Augusta Westobou Festival Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WESTOBOU FOSTERS A VIBRANT, CULTURALLY-RICH COMMUNITY BY SUPPORTING ARTISTS AND THEIR IDEAS TO PRESENT ENGAGING, CREATIVE AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING ARTISTIC EXPERIENCES.
- Income
- $174,503
- Spending
- $257,503
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 10 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 78%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 14
- Highest pay
- $62,495, 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
Fair: 63 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 48% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 49% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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 92% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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.
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 (1)
- $215,562 spent. WESTOBOU GALLERYDESIGNED AS A CONTEMPORARY VENUE FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF EXHIBITIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WESTOBOU GALLERY OFFERS CURATED EXHIBITIONS BY NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL ARTISTS WITH A FOCUS ON EMERGING AND MID-CAREER CONTEMPORARY AND EXPERIMENTAL ARTISTS. WESTOBOU GALLERY OPENED IN MAY 2015. SINCE THEN, THE GALLERY HAS PRESENTED VARIOUS EXHIBITIONS THAT INCLUDED WORK BY A MULTITUDE OF ARTISTS. ANNUALLY, WESTOBOU PRESENTS 5-6 EXHIBITIONS INCLUDING CURATED SHOWS, A LOCAL ARTIST FEATURE, STUDENT SHOW, AND A JURIED SMALL WORKS SHOW. EXHIBITIONS ARE TYPICALLY OPEN FOR 6-8 WEEKS AND INCLUDE SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE ARTIST TALKS, GALLERY TOURS, AND WINE AND CHEESE RECEPTIONS.PROJECT COMMISSIONSWESTOBOU SUPPORTS CREATIVE, CULTURAL, CONTEMPORARY AND EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO MURALS, INSTALLATIONS, SMALL CONCERTS, SHORT FILMS, WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, POP-UP EXHIBITIONS, SPOKEN WORD AND FOOD EVENTS.INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND ORGANIZATIONS ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS FOR ONE OR MORE PROJECTS. THOSE CHOSEN ARE COMMISSIONED UP TO $5,000 TO IMPLEMENT THEIR PROJECT.WESTOBOU ARTIST IN RESIDENCEWESTOBOU AIMS TO INSPIRE CREATIVITY IN ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT. THIS INSPIRED US TO CREATE A YEAR-LONG ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS AND CREATIVES IN THE AUGUSTA AREA.THE WESTOBOU ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM AWARDS FREE STUDIO SPACE TO AN EMERGING OR MID-CAREER AUGUSTA-BASED VISUAL ARTIST FOR ONE YEAR AT THE GERTRUDE HERBERT INSTITUTE OF ART (GHIA). THE PROGRAM PROVIDES A STIPEND FOR RESEARCH, TOOLS AND SUPPLIES TO BUILD A BODY OF WORK FOR AN EXHIBITION AT WESTOBOU GALLERY. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GHIA, THE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE TEACHES A YEAR-LONG WORKSHOP SERIES TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
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 November 6, 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 February 2009.
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 November 4, 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.