Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
COMMITTED TO INNOVATION, THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION (THE "FOUNDATION") COLLECTS, (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)
- Income
- $88.2 million
- Spending
- $84.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 66%
- Reserves
- -6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 45%
- Employees
- 588
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $946,303, director/ceo
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
Fair: 55 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 47% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 7% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1566% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2526 of 27 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 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 (4)
- $26.4 million spent. DURING 2024, THE FOUNDATION DIRECTLY OPERATED TWO MUSEUMS: THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM IN NEW YORK AND THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION IN VENICE. BOTH MUSEUMS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, CONDUCT TOURS OF EXHIBITIONS AND PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL TEXTS FREE OF CHARGE IN FULLFILMENT OF THE FOUNDATION'S MISSION. THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM WAS OPEN TO THEPUBLIC ONE EVENING OF EACH WEEK ON A PAY-WHAT-YOU-WISH BASIS. CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 12 ARE ADMITTED FOR FREE. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O). THE GUGGENHEIM ABU DHABI WILL BE LOCATED IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT OF SAADIYAT ISLAND IN ABU DHABI, THE CAPITAL OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE). DESIGNED BY INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARCHITECT FRANK GEHRY, THE FUTURE MUSEUM WILL HOUSE ITS OWN MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTION AND PRESENT SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS. EXHIBITIONS PRESENTED IN 2024 AT THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM IN NEW YORK (THE "GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM") INCLUDED: ONLY THE YOUNG: EXPERIMENTAL ART IN KOREA, 1960S-1970S (SEPTEMBER 1, 2023 TO JANUARY 7, 2024); GOING DARK: THE CONTEMPORARY FIGURE AT THE EDGE OF VISIBILITY (OCTOBER 20, 2023 TO APRIL 7, 2024); BY WAY OF: MATERIAL AND MOTION IN THE GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION (MARCH 15, 2024 TO JUNE 8, 2025); JENNY HOLZER; LIGHT LINE (MAY 17, 2024 TO SEPTEMBER 29, 2024); HARMONY AND DISSONANCE: ORPHISM IN PARIS, 1910-1930 (NOVEMBER 8, 2024 TO MARCH 9, 2025); AND COLLECTION IN FOCUS - PIET MONDRIAN: EVER FURTHER (NOVEMBER 22, 2024 TO APRIL 20, 2025). IMPRESSIONIST, POST-IMPRESSIONIST AND MODERN SELECTIONS FROM THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM'S THANNHAUSER COLLECTION WERE ALSO ON VIEW, INCLUDING WORKS BY DEGAS, MANET, PICASSO, AND VAN GOGH. EXHIBITIONS PRESENTED IN 2024 AT THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION IN VENICE INCLUDED: MARCEL DUCHAMP AND THE LURE OF THE COPY (OCTOBER 14, 2023 TO MARCH 18, 2024); JEAN COCTEAU: THE JUGGLER'S REVENGE (APRIL 13 TO SEPTEMBER 16, 2024); AND MARINA APOLLONIO: BEYOND THE CIRCLE (OCTOBER 12, 2024 TO MARCH 3, 2025). SELECTIONS FROM THE PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION AND THE HANNELORE B. AND RUDOLPH B. SCHULHOF COLLECTION WERE ALSO ON VIEW. EXHIBITIONS PRESENTED IN 2024 AT THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO INCLUDED: PICASSO SCULPTOR. MATTER AND BODY (SEPTEMBER 29, 2023 TO JANUARY 14, 2024); GIOVANNI ANSELMO: BEYOND THE HORIZON (FEBRUARY 9 TO MAY 19, 2024); SIGNS AND OBJECTS. POP ART FROM THE GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION (FEBRUARY 16 TO SEPTEMBER 15, 2024); METAHAVEN: CHAOS THEORY (FEBRUARY 22 TO JUNE 9, 2024); JUNE CRESPO. VASCULAR (MARCH 1 TO JUNE 9, 2024); MARTHA JUNGWIRTH (JUNE 7 TO SEPTEMBER 22, 2024); ANTHONY MCALL: SPLIT SECOND (JUNE 19 TO NOVEMBER 10, 2024); YOSHITOMO NARA (JUNE 28 TO NOVEMBER 3, 2024); HILMA AF KLINT (OCTOBER 18, 2024 TO FEBRUARY 2, 2025); AND PAUL PFEIFFER: PROLOGUE TO THE STORY OF THE BIRTH OF FREEDOM (NOVEMBER 30, 2024 TO MARCH 16, 2025). SELECTIONS FROM THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO COLLECTION WERE ALSO ON VIEW THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
- $16.3 million spent. AS PART OF ITS MISSION, THE FOUNDATION COLLECTS AND PRESERVES ART FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN SEVERAL WAYS. THE FOUNDATION STUDIES THE ART IN THE FOUNDATION'S POSSESSION AND PLANS EXHIBITIONS FOR PUBLIC VIEWING. THE FOUNDATION ALSO LENDS MANY OF THE WORKS OF ART IN ITS COLLECTION TO OTHER MUSEUMS ON THE OCCASION OF SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS THAT ARE OF SCHOLARLY MERIT OR THAT WILL BROADEN THE PUBLIC'S APPRECIATION OF ART. THE FOUNDATION MAINTAINS EXTENSIVE CLIMATE-CONTROLLED, HIGHLY SECURE STORAGE FACILITIES FOR THE ART IN ITS COLLECTION. IT ALSO OPERATES A PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO FOR THE DOCUMENTATION OF ART AND ARCHIVES TO STORE PHOTOGRAPHS OF ART AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR PUBLICATION OR STUDY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O) THE FOUNDATION MAINTAINS TWO ART CONSERVATION LABS TO PROPERLY CARE FOR THE ART IN ITS POSSESSION; IT ALSO CONDUCTS RESEARCH ON NEW TECHNIQUES IN ART CONSERVATION. IN 2024, THE FOUNDATION PURCHASED 34 WORKS BY 20 ARTISTS THAT INCLUDED WORKS FROM ARTISTS THAT WERE EXHIBITED IN 2024 AND THOSE THAT WERE NEW TO THE COLLECTION CONTINUING TO FURTHER THE FOUNDATION'S COMMITMENT TO EXPANDING THE PURVIEW OF ITS INTERPRETATION AND PRESENTATION OF MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART. THE ACQUISITIONS COMPRISE ARTWORKS ACROSS VARIOUS MEDIUMS AND HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE WORKS BY MANAL ALDOWAYAN, AMERICAN ARTIST, ALVARO BARRIOS, TRACEY EMIN, TIONA NEKKIA MCCLODDEN, DELCY MORELOS, LORNA SIMPSON, AND MING SMITH. 25 GIFTS OF ART WERE MADE TO THE FOUNDATION IN 2024, MANY OF WHICH ENHANCED THE FOUNDATION'S HOLDINGS OF LATIN AMERICAN ART AND INCLUDE WORKS BY TADASKIA, MADELENA SANTOS REINBOLT, VALENTINA LIERNER, LORIEL BELTRAN, AND GEGO. THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED ITS FIRST GIFT OF AN AUGMENTED REALTY WORK BY AHMET OGUT, MARKING A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE FOUNDATION'S ACQUISITION OF DIGITAL AND INTERACTIVE ART.
- $5.8 million spent. THE FOUNDATION'S EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENTS ENGAGED THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH PROGRAMS FOR SCHOOLS, YOUTH, TEENS, FAMILY AND ADULT AUDIENCES. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O). LEARNING THROUGH ART (LTA) IS THE FOUNDATION'S HALLMARK ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAM THAT SENDS EXPERIENCED TEACHING ARTISTS INTO NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHERE THEY COLLABORATE WITH CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO DEVELOP, FACILITATE, AND INTEGRATE ART PROJECTS INTO THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM BY OFFERING NEW INSIGHTS INTO ART AND CHALLENGING STUDENTS TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT ART AND ITS IDEAS. DURING THE TWENTY-WEEK, IN-SCHOOL RESIDENCIES (FALL 2023-SPRING 2024), 1425 STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE FIVE BOROUGHS EXAMINED, DISCUSSED, AND CREATED WORKS OF ART. VISITS TO THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM SUPPORT THE RESIDENCIES. AT THE END OF THE RESIDENCY, 225 SELECTED STUDENT WORKS WERE PRESENTED IN THE ANNUAL A YEAR WITH CHILDREN EXHIBITION HELD AT THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM. IN 2024, PROGRAMS FOR TEENS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 TO 18 YEARS ENGAGED 3,046 TEENS IN THE GUGG TEENS COLLABORATIVE, TEEN TUESDAYS, TEEN FEST AND THE ART DETECTIVES SUMMER PROGRAM THAT FOCUSES ON ART CONSERVATION. OVER 100 INDIVIDUALS ATTENDED ART CAMPS FOR CHILDREN, TEENS AND FAMILIES DURING SEASONAL BREAKS AND HOLIDAYS PROVIDING HANDS-ON-ART-MAKING WORKSHOPS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO CONTINUED ITS COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY FOR VISITORS WITH DISABILITIES WITH THE GUGGENHEIM FOR ALL PROGRAMMING WHICH AIMS TO PROVIDE A DEVELOPMENTALLY SOUND MUSEUM EXPERIENCE AND ART-MAKING OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM. THE FOUNDATION ALSO WELCOMED OVER 6,500 K-12 STUDENTS AND CHAPERONES AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FOR ON-SITE TOURS. THE FOUNDATION'S MIND'S EYE PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO EXPAND ACCESS TO WORKS OF ART THROUGH MULTISENSORY EXPLORATION WITH TOURS AND WORKSHOPS DESIGNED FOR VISITORS WHO ARE BLIND OR HAVE LOW VISION. THE PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED BY ARTS AND EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS THROUGH VERBAL DESCRIPTION AUDIO GUIDES, CONVERSATIONS, SENSORY EXPERIENCES AND CREATIVE PRACTICE. OVER 100 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN ONLINE, MULT-SESSION PROGRAMS ROOTED IN ART, ARCHITECTURE AND CREATIVE PRACTICE INCLUDING COLOR THEORY, STILL LIFE AND DRAWING COURSES. THE FOUNDATION'S PUBLIC PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT SAW OVER 4,000 VISITORS ATTENDING LECTURES, SYMPOSIA, PERFORMANCES AND OTHER PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT 2024, INCLUDING ITS POPULAR LATE SHIFT, AN AFTER-HOURS EXPERIENCE FOR ATTENDEES EXPLORE THE MUSEUM'S GALLERIES AND PARTICIPATE IN CURATED INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES, AND PROGRAMS IN CONNECTION WITH THE POET-IN-RESIDENCE INITIATIVE SPONSORED BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS AND PRESENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS.
- $7.8 million spent. DISSEMINATING CURRENT SCHOLARSHIP AND PROMOTING LEARNING ARE THE PRIMARY GOALS OF THE MANY EXHIBITION AND COLLECTION CATALOGUES PRODUCED BY THE FOUNDATION. PUBLICATIONS PRESENT SCHOLARLY AND INSTRUCTIVE ART HISTORICAL INFORMATION IN THE FORM OF ESSAYS THAT CONTEXTUALIZE ART WITHIN LARGER MOVEMENTS OR DISCIPLINES; IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS OF INDIVIDUAL ARTWORKS; INTERVIEWS WITH ARTISTS AND REFERENCE TOOLS SUCH AS BIBLIOGRAPHIES, BIOGRAPHIES, CHRONOLOGIES, AND EXHIBITION HISTORIES. PUBLICATIONS IN 2024 INCLUDED JENNY HOLZER: TRACE; ONLY THE YOUNG: EXPERIMENTAL ART IN KOREA: 1960S - 1970S; GOING DARK: THE CONTEMPORARY FIGURE AT THE EDGE OF VISIBILITY; AND HARMONY AND DISSONANCE:ORPHISM IN PARIS, 1910-1930.SIGNIFICANT EXHIBITION, COLLECTIONS, EDUCATION, AUDIO, VIDEO, AND CATALOGUE ARCHIVES CONTENT IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, FREE OF CHARGE, ON GUGGENHEIM.ORG INCLUDING MORE THAN 1,900 ARTWORKS BY MORE THAN 625 ARTISTS IN THE COLLECTION ONLINE. IN 2024 THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHED 5 NEW VIDEOS AND 197 NEW AUDIO TRACKS, BRINGING THE TOTAL VIDEOS AVAILABLE ON THE SITE TO 621 AND AUDIO TRACKS TO APPROXIMATELY 2,052.ADDITIONALLY, IN 2024, THE FOUNDATION PUBLISHED 8 NEW BLOG POSTS OFFERING INSIGHTS INTO EXHIBITIONS, CONTEMPORARY ART, GLOBAL CULTURE, AND MUSEUM ARCHIVES AND HISTORY, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POSTS AVAILABLE ONLINE TO 1,120. IN 2024, GUGGENHEIM.ORG RECORDED 4,235,570 USER SESSIONS AND 22,459,067 PAGE VIEWS. THE GUGGENHEIM REMAINS COMMITTED TO CREATING A WELCOMING EXPERIENCE FOR ALL VISITORS BOTH ONSITE AND ONLINE. THE GUGGENHEIM DIGITAL GUIDE, AVAILABLE ON THE BLOOMBERG CONNECTS APP, CONTINUES TO PROVIDE RICH ENGAGEMENT FOR AUDIENCES. VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS ARE A CENTRAL FEATURE OF THIS EXPERIENCE AND SUPPORT ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVE STORYTELLING.IN 2024, MORE THAN 40 NEW VERBAL DESCRIPTION TRACKS WERE CREATED FOR THE EXHIBITIONS JENNY HOLZER: LIGHT LINE; BY WAY OF: MATERIAL AND MOTION IN THE GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION; HARMONY AND DISSONANCE: ORPHISM IN PARIS, 1910-1930; AND COLLECTION IN FOCUS: PIET MONDRIAN: EVER FURTHER.RECOGNIZING THAT MANY OF THE MUSEUM'S VISITORS ARE INTERNATIONAL, THE MUSEUM REMAINS COMMITTED TO A COMPREHENSIVE TRANSLATION STRATEGY. IN 2024, ITALIAN WAS ADDED AS A PRIMARY TRANSLATION LANGUAGE, ALONGSIDE SPANISH, AND THE MUSEUM ALSO INTEGRATED BLOOMBERG CONNECTS' GOOGLE TRANSLATE FEATURE TO BROADEN MULTILINGUAL ACCESS TO TEXT-BASED CONTENT.
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 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 March 1938.
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.