New City Arts Initiative
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
WE ENVISION THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA AS A PLACE WHERE A THRIVING GROUP OF LOCAL ARTISTS UNSETTLES AND TRANSFORMS OUR COMMUNITY TO WORK TOWARD A MORE JUST, BEAUTIFUL FUTURE.
- Income
- $364,446
- Spending
- $336,631
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 5.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 35
- Highest pay
- $83,276, 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: 85 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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: 91 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
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.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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)
- $204,945 spent. VOCATION: WE ARE COMMITTED TO HELPING MAKE CHARLOTTESVILLE A PLACE WHERE ARTISTS CAN LIVE AND WORK. IN RESPONSE TO ARTISTS' NEEDS, WE OFFER FREE STUDIO SPACE, A LOW-COMMISSION GALLERY, ARTIST GRANTS, AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES. FROM JULY 1, 2024 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2025, NEW CITY ARTS SUPPORTED 150 CHARLOTTESVILLE-AREA ARTISTS AND 7,555 TOTAL ARTS PARTICIPANTS WHO ENGAGED WITH THIS WORK. DURING THIS TIMEFRAME, $90,061 WAS DISTRIBUTED TO CHARLOTTESVILLE-AREA ARTISTS THROUGH COMMISSIONS, HONORARIUMS, STIPENDS, AND SALES, ALONGSIDE ARTWORK ACQUISITIONS OR COMMISSIONS BY LOCAL FACILITIES WHO PARTNERED WITH NEW CITY ARTS TO BUILD THEIR PERMANENT COLLECTION, CREATE ROTATING EXHIBITIONS, OR LAUNCHED OPEN CALLS TO COMMISSION ARTISTS FOR NEW WORKS.NEW CITY ARTS' PROGRAMS ARE PRIMARILY PROJECT-BASED AND SUPPORT EMERGING ARTISTS IN THE CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA (CHARLOTTESVILLE, ALBEMARLE, GREENE, NELSON, LOUISA, FLUVANNA, ORANGE, BUCKINGHAM) WHO ARE OFTEN CREATING INSTALLATIONS, DURATIONAL WORKS, OR EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS. ANNUALLY, MORE THAN 50% OF THE ARTISTS NEW CITY ARTS SERVES ARE ARTISTS OF COLOR AND INCLUDE AGING ARTISTS, TEENAGE ARTISTS, DIFFERENTLY ABLED ARTISTS, AND QUEER ARTISTS. WE SUPPORT THEIR WORK THROUGH A COMMUNITY-BASED CURATORIAL PROCESS AND A PORTFOLIO OF PHYSICAL SPACES AND FUNDING INCLUDING AN EXHIBITION SPACE, FREE STUDIO SPACE, FELLOWSHIPS, AND GRANTS.FOR EACH EXHIBITING ARTIST, NEW CITY ARTS PROVIDED INSTALLATION SUPPORT, EXHIBITION STIPENDS, TEACHING ARTIST HONORARIUMS, AND PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY WHICH CAN BE FOUND AT NEWCITYARTS.ORG. THE NEW CITY ARTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM PROVIDED 5 MONTHS OF FREE STUDIO SPACE AND PROJECT STIPENDS FOR 2 ARTISTS. THROUGH THE NEW CITY ARTS FELLOWSHIP, NEW CITY ARTS RENTED STUDIO SPACE AND PROVIDED A PROJECT STIPEND FOR 4 ARTISTS WHOSE WORK CULMINATED IN A GROUP SHOW AT WELCOME GALLERY.UNIQUE TO NEW CITY ARTS IS A MISSIONAL COMMITMENT TO MAKE CHARLOTTESVILLE A PLACE WHERE ARTISTS CAN LIVE AND WORK, WHICH REQUIRES A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMMING APPROACH TO SUPPORT ARTISTS BEYOND OUR GALLERY WALLS WITH FUNDING AND STUDIO SPACE. NEW CITY ARTS STRONGLY CONSIDERS BOTH THE FORM (WHAT IS PRODUCED) AND THE PROCESS BY WHICH WORK IS CREATED (BY WHOM, FOR WHOM, AND HOW) IN ORDER TO ADDRESS UNJUST SYSTEMS OF POWER HISTORICALLY UPHELD BY ART SPACES AND SUPPORT CURATORIAL POWER BY ARTISTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. IN 2024, THE ORGANIZATION ADOPTED A 2026-2029 STRATEGIC PLAN CO-CREATED BY CHARLOTTESVILLE-AREA ARTISTS AND ARTS AUDIENCES.
- $41,704 spent. COMMUNITY: NEW CITY ARTS WORKS TOGETHER WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO SPARK CONNECTION AND BOLSTER PEOPLE-CENTERED, CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES. WE MAINTAIN A FLEXIBLE, RESPONSIVE APPROACH TO PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. 100% OF COMMUNITY ARTS PROGRAMS, EVENTS, AND OPEN CALLS ARE FREE OR LOW-COST.NEW CITY ARTS CELEBRATED ITS 11TH YEAR OF CHARLOTTESVILLE SOUP, A COMMUNITY-DECIDED AND COMMUNITY-BUILDING GRANT-MAKING PROCESS THAT FUNDS ARTISTS DIRECTLY THROUGH A COMMUNITY MEAL. THIS 100-PERSON, LOW-COST DINNER PROVIDES RESIDENTS WITH THE POWER TO FUND LOCAL ARTISTS' PROJECTS BY POOLING DONATIONS AND TICKET SALES TO CREATE A GRANT AWARDED TO AN ARTIST BY VOTE. IN FEBRUARY, NEW CITY ARTS CROSSED THE $50,000 THRESHOLD IN PROJECT FUNDING AWARDED TO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS SINCE CHARLOTTESVILLE SOUP'S FOUNDING IN 2013.
- $50,598 spent. EDUCATION: BY HOSTING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES - SUCH AS ARTIST TALKS, WORKSHOPS, AND INTERVIEWS WHERE LOCAL ARTISTS SHARE ABOUT THEIR PRACTICE, EXPERIENCE, AND CRAFT - WE FOSTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING AND ARTISTIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. FROM JULY 1, 2024-JUNE 30, 2025, NEW CITY ARTS HOSTED 59 EVENTS LIKE SKILLSHARING WORKSHOPS, CRAFT NIGHTS, ARTIST TALKS, ARTWORK EXCHANGES, ARTIST DINNERS, CO-WORKING DAYS, GALLERY LUNCHES, MENDING CIRCLES, AND MORE.
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 July 2010.
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.