American Contemporary Ballet Inc
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
TO PRODUCE AND PRESENT CHOREOGRAPHIC WORKS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY WHICH EXEMPLIFY BALLET AS A MUSICAL ART FORM, AND CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOCIAL AND INTELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ART.
- Income
- $1.4 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 2.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 60%
- Employees
- 50
- Volunteers
- 44
- Highest pay
- $64,480, exec director & artistic d
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.2 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 25% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 34% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 48 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 August 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 (4)
- $279,104 spent. THE NUTCRACKER SUITE: AN IMMERSIVE "NUTCRACKER" PRODUCTION PERFORMED TO LIVE MUSIC IN A WINTER WONDERLAND, FEATURING THE DANCES FROM THE LAND OF THE SWEETS. THE INTIMATE VENUE ALLOWS THE AUDIENCE A CHANCE TO SEE THE DANCERS AND MUSICIANS UP CLOSE.
- $294,750 spent. BALANCHINE & THE CLASSICS: THE PRESENTATION OF BALLET MASTERWORKS AND NEW WORKS THAT BUILD UPON THE TRADITION OF CLASSICAL BALLET, ALWAYS PERFORMED WITH LIVE MUSIC. THIS PROGRAM PAIRED EXCERPTS FROM GEORGE BALANCHINE'S LA SOURCE WITH A NEW BALLET, SAPPHIRESAN IMAGINED BALLET OF BALANCHINE'S ORIGINALLY INTENDED A FOURTH ACT FOR HIS BALLET JEWELS, SET TO MUSIC BY ARNOLD SCHOENBERG IN HONOR OF THE COMPOSER'S 150TH BIRTHDAY.
- $246,435 spent. ACB JAZZ: AN ORIGINAL BALLET PROGRAM FEATURING NEW CHOREOGRAPHY SET TO JAZZ MUSIC FROM THE 1920S. THE PROGRAM IS A LIVE PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE WHERE CLASSICAL BALLET MEETS 1920S JAZZ IN AN INTIMATE SETTING. THE PROGRAM CONCLUDES WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT.
- $195,505 spent. THE RITE & BURLESQUE. THIS PROGRAM PRESENTED TWO ORIGINAL BALLETS: THE RITE, A WORLD-PREMIERE DANCE DRAMA SET TO STRAVINSKY'S THE RITE OF SPRING, AND BURLESQUE, AN ORIGINAL BALLET PERFORMED TO A COMMISSIONED SCORE BY PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING COMPOSER CHARLES WUORINEN. BOTH WORKS FEATURE ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY BY LINCOLN JONES AND ARE PERFORMED TO LIVE MUSIC. THE PROGRAM CONCLUDES WITH AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 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 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 August 2024.
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 November 2004.
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.