Philadelphia Mural Arts Advocates
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
MURAL ARTS - THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA MURAL ARTS PROGRAM UNITES ARTISTS AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS ROOTED IN THE TRADITIONS OF MURAL MAKING, TO CREATE ART THAT TRANSFORMS PUBLIC SPACES AND INDIVIDUAL LIVES.
- Income
- $17.0 million
- Spending
- $16.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 2.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 48%
- Employees
- 252
- Volunteers
- 300
- Highest pay
- $176,262, executive director
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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 22% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2529 of 29 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 (5)
- $8.4 million spent. PUBLIC ART & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT - FOR OVER 40 YEARS, MURAL ARTS HAS WORKED WITH COMMUNITIES TO CREATE A COLLECTION THAT HAS MADE PHILADELPHIA "THE MURAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD." WE SERVE GEOGRAPHIC AND AFFILIATED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA AND PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY 120 PUBLIC ART PROJECTS ANNUALLY. MURAL ARTS LEADS PROJECTS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE LOCAL NEEDS OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, WITH THE COMMON THREADS OF PRODUCING EXCEPTIONAL ARTWORK AND ARTISTS ENGAGED IN DEEPLY ROOTED COMMUNITY PRACTICES AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CHANGE. WE WORK CLOSELY WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE TO CHANNEL THEIR EXPERIENCES, IDENTITIES AND IDEAS INTO THE DIRECTION OF EACH PROJECT.
- $1.8 million spent. PORCH LIGHT - MURAL ARTS' PORCH LIGHT DEPARTMENT SITUATES ART AND HUMAN CONNECTION AT THE HEART OF RECOVERY, RESILIENCE, AND HEALING THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA. IN COLLABORATION WITH A CAREFULLY SELECTED COHORT OF PUBLIC HEALTH CLINICS AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, PORCH LIGHT EMPLOYS A DEEPLY COLLABORATIVE CREATIVE PROCESS, LED BY HIGHLY QUALIFIED ARTISTS, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE TANGIBLE SOCIAL BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES, AND ORGANIZATIONS. MURAL ARTS HAS COLLABORATED CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY SERVICES (DBHIDS) TO DESIGN PROGRAMS SINCE 2007. PORCH LIGHT ALSO LEADS COLOR ME BACK, MURAL ARTS' SAME-DAY WORK AND PAY PROGRAM, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2019 AND HAS REACHED OVER 1000 PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOUSING OR ECONOMIC INSECURITY.
- $1.6 million spent. RESTORATIVE JUSTICE - MURAL ARTS SERVES BETWEEN 50 AND 75 JUSTICE-IMPACTED INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY THROUGH THE GUILD, THE REC CREW, PRISON PROGRAMS AND OTHER RESTORATIVE JUSTICE THEMED PROJECTS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE GUILD AND REC CREW DEVELOP CAREER SKILLS THROUGH DAILY WORKSHOPS AND EXPOSURE TO CAREER/EDUCATION PATHWAYS. THE RJ PROGRAMS FURTHER PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS, AND NON-JUDGMENTAL SPACES WHERE RETURNING CITIZENS AND OTHER JUSTICE-IMPACTED PEOPLE CAN REIMAGINE THEMSELVES AS VALUABLE AND CAPABLE. WE USE A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH TO SUPPORT INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS, WHILE STRIVING TO RESTORE JUSTICE-IMPACTED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT PHILADELPHIA.
- $1.5 million spent. ART EDUCATION - MURAL ARTS' ART EDUCATION PROGRAM PROVIDES FREE ART EDUCATION AND INTEGRATION COURSES FOR OVER 2000 YOUTH (AGE 10-18) AT 15 PARTNER SITES AND OFFERS ART ACTIVITIES AT RECREATION CENTERS ACROSS PHILADELPHIA. IN MANY CASES, WE PROVIDE THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH THE ARTS. AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING TRACKS VARY BY TYPE AND DIFFICULTY, INCLUDING BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE MURALISM, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND A MURALISM TRACK TARGETING COURT-INVOLVED YOUTH. WE ALSO DELIVER A MULTI-YEAR IN-SCHOOL MODEL THAT PAIRS TEACHING ARTISTS WITH CORE SUBJECT TEACHERS, A MOBILE VAN (MURALS ON THE MOVE) THAT BRINGS ART AND CREATIVE PRACTICE TO RECREATION CENTERS, AND PAID SUMMER APPRENTICESHIPS FOR ALUMNI.
- $222,570 spent. TOURS PROGRAM - MURAL ARTS OFFERS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TOURS OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST OUTDOOR ART GALLERY, WHERE PEOPLE EXPLORE THE MURALS, ARTISTIC PROCESSES AND COMMUNITY HISTORIES THAT INSPIRE OUR WORK. PATRONS WEAVE THROUGH THE DIVERSE NEIGHBORHOODS OF PHILADELPHIA, GETTING GREAT VIEW OF THE CITY BY FOOT, BY VEHICLE, BY TRAIN, BY SEGWAY, OR VIRTUALLY. PATRONS CAN TAKE IN THE ICONIC IMAGERY THAT MAKES PHILADELPHIA THE MURAL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD AND LEARN ABOUT PHILADELPHIA'S BEAUTIFUL VISUAL HISTORY FROM PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDES.
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 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 June 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 September 1998.
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.
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