Art Start Incorporated
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.
- Only 48% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 48%
- Reserves
- 2.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 87%
- Employees
- 92
- Volunteers
- 53
- Highest pay
- $134,500, co executive director/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 42 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.9 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 31% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1548% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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, 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)
- $208,218 spent. CREATIVE COLLECTIVES PROVIDES YEAR-ROUND DAILY AND WEEKLY WORKSHOPS AT PARTNER SHELTER SITES AND AT ART START INC. 'S HEADQUARTERS TO EXPAND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO ARTS EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND YOUNG ADULTS EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSECURITY. DURING THE 2025 SCAL YEAR, ART START INC. SERVED MORE THAN 1,000 PARTICIPANTS, AGES 524, IN NEW YORK, NY AND MILWAUKEE, WI. THROUGH STRUCTURED CREATIVE ARTS INSTRUCTION AND CREATIVE CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, PARTICIPANTS BUILT FOUNDATIONAL AND ADVANCED ARTISTIC SKILLS, INCREASED CREATIVE CONDENCE, AND ENGAGED IN CONSISTENT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT SUPPORTED PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL CONTINUITY. PROGRAMMING WAS DELIVERED ON AN ONGOING, YEAR-ROUND BASIS AND EMPHASIZED SKILL-BUILDING, MENTORSHIP, AND EXPOSURE TO CREATIVE CAREER PATHWAYS, RESULTING IN SUSTAINED PARTICIPATION AND MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT ACROSS PROGRAM SITES.
- $208,217 spent. CREATIVE CONNECTIONS PROVIDES TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH STRUCTURED ACCESS TO PROFESSIONAL ARTISTIC STUDIOS AND PARTNER PROGRAM LOCATIONS, INCLUDING THE WHITNEY MUSEUM, BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC, AND 651 ARTS. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO EXPAND ACCESS TO CREATIVE ARTS EDUCATION AND PROMOTE WORKFORCE READINESS WITHIN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO FACE SIGNICANT SYSTEMIC BARRIERS. DURING THE 2025 SCAL YEAR, CREATIVE CONNECTIONS DELIVERED CREATIVE CAREER EXPLORATION AND SKILL-BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE THAN 100 PARTICIPANTS, AGES 1624. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDED PAID ARTIST RESIDENCIES, PAID CREATIVE CAREER DEVELOPMENT INTERNSHIPS, AND FACILITATED EXPOSURE TO CREATIVE INDUSTRY PATHWAYS. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN HANDS-ON STUDIO PRACTICE, MENTORSHIP, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES INTENDED TO BUILD JOB-READINESS SKILLS, INCREASE AWARENESS OF VIABLE CREATIVE CAREERS, AND SUPPORT SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS TO EDUCATION, TRAINING, OR EMPLOYMENT. PROGRAMMING WAS DELIVERED ACROSS MULTIPLE COMMUNITY-BASED AND INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS TO ENSURE CONSISTENT ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CREATIVE LEARNING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
- $208,217 spent. SEE ME BECAUSE / PUBLIC EXCHANGES SERVES AS A PUBLIC PLATFORM THAT ELEVATES THE VOICES, PERSPECTIVES, AND CREATIVE WORK OF ART START PARTICIPANTS WHILE PROVIDING PRACTICAL, REAL-WORLD LEARNING EXPERIENCES THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH ARTS, MEDIA, AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE ACROSS MULTIPLE CITIES, INCLUDING MADISON, WI; CHICAGO, IL; AND NEW YORK, NY, AND ENGAGED PARTICIPANTS IN PROFESSIONAL EXPOSURE OPPORTUNITIES SPANNING FASHION, MUSIC, SKINCARE, LM PRODUCTION, RECORD LABELS, MUSEUMS, AUCTION HOUSES, AND RELATED CREATIVE ELDS.IN 2025, THE PROGRAM INCLUDED THE ARTIST STATEMENT, A COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ESTE LAUDER AND POET AMANDA GORMAN, WHICH CENTERED PARTICIPANT STORYTELLING, ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, AND PUBLIC PRESENTATION THROUGH CREATIVE MEDIA.PARTICIPANTS DEVELOPED ORIGINAL WORKS AND STATEMENTS THAT HIGHLIGHTED PERSONAL NARRATIVES AND ARTISTIC IDENTITY WHILE GAINING EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CREATIVE PARTNERS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 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 April 1999.
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.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Start Corporation (Houma, LA), EIN 58-1687098. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.