San Jose Museum of Art Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O.
- Income
- $5.5 million
- Spending
- $5.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 4.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 74%
- Employees
- 72
- Volunteers
- 172
- Highest pay
- $263,728, executive director (thru 5/31/25)
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: 68 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 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 2523 of 23 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 (3)
- $2.7 million spent. EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMS:FOUNDED IN 1969 BY ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ON THE PLAZA DE CESAR CHAVEZ IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE, THE SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART (SJMA) IS THE PREMIER MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM IN SILICON VALLEY. ITS DYNAMIC PROGRAM, WHICH BALANCES SOCIALLY RELEVANT TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS WITH CRITICALLY ENGAGING SHOWS DRAWN FROM A COLLECTION OF 2,700+ WORKS, RESONATES WITH DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS OF SAN JOSE AND THE SILICON VALLEY FROM ITS RICH DIVERSITY TO ITS HALLMARK INNOVATIVE ETHOS. (SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION) SJMA'S COLLECTION PLAN PRIORITIZES COMMUNITY RELEVANCE AND PUBLIC ACCESS, AND PLACES PARTICULAR PRIORITY ON ACQUIRING WORKS THAT REFLECT THE CULTURAL HERITAGES AND LIVED EXPERIENCES OF THE COMMUNITY. SJMA'S COLLECTION, NOW ON VIEW IN TENDING AND DREAMING: STORIES FROM THE COLLECTION, THE MUSEUM'S DEDICATED COLLECTION GALLERIES, INCLUDES SEMINAL WORKS BY RUTH ASAWA, HUNG LIU, AND LOUISE NEVELSON, ALONGSIDE WORKS BY ARTISTS INCLUDING RAFA ESPARZA, RAYMOND SAUNDERS AND CHRISTINE SUN KIM, AMONG OTHERS. ROTATING EXHIBITIONS TOUCH ON TIMELY TOPICS FROM MIGRATION AND IDENTITY TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND INCLUDE SIGNIFICANT ORIGINAL AND TOURING PROJECTS BY BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED ARTISTS AND EMERGING AND UNDER-RECOGNIZED PRACTITIONERS. THE MUSEUM WORKS TO ELIMINATE BARRIERS TO ACCESS BY OFFERING WEEKEND AND EVENING HOURS, OFFERING FREE ADMISSION TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, AND PROVIDING EXHIBITION DIDACTICS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND VIETNAMESE - THE THREE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES OF SAN JOSE. IN NOVEMBER 2023, SJMA WAS AWARDED REACCREDITATION BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS. SJMA'S FY25 EXHIBITION PROGRAM ADVANCED A COMMITMENT TO WOMEN ARTISTS, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND TO SHOWCASING SJMA'S PERMANENT COLLECTION. THE OPENING OF TENDING AND DREAMING: STORIES FROM THE COLLECTION (ONGOING) MARKED THE HISTORIC LAUNCH OF SJMA'S DEDICATED COLLECTION GALLERIES; CALDER: AT HOME, AMONG FRIENDS (09/06/24-08/03/25), ALSO DRAWING ON FROM THE COLLECTION, CELEBRATED THE WORK OF ALEXANDER CALDER THROUGH HIS INTIMATE OBJECTS AND GESTURES, WHICH HE PROLIFICALLY PRODUCED AND GIFTED TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE EXHIBITION WAS PRESENTED CONCURRENTLY WITH STILL IN MOTION, A FOCUSED SHOW FEATURING THE WORK OF SEVERAL CALDER PRIZE AWARDEES THAT HONORS THE ARTIST'S LEGACY AS IT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE ARTISTIC PRACTICE TODAY. SEEING THROUGH STONE (04/26/24-01/05/25), A MAJOR MULTI-SITED EXHIBITION CO-ORGANIZED WITH INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ BROUGHT TOGETHER ARTWORK BY CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE WHOSE WORK PROVIDES A VISION OF ABOLITION IN PRACTICE. IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY AN AMBITIOUS EXHIBITION CATALOG CO-PUBLISHED BY THE SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART AND THE INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES AT UC SANTA CRUZ. SJMA ALSO FEATURED THE FIRST WEST COAST EXHIBITION BY BROOKLYN ARTIST KAMBUI OLUJIMI IN NORTH STAR (11/01/24-06/01/25) AND PRESENTED THE EIGHTH ITERATION OF ITS EXPERIMENTAL COMMISSION SERIES "BETA SPACE" WITH PATTY CHANG AND DAVID KELLEY (11/01/24-06/01/25). SJMA OFFERS A RANGE OF LECTURES AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS FOR ADULT AUDIENCES TO INSPIRE LIFELONG LEARNING, FROM ARTIST TALKS AND GALLERY TOURS TO ARTMAKING WORKSHOPS. THE MUSEUM'S POPULAR FIRST FRIDAY PROGRAM OFFERS FREE ADMISSION, OPEN GALLERIES, AND LIVE PERFORMANCES, OFTEN FEATURING LOCAL PERFORMING ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. SJMA'S ANNUAL SUMMER SERIES, CITYDANCE SAN JOSE, IS OFFERED ON THE THIRD THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH FROM JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SAN JOSE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS. THESE PROGRAMS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN ADVANCING THE MUSEUM'S CORE COMMITMENT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE VIBRANCY OF DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. THE SCOPE OF SJMA'S COLLECTION AND THE NATURE OF EXHIBITIONS DRAWN FROM THE COLLECTION ARE DESCRIBED IN SCHEDULE D PART III, LINE 4. NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVED IN FY25: 71,243
- $1.3 million spent. EDUCATION:SJMA'S EXTENSIVE ON AND OFF-SITE EDUCATION PROGRAMS FILL MULTIPLE GAPS IN LOCAL K-12 ARTS EDUCATION. ON-SITE AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE A ROBUST MUSEUM FIELD TRIP PROGRAM; FAMILY PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING TWO FREE COMMUNITY DAYS AND A POPULAR KIDS SUMMER ART CAMP INSPIRED BY EXHIBITIONS ON VIEW. ONE-WEEK SUMMER CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS ARE OFFERED TO AT-RISK CHILDREN AND YOUTH BASED IN SAN JOSE SCHOOLS. (SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATION) EXTENSIVE OFF-SITE PROGRAMS INCLUDE HOUR-LONG DOCENT PRESENTATIONS ON ARTS APPRECIATION, AND MULTI-WEEK HANDS-ON ART MAKING CLASSES DEVELOPED AND DELIVERED BY TRAINED SJMA TEACHING ARTISTS. OVER 20,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN SJMA'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN FY25. THE MUSEUM'S CLASSROOM RESIDENCY PROGRAM SOWING CREATIVITY, WHICH BRINGS TRAINED TEACHING ARTISTS TO AREA CLASSROOMS FOR MULTI-WEEK RESIDENCIES, SERVED 1,820 STUDENTS. OVER 4,000 STUDENTS WERE SERVED THROUGH K-12 AND COLLEGE TOURS. SJMA'S FREE, CLASSROOM-BASED LET'S LOOK AT ART PROGRAM SERVED OVER 17,000 STUDENTS. ALL OF SJMA'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED FOR FREE TO STUDENTS BASED IN TITLE I SCHOOLS. ALL STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN SJMA'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS RECEIVE FAMILY PASSES THAT GRANT FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION FOR UP TO 8 INDIVIDUALS. OVER 1,700 VISITORS ACCESSED SJMA WITH FAMILY PASSES DURING FY25. NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED: 23,935
- $165,351 spent. MUSEUM STORE:THE MUSEUM STORE IS LOCATED OFF THE MAIN LOBBY OF SJMA AND ONLINE AT HTTPS://SJMA-ONLINE-STORE.MYSHOPIFY.COM/. THIS ACTIVE GIFT SHOP CARRIES MISSION-RELATED PRODUCTS THAT ARE EDUCATIONAL, FOSTER CREATIVITY, AND ENCOURAGE DEEPER KNOWLEDGE OF ART AND CULTURE. THE MUSEUM STORE ALSO FEATURES CUSTOM PRODUCTS BY AREA ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMEN AS WELL AS MERCHANDISE RELEVANT TO EACH CURRENT SEASON OF EXHIBITIONS. THE STORE IS STAFFED BY MUSEUM EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS AN ACTIVE CONTINGENT OF LONGTIME VOLUNTEERS.
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 April 1970.
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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