The Armory Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE ARMORY FOUNDATION, A NYC NOT-FOR-PROFIT AND HOME TO THE PREMIER INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CENTER IN AMERICA, IS COMMITTED TO FOSTERING LIFELONG HEALTH AND LEARNING BY SERVING YOUTH, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS, ADULTS AND LOCAL SENIORS THROUGH TRACK & FIELD, EDUCATIONAL AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS. THE ARMORY FOUNDATION'S PRIMARY EMPHASIS IS REACHING AND MOTIVATING THE YOUTH OF ALL FIVE BOROUGHS OF NEW YORK CITY BY OFFERING THEM COMPETITIVE TRACK AND FIELD ACTIVITIES AND BROADENING THEIR HORIZONS WITH EDUCATIONAL CLASSES, COLLEGE PREPARATION PROGRAMS AND A VARIETY OF CULTURAL AND SCHOOL-COORDINATED EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. THE ARMORY FOUNDATION HOSTS OVER 105 TRACK EVENTS EACH YEAR, MAINTAINS THE NATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD HALL OF FAME, OPERATES THE LARGEST AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITY CENTER IN NEW YORK AND OFFERS A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN ITS WORLD CLASS FACILITY.
- Income
- $8.3 million
- Spending
- $10.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- -16.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 50%
- Employees
- 152
- Volunteers
- 520
- Highest pay
- $447,140, co-president
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
Weak: 20 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 160% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 24% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% 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.
Independent board
25 of 2515 of 17 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 (10)
- $4.7 million spent. TRACK AND FIELD MEETS: OVER 105 TRACK AND FIELD MEETS ARE HELD EACH YEAR AT THE ARMORY RANGING IN SIZE FROM 100 ATHLETES TO OVER 5,000. THE ARMORY TRACK IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE FASTEST TRACK IN THE WORLD AND ATTRACTS ATHLETES AND SPECTATORS FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES. TRACK PRACTICES: IN A NORMAL YEAR, THE ARMORY HOSTS 220 TRACK PRACTICE SESSIONS ATTRACTING APPROXIMATELY 70,000 VISITS OF MOSTLY YOUNG ATHLETES. PROGRAMMING EXTENDS BEYOND YOUTH AND REACHES COMMUNITY ADULTS AND SENIORS, BUT THE FOCUS REMAINS ON YOUTH. THE MAIN TRACK SEASON RUNS FROM OCTOBER THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF APRIL, BUT PROGRAMMING CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO FULFILL THE MISSION OF THE ARMORY OF KEEPING EVERYONE ON TRACK. (Expenses $ 609,904 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 25,000) ARMORY COLLEGE PREP MIDDLE SCHOOL, ALSO KNOWN AS GREAT MINDS: THIS PROGRAM WORKS WITH STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8 FROM WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, INWOOD AND HARLEM. THE FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ENGAGE THE STUDENTS IN MATH, READING, STEAM AND FINANCIAL LITERACY WHILE WE ENCOURAGE GOOD STUDY HABITS AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES PARTICIPATION IN THE STOCK MARKET GAME, WHERE GROUPS OF OUR STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE ECONOMY, INVESTING AND WORLD EVENTS VIA INVESTING $100,000 OF FICTITIOUS MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET. THE ARMORY HAS EXPERIENCED STEADY ENROLLMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 60 STUDENTS IN THE GREAT MINDS PROGRAM. (Expenses $ 354,085 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 166,198) COMMUNITY PARTNERS (Expenses $ 343,752 including grants of $) YOUTH TRAINING (Expenses $ 313,889 including grants of $) ADULTS & COLLEGES TRAINING (Expenses $ 267,148 including grants of $) COMMUNITY RELATIONS (Expenses $ 166,091 including grants of $) MUSEUM HALL OF FAME (Expenses $ 154,909 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 100,000) AIM HIGH SENIORS TRAINING
- $1.3 million spent. HIGH SCHOOL TRAINING: UP TO 2,000 NEW YORK CITY STUDENTS TRAIN AT THE ARMORY, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS FROM NOVEMBER TO APRIL ON THE FABLED ARMORY TRACK. TRAINING INCLUDES A SUPPLEMENTAL COACHING STAFF PAID BY THE ARMORY TO HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS. MOST STUDENTS HAVE COACHES WHO ARE FLUENT IN ONE OF THE EVENTS OF TRACK AND FIELD. ONLY VERY FEW OF THEM ARE EXPERTS IN THROWING, POLE VAULTING, HURDLES OR EVEN RACE-WALKING. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE EXPERIENCE, THE ARMORY BRINGS IN THESE COACHES. YOUTH TRAINING: IN A NORMAL YEAR, AS MANY AS 500 STUDENTS IN GRADES 2-8 FROM WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, INWOOD AND HARLEM TRAIN AT THE ARMORY MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS FROM OCTOBER TO MAY IN THE CITY TRACK, AND LITTLE FEET PROGRAMS. FULL COACHING STAFF IS PROVIDED TO THE CHILDREN TO TEACH THE BASICS OF TRACK AND FIELD AND ENSURE THE CHILDREN HAVE PLENTY OF FUN AT THE SAME TIME. THE ARMORY HAS STRUCTURED EXERCISE AND HEALTH-RELATED PROGRAMMING TWICE PER WEEK, YEAR-ROUND, FOR COMMUNITY SENIORS.
- $1.1 million spent. ARMORY COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL: THIS IS A COLLEGE SUCCESS PROGRAM TARGETING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO PRACTICE AT THE ARMORY, MANY OF WHOM WILL BE FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS. ARMORY COLLEGE PREP SUPPLIES RIGOROUS ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION, SAT PREP CLASSES, ONE-ON-ONE COLLEGE COUNSELING, INCLUDING FINANCIAL AID AND NCAA REGULATION INFORMATION AND MULTIPLE TRIPS TO VISIT COLLEGES. IN A TYPICAL YEAR. THIS PROGRAM WORKS WITH OVER 60 STUDENTS EACH YEAR TO COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL, GAIN ACCEPTANCE TO FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES AND TO SUCCEED AT COLLEGE. (Expenses $ 609,904 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 25,000) ARMORY COLLEGE PREP MIDDLE SCHOOL, ALSO KNOWN AS GREAT MINDS: THIS PROGRAM WORKS WITH STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8 FROM WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, INWOOD AND HARLEM. THE FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ENGAGE THE STUDENTS IN MATH, READING, STEAM AND FINANCIAL LITERACY WHILE WE ENCOURAGE GOOD STUDY HABITS AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES PARTICIPATION IN THE STOCK MARKET GAME, WHERE GROUPS OF OUR STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE ECONOMY, INVESTING AND WORLD EVENTS VIA INVESTING $100,000 OF FICTITIOUS MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET. THE ARMORY HAS EXPERIENCED STEADY ENROLLMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 60 STUDENTS IN THE GREAT MINDS PROGRAM. (Expenses $ 354,085 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 166,198) COMMUNITY PARTNERS (Expenses $ 343,752 including grants of $) YOUTH TRAINING (Expenses $ 313,889 including grants of $) ADULTS & COLLEGES TRAINING (Expenses $ 267,148 including grants of $) COMMUNITY RELATIONS (Expenses $ 166,091 including grants of $) MUSEUM HALL OF FAME (Expenses $ 154,909 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 100,000) AIM HIGH SENIORS TRAINING
- $609,904 spent. ARMORY COLLEGE PREP MIDDLE SCHOOL, ALSO KNOWN AS GREAT MINDS: THIS PROGRAM WORKS WITH STUDENTS IN GRADES 4-8 FROM WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, INWOOD AND HARLEM. THE FOCUS OF THE PROGRAM IS TO ENGAGE THE STUDENTS IN MATH, READING, STEAM AND FINANCIAL LITERACY WHILE WE ENCOURAGE GOOD STUDY HABITS AND PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HIGH SCHOOL CHOICE FOR CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES PARTICIPATION IN THE STOCK MARKET GAME, WHERE GROUPS OF OUR STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT THE ECONOMY, INVESTING AND WORLD EVENTS VIA INVESTING $100,000 OF FICTITIOUS MONEY IN THE STOCK MARKET. THE ARMORY HAS EXPERIENCED STEADY ENROLLMENT OF APPROXIMATELY 60 STUDENTS IN THE GREAT MINDS PROGRAM.
- $354,085 spent. COMMUNITY PARTNERS
- $343,752 spent. YOUTH TRAINING
- $313,889 spent. ADULTS & COLLEGES TRAINING
- $267,148 spent. COMMUNITY RELATIONS
- $166,091 spent. MUSEUM HALL OF FAME
- $154,909 spent. AIM HIGH SENIORS TRAINING
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 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 June 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 September 1992.
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.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: The Foundation (Houston, TX), EIN 92-0742101. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 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.