Houston Cinema Arts Society
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY (HCAS) CELEBRATES THE VITALITY OF HOUSTON BY CONNECTING AUDIENCES AND ARTISTS WITH PUBLIC, EDUCATIONAL, AND CAREER-ADVANCING FILM AND ARTS PROGRAMMING. HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY ENVISIONS A FUTURE WHERE FILMMAKING, PRODUCTION, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING THRIVE AND GROW, IN STEP WITH THE CITY'S EVER-EVOLVING FINE ARTS AND MEDIA SECTOR. BY FOSTERING GLOBAL FILMMAKERS AND PROMOTING LOCAL FILM, TELEVISION, AND MEDIA PRODUCTION, HCAS HELPS REALIZE AND CELEBRATE OUR CITY'S DIVERSE CREATIVE ECONOMY.
- Income
- $274,179
- Spending
- $395,083
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- 4.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 45%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $92,943, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 51 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 22% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 44% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 48% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 95% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 19 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, 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 (2)
- $246,499 spent. HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL - THE HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL, WHICH TAKES PLACE ANNUALLY IN NOVEMBER, IS THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL AND INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS MULTI-VENUE FESTIVAL INCLUDES NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTARY, AND EXPERIMENTAL FILMS; INNOVATIVE VIDEO AND MEDIA INSTALLATIONS; LIVE PERFORMANCES; PANEL DISCUSSIONS; NETWORKING EVENTS; AND WORKSHOPS FOR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS, ALL TO AMPLIFY HOUSTON'S CREATIVE ECONOMY. HCAF SERVES AUDIENCES ACROSS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ATTRACTING ATTENDEES OF ALL AGES AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS: 15% HISPANIC, 15% BLACK, 15% ASIAN AMERICAN. THE HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS FESTIVAL ENGAGES WITH OVER 100 ARTISTS AND ATTRACTS APPROXIMATELY 5,000 ATTENDEES ANNUALLY.
- $104,491 spent. YEAR ROUND PROGRAMMING - THE HOUSTON CINEMA ARTS SOCIETY AIMS TO BE A CENTRAL HUB FOR FILMMAKERS AND FILM LOVERS, FOSTERING A SUSTAINABLE FILM INDUSTRY THAT BENEFITS HOUSTON BOTH ARTISTICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY. WE OFFER SCREENING SERIES THAT HIGHLIGHT HOUSTON CULTURE, GLOBAL ISSUES, AND THE INTEGRATION OF OTHER ART FORMS, WHILE AMPLIFYING LOCAL FILMMAKERS' VOICES. THIS INCLUDES THE HOUSTON FILMMAKER SHOWCASE, ADMIT ONE ANALOG FILM, AND CINESPACE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA. WE ALSO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH THE ANNUAL HOUSTON MEDIA CONFERENCE, A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT FOR LOCALS TO TAKE CLASSES, NETWORK, AND LEARN ABOUT HOUSTON'S MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 December 2024.
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 March 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 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.