Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $4.3 million
- Spending
- $4.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 99%
- Reserves
- 3.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 81%
- Employees
- 24
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $303,948, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.8 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 37% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 14% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1599% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, 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 2524 of 24 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 June 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 (4)
- $3.9 million spent. BALBOA PARK EXPLORER PASSES - THE BALBOA PARK EXPLORER PROGRAM (EXPLORER) PROVIDES GENERAL ADMISSION TO 16 MUSEUMS IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT WITH A SUITE OF PASSES ONE DAY, SEVEN DAY, AND ANNUAL AS PART OF THE CULTURAL PARTNERSHIPS EFFORT TO BUILD A BETTER BALBOA PARK EXPERIENCE, OUR GOAL FOR EXPLORER IS TO BROADEN ACCESS TO THE CULTURAL DISTRICT MUSEUMS, MAKING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE A SMOOTHER, MORE INTERCONNECTED JOURNEY THROUGH OUR MANY DIVERSE ORGANIZATIONS. EXPLORER ALSO PROVIDES A NEW MARKETING OPPORTUNITY, AND A CHANCE TO BUILD A SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND PRIDE IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT AMONG OUR VISITORS. ADDITIONALLY, EXPLORER PROVIDES MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ORGANIZATIONS TO COLLABORATE PROGRAMMATICALLY.
- $443,755 spent. COMMUNITY AND MILITARY ACCESS PASSES BALBOA - BALBOA PARK EXPLORER GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ACCESS PASS (CAP) PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS, AND NOW ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY FAMILIES, TO EXPERIENCE THE CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL JOYS OF THE MUSEUMS IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. THE CAP PROGRAM PARTNERS WITH LOCAL NONPROFITS TO DISTRIBUTE SPONSORED ANNUAL EXPLORER PASSES TO HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS. ESTABLISHED IN 2017, THE MILITARY APPRECIATION PASS (MAP) PROGRAM PROVIDES THE SAME ANNUAL PASSES TO ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. SIXTEEN PARTICIPATING CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE SPONSORED ADMISSION TO PASS RECIPIENTS.
- $423,429 spent. PARKWIDE IDEA INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESSIBILITY - THE PARKWIDE IDEA INITIATIVES WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2018 AS MUSEUMS PRIORITIZED WORKING COLLABORATIVELY ON IMPROVING THE INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESSIBILITY OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICT ORGANIZATIONS. THESE INITIATIVES LED TO THE FORMATION OF THE PARKWIDE IDEA WORKING GROUP, WHICH INCLUDED REPRESENTATIVES FROM MEMBER VENUES. THE WORKING GROUP COLLABORATES ON GRANTS, PROJECTS AND PROVIDES PEER-TO-PEER SUPPORT TO FURTHER IDEA WORK WITHIN EACH REPRESENTATIVE'S ORGANIZATION. THE WORKING GROUP ALSO PROVIDES LEARNING AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARK TEAM MEMBERS SO THEY CAN GROW TOGETHER IN IDEA. IN ADDITION, THE CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP BOARD ESTABLISHED BOARD-LED IDEA EFFORTS IN 2020. THE IDEA TASK FORCE IS COMPOSED OF BOARD MEMBERS WHO HELP GUIDE THE WORKING GROUP AND ENSURE PARTNERS ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.
- $96,431 spent. TEAM MEMBER ENGAGEMENT - TEAM MEMBER ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM CONSISTS OF NETWORKING AND EVENTS, LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE LEARNING INSTITUTE, AND COMMUNICATIONS. NETWORKING AND EVENTS ALLOW BALBOA PARK CULTURAL DISTRICT TEAM MEMBERS TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND DRIVE COLLABORATION. OUR CORE EVENT, TRUSTEES CONNECTED, BRINGS TOGETHER OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS TRUSTEES AND STAKEHOLDERS TO CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE CULTURAL DISTRICT ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCATE FOR ARTS AND CULTURE. ESTABLISHED IN 2008, THE LEARNING INSTITUTE WAS FOUNDED AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ESTABLISH A LEARNING COMMUNITY FOR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS IN ARTS, SCIENCE, AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. THE LEARNING INSTITUTE EMPOWERS INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH SPECIALIZED CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING THE ANNUAL SMITH LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM (SYMPOSIUM) . THE SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES TRENDING AND RELEVANT TOPICS, INCLUDING LEADERSHIP, AUDIENCE EXPERIENCE, EVALUATION, EQUITY, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND SUSTAINABILITY. CULTURAL DISTRICT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE PRIMARY AUDIENCE; HOWEVER, MANY OFFERINGS ARE OPEN TO INDIVIDUALS FROM CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE BALBOA PARK CULTURAL DISTRICT. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, THE LEARNING INSTITUTE PARTNERS WITH RELATED LOCAL AND NATIONAL GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO LEVERAGE HIGH-QUALITY LEARNING RESOURCES. TEAM MEMBER ENGAGEMENT ALSO PROVIDES ON-GOING COMMUNICATION WITH THE PARK TEAM MEMBERS THROUGH NEWSLETTERS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND AFFINITY GROUPS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 2005.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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