Hispanic Society of America
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA IS TO COLLECT, PRESERVE, STUDY, EXHIBIT, STIMULATE APPRECIATION FOR, AND ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE OF, WORKS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE ARTS, LITERATURE, AND HISTORY OF THE COUNTRIES WHEREIN SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE ARE OR HAVE BEEN PREDOMINANT SPOKEN LANGUAGES, ALL IN THE SERVICE OF THE PUBLIC AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HIGHEST PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS.
- Income
- $8.0 million
- Spending
- $7.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 63%
- Reserves
- 38.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 83%
- Employees
- 47
- Volunteers
- 20
- Highest pay
- $316,752, executive director and ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 38.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 17% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1563% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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
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
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 September 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 (1)
- $4.9 million spent. BUILDING ON THE MOMENTUM GENERATED BY THE REOPENING OF ITS MAIN GALLERIES AND THE RETURN OF ITS MOST CELEBRATED TREASURES, FY25 MARKED A YEAR OF GROWTH, INNOVATION, AND DEEPER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THE HISPANIC SOCIETY MUSEUM & LIBRARY. THROUGH A DYNAMIC EXHIBITION PROGRAM, THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO SHOWCASE THE BREADTH OF ITS COLLECTIONS WHILE AMPLIFYING CONTEMPORARY VOICES AND FOSTERING NEW DIALOGUES BETWEEN PAST AND PRESENT. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED ADRIANA VAREJO: DON'T FORGET, WE COME FROM THE TROPICS, A POWERFUL EXPLORATION OF ECOLOGY, HISTORY AND THE AMAZON, AS WELL AS SPANISH STYLE: FASHION ILLUMINATED, WHICH EXAMINED THE ENDURING INFLUENCE OF HISPANIC ART AND CULTURE ON FASHION AND DESIGN. THE MUSEUM ALSO EXPANDED ITS PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES, AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES, WELCOMING DIVERSE AUDIENCES THROUGH LECTURES, PERFORMANCES, FAMILY PROGRAMS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. AS A FREE CULTURAL INSTITUTION SERVING WASHINGTON HEIGHTS AND BEYOND, THE HISPANIC SOCIETY STRENGTHENED ITS ROLE AS A VIBRANT CENTER FOR THE STUDY, PRESERVATION, AND CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS, CULTURES, AND HISTORIES OF THE HISPANIC WORLD.MODERN LIBRARYFY25 WAS A YEAR OF ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT, PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, AND DIGITAL PLANNING FOR THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT. STAFF ADVANCED EXPERTISE, STRENGTHENED INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, AND LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR HSM&L'S FUTURE DIGITAL LIBRARY. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE PROGRESS ON THE MODERN LIBRARY ASSESSMENT PROJECT, THE CREATION OF THE DIGITIZATION TASK FORCE, PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES, COMPLETION OF DIGITAL LIBRARY COURSES, LAUNCH OF THE BLOOMBERG TECH FELLOWSHIP AND DIGITAL LIBRARY GRANT PROPOSAL, SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY OUTREACH THROUGH BOOK DONATIONS AND A BOOK SALE, AND CONTINUED CATALOGING, ACQUISITIONS, AND READER SERVICES FOR A GLOBAL AUDIENCE.DEPARTMENT OF MANUSCRIPTS AND RARE BOOKSTHE STAFF COMPRISED DR. JOHN O'NEILL, CURATOR OF MANUSCRIPTS & RARE BOOKS, AND MS. VANESSA PINTADO, ASSISTANT CURATOR. MICHELLE NANNI, BOOK CONSERVATOR, UNDERTOOK WORK FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE HISPANIC SOCIETY. MS. NANNI CONSTRUCTED A TOTAL 149 BOXES, IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING PAPER OR BINDING REPAIRS ON OTHER ITEMS. MR. MATTHEW PALMER, FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM THE PINE TREE FOUNDATION, CONTINUED HIS WORK ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LIBRARY DEPARTMENT. IN SEPTEMBER 2025, MS. BEATRICE SAMPEDRO LEE BEGAN WORK AS AN INTERN IN THE DEPARTMENT. DR. O'NEILL CONTINUED HIS CATALOGUING OF THE 1701-1830 PRINT MATERIAL, ADDING ANOTHER 845 ITEMS TO THE SHORT-TITLE (OFF-LINE) CATALOGUE, AND BEGAN WORK ON THE CATALOGUING OF THE CARMENA Y MILLN BULLFIGHTING COLLECTION, WITH 1,292 ITEMS DESCRIBED SO FAR. HE ALSO CONTINUED TO MANAGE THE LIBRARY'S COPYING AND REPRODUCTION SERVICE, SCANNING APPROXIMATELY 3,000 IMAGES WHICH BROUGHT IN A NET TOTAL OF $4,447. IN ADDITION TO ATTENDING TO READERS' REQUESTS, BOTH IN PERSON AND VIA E- MAIL, DR. O'NEILL GAVE A TOTAL OF 21 PRESENTATIONS TO GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS, BIBLIOPHILIC ENTITIES (E.G. TEFAF, ASSOCIACI DE BIBLIFILS [BARCELONA], GROLIER CLUB), OR COLLEGE GROUPS (E.G. BARNARD COLLEGE, QUEEN'S COLLEGE, FORDHAM UNIVERSITY, YESHIVA UNIVERSITY). DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, THE LIBRARY ACQUIRED 533 BOOKS AND PERIODICALS VALUED AT $14,402.09. 50 BOOKS AND 58 PERIODICALS, WERE PURCHASED, TOTALING $5,673.29. THE LIBRARY WAS ALSO GIFTED 357 BOOKS AND 68 PERIODICALS, VALUED AT $8,728.80. ONLINE CATALOG ADDITIONS COMPRISED OF 367 NEW HOLDINGS, INCLUDING 363 MODERN LIBRARY ITEMS AND 4 MANUSCRIPTS & RARE BOOKS ENTRIES. THE LIBRARY CONTINUED WELCOMING READERS THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY, FROM 12:00 TO 3:30 P.M. FROM OCTOBER 2024 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2025 (EXCLUDING THE MONTH OF AUGUST WHEN THE READING ROOM IS CLOSED), THE READING ROOM RECEIVED 260 READERS. MATERIALS CONSULTED INCLUDED 848 MANUSCRIPTS, 383 PRE-1830 BOOKS, 74 MODERN BOOKS, AND 8 REFERENCE VOLUMES. OF THE READERS FOR WHOM PLACE OF RESIDENCE IS KNOWN, 79 READERS CAME FROM NEW YORK AND 22 OTHER U.S. STATES, 55 FROM EUROPE, 10 FROM LATIN AMERICA AND 4 FROM OTHER REGIONS.CONSERVATION DEPARTMENTTHE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT IS COMPOSED OF CHIEF CONSERVATION OFFICER HELENE FONTOIRA MARZIN AND ASSISTANT OBJECTS CONSERVATOR MIRIAM-HELENE RUDD. THE DEPARTMENT IS FURTHER SUPPORTED BY IMLS FELLOW JORDAIN WILLIAMS, MUSEUM FELLOW ALEJANDRA PASQUEL, AND PART-TIME INTERN ALENA MIKHAILOVA, AS WELL AS FREELANCE OBJECTS CONSERVATORS URSULA KUGLER AND TERESA JIMNEZ MILLAS; FREELANCE TEXTILE CONSERVATORS GIULIA CHIOSTINI AND MARTINA FERRARI; AND CONSERVATOR EMERITA MONICA KATZ. THROUGHOUT THIS FISCAL YEAR, THE DEPARTMENT DEDICATED A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF ITS TIME TO THE PREPARATION AND INSTALLATION OF EXHIBITIONS BOTH WITHIN HSM&L AND IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER MUSEUMS AND INSTITUTIONS. MS. FONTOIRA TRAVELED NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY AS A MUSEUM COURIER AND FOR INSTALLATION AND DEINSTALLATION PROJECTS. SHE REMAINS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE ACQUISITIONS COMMITTEE AND HAS INITIATED DONOR CULTIVATION EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT, SECURING A DONATION OF $64,000. SHE CONTINUES TO LEAD MONTHLY CONSERVATION TOURS FOR MUSEUM STAFF AND SUPPORTERS, SHARING INSIGHTS INTO THE DEPARTMENT'S ONGOING TREATMENTS AND PROJECTS. MS. FONTOIRA PERFORMED AN INITIAL CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF 90 PAINTINGS FOR THE UPCOMING TRAVEL EXHIBITION AND 20 WORKS BY SOROLLA BEFORE TRAVELING TO SPAIN. THE CONSERVATION TEAM ALSO DEDICATED TIME TO TEACHING AND TRAINING NEW INTERNS AND FELLOWS AS PART OF THEIR ANNUAL PROGRAM AND VISITED OTHER INSTITUTIONS, FOSTERING RELATIONSHIPS WITH FELLOW CONSERVATORS. AS PART OF A THREE-YEAR IMLS GRANT, MS. FONTOIRA CONTINUED TO OVERSEE THE PROJECT TO REHOUSE ALL TEXTILES IN THE MUSEUM'S STORAGE FACILITY. DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR, JORDAIN WILLIAMS AND ALENA MIKHAILOVA PERFORMED 514 CONDITION REPORTS ON THE TEXTILE CATALOG, WHICH WERE REVISED AND REORGANIZED, AND 340 TEXTILE CONDITION REPORTS WERE COMPLETED AS PART OF THE ONGOING EFFORT T
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 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 September 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 May 1956.
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.