ADI. THE EXHIBITION BROUGHT TOGETHER A FOCUSED SELECTION OF NEWLY COMMISSIONED WORKS IN THE EXPANDED FIELD OF FILM AND SCULPTURE. "ENERGIES" SEP 11, 2024 - JAN 05 2025 "ENERGIES", AN INTERNATIONAL GROUP EXHIBITION UNFOLDED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BUILDING AT 38 ST MARKS PL AND EXPANDED INTO NUMEROUS PARTNER LOCATIONS IN THE SURROUNDING EAST VILLAGE COMMUNITY. EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS SI IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND OFFERS MULTIGENERATIONAL ARTIST-LED WORKSHOPS, HOSTED IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE. SI'S PUBLIC PROGRAMS INCLUDED THE "ENERGIES SYMPOSIUM", PERFORMANCES, ARTIST TALKS AND THE FIFTH INSTALLMENT OF "THESE SEASONS" SERIES FOR LEARNING AND CONVERSATIONS. SI PRODUCED AND PUBLISHED "WALTER PFEIFFER: VIS--VIS", THE FIRST EVER OVERVIEW OF PFEIFFER'S ARTISTIC OUTPUT ACROSS MEDIUMS FROM THE 1970S TO THE PRESENT. SI ALSO PUBLISHED "SWEAT SHAME ETC"., A PUBLICATION ON CALLY SPOONER THAT SURVEYS SPOONER'S ARTISTIC OUTPUT OF THE LAST TEN YEARS. "A WORM'S EYE VIEW FROM A BIRD'S BEAK", THE FIRST-EVER MONOGRAPH ON RAVEN CHACON, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NORDNORSK KUNSTMUSEUM AND STERNBERG PRESS, WAS PUBLISHED ON THE OCCASION OF CHACON'S FIRST MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL SOLO EXHIBITION, ALSO TITLED "A WORM'S EYE VIEW FROM A BIRD'S BEAK". SI'S ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM HOSTED LATEFA WIERSCH AND TIPHANIE KIM MALL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PROHELVETIA.
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 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 October 13, 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 December 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 1989.
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 October 21, 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.