Childrens Art Studio
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
The Children's Art Studio is founded on the belief that children will reap tremendous developmental, intellectual and emotional gains from making art, and that this opportunity should be made available to all. The Children's Art Studio offers professional workshops, classes and camps for children three years old and up.
- Income
- $158,586
- Spending
- $173,142
- Spent on programs
- 62%
- Reserves
- -0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 90%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 5
- Highest pay
- $130,000, chair
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 12 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 169% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 9% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 29% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1562% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 47 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 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 (1)
- $107,405 spent. The Childrens Art Studio, Washington DC, provides direct creative arts instruction to over 450 young students per week and professional development workshops for 60 teachers from 11 schools throughout the academic year. The organization is founded on the belief that young people reap tremendous emotional, developmental and intellectual gains from making art and that this opportunity should be made available to all. The Children's Art Studio has a strategic partnership with Educare, located in the Parkside neighborhood in Ward 7 and the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus in Ward 8. Our work with young children aims to eliminate the opportunity gap to access quality arts instruction for those experiencing poverty in Washington, DC. By creating the conditions to deeply engage in creating art, the program promotes growth across a wide range of domains, producing positive advancement for children's learning in the classroom and beyond. Our students experience the overall benefits of creativity, which brings a sense of calm, stability and joy.Our professional development workshops give teachers from every part of the city the opportunity to develop new skills and processes, and incorporate art making pedagogy into their overall lesson plans. Teachers receive individualized coaching to improve their capacity and fidelity. Teachers are encouraged to shift the social-emotional learning environment in their classrooms through engaging and structured art lessons, and to enhance student learning by using a rich variety of materials and methods.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 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 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 October 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 2008.
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.
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.