Caramoor Center for Music & the Arts Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Caramoor's mission is to enrich the lives of audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality, mentor young professional musicians, and engage children through interactive educational experiences that deepen their relationship to and understanding of music. These three fundamentalsmusic performance, musician mentoring, and music educationinfuse everything we do.
- Income
- $7.4 million
- Spending
- $9.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 6.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 54%
- Employees
- 101
- Volunteers
- 129
- Highest pay
- $360,440, president & 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
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 58% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 24% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 21% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 29 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2528 of 28 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 (3)
- $4.1 million spent. In 2024, Caramoor welcomed audiences of 35,000 to experience world-class performances by over 500 musicians and artists. Highlights included Wynton Marsalis, The Knights with Aaron Diehl, the Owls and Calidore Quartet, Sutton Foster, Apollo's Fire, the Orchestra of St. Lukes and the Abdullah Ibrahim Trio. Our commitment to artist development flourished through mentoring programs like Evnin Rising Stars, Schwab Vocal Rising Stars, and our string quartet-in-residence, Terra Quartet. Free events engaged the community, from Soundscapes and our Juneteenth Celebration featuring Charles Turner & Uptown Swing to People of Earth's Hispanic Heritage Month performance. We also engaged young audiences with three concerts tailored for children, including the Mariel Bildsten Trio, Grammy winner Lucy Kalantari, and percussionist Gabriel Globus-Hoenich. These programs enriched our community and advanced Caramoor's mission to inspire through music and culture.
- $1.4 million spent. Rosen House, Gardens and Estate - See Schedule OAnother significant achievement for Caramoor in 2024 was the strong debut of Focus Tours at the Rosen House. These tours are conducted to further our mission to provide arts education to the public. Jessa Krick the Director of Interpretation, Collection, and Archives at the Rosen House, curates a new tour each year which highlights timely themes and revelations uncovered by invigorated research - mining the rich archives of the Rosen House. The Focus Tours breathe fresh life into historical art and objects, uncovering hidden narratives, forgotten contexts, and evolving interpretations that resonate with modern audiences. The 2024 Focus Tour magnified the significant number of works at Caramoor by and about women artists, many of whom Walter and Lucie Rosen considered friends. The docent-led tours taught visitors about the artists including painters, sculptors, and performers and their work revealed by new, fascinating research gleaned from Mrs. Rosen's diaries and correspondence. The Rosen House attracted 4,000 visitors in 2024.
- $873,118 spent. Education/Mentoring - See Schedule OCollaborations with local organizations strengthened our commitment to inclusivity, ensuring Caramoor remains a place where audiences from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed and inspired. Educational programs like Evnin Rising Stars, Schwab Vocal Rising Stars, and Terra Quartet's residency, nurtured emerging talent and children's concerts introduced young listeners to the joy of live music. Caramoor continues to enhance cultural vibrancy and create meaningful artistic experiences for the public. Caramoor's mentoring program provides opportunities for emerging talent to learn from established professionals, cultivating creativity, career growth, and artistic innovation. Since its founding in 1992, our mentoring program has been at the heart of our mission, providing young professional musicians with the opportunity to develop their artistry, gain invaluable performance experience, and engage with audiences in meaningful ways. Each year, the program brings these emerging artists to the stage, offering them the platform and guidance needed to refine their craft, expand their professional networks, and prepare for successful careers in the music industry. Through thoughtfully curated public performances, we not only share exceptional music with our audiences but also ensure that the legacy of musical excellence continues to thrive for future generations. In the 2024 season, we continued Caramoor's tradition of mentoring young artists through various programming and performances. One example is the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence: one up-and-coming string quartet is chosen each year to complete a year-long residency at Caramoor. This year's quartet, the Terra String Quartet, has visited ten schools as part of our Student Strings program. The quartet also performed concerts at the schools and at Caramoor. Approximately 700 students were served by Caramoor's Education program in 2024.
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 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 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 April 1946.
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.