Culturesource
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
CultureSource advances creative and cultural expression in Southeast Michigan.
- Income
- $9.5 million
- Spending
- $6.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 2.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 41
- Highest pay
- $223,690, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 36% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 204% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 2517 of 17 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 December 31, 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)
- $3.6 million spent. Grantmaking: Through Grantmaking and Fiscal Sponsorship initiatives, CultureSource collaborates with funding partners and artistic projects to thoughtfully and expediently provide resources to the creative people and cultural organizations that support our vision of seeing Southeast Michigan flourish.
- $1.1 million spent. Convening:CultureSources primary service is convening the cultural sector of Southeast Michigan. Our regular gatherings for shared learning, leadership development, and networking to bring people, organizations, and ideas together to build skills and collaboration toward realizing our vision and supporting adaptive change in our field.
- $466,554 spent. Changemaking: CultureSource supports arts and culture leaders and organizations in developing mindsets and strategies needed to navigate change, complexity, and uncertainty. In this area of our work, we facilitate learning labs, workshops on collaboration and innovation, and strategic reconsideration of pathways through experimentation and adaptive capacities skill-building.
- $128,632 spent. Research: CultureSource regularly engages in practices of research, knowledge generation, and insight sharing to grow the arts and culture sectors capacity for great work. These practices also allow us to make data-driven decisions regarding how to be of the best and hightest use to the leaders, artists, organizations, philanthropists and policymakers who rely on us.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 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.