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Passes our checks

1001 Colors

EIN 31-1665900 · Cincinnati, OH

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood84 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To create community driven public art and launch careers for youth and artists.

Income
$5.6 million
Spending
$3.7 million
Spent on programs
62%
Reserves
12.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 74%
Employees
118
Volunteers
48
Highest pay
$174,957, ce0 & artistic 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

Good: 84 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 22% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 35% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 1% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    62% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    25 of 25 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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 (3)
  1. $1.7 million spent. Apprenticeship Program: ArtWorks Apprentices are teen and young adult seasonal employees, who work side-by-side and learn from professional Artists and peers while creating public art and community impact projects. This program is for artists ages 14 - 21. Public Art Services & Community Engagement: ArtWorks facilitates public art commissions, calls-to-artists, and more, to create high quality art outcomes that the community can benefit from for decades. ArtWorks often invests in centering the vision of residents and neighborhood leaders. Community engagement comes in many forms, from attending Community Council meetings, getting design input from residents, activating public spaces with art-making activities, and more, always with the goal of creating artworks that are responsive to community histories and current needs. 386 employed professional, teen and young adult artists and arts administrators, and contracted creatives 203 teen and young adult participants (Apprentices, Studio Artists, Gallery Fellows) 47,502 hours of artistic mentorship 8,302 hours of professional development/career training 54 community partnerships 281 works of art created in communities and in the V2 gallery 38 large-scale murals and public art projects 11 neighborhoods directly invested in through public art 316 residents and visitors to the region who attended ArtWorks mural tours 24M residents and visitors who had the chance to experience ArtWorks murals
  2. $57,458 spent. Gallery Fellowship Program: The Gallery Fellowship Program is a transformative, free educational experience for aspiring young artists to learn methods for making, showing, and selling their artwork from Artists-in-Residence. Participants display their work in public exhibitions, with 90% of sales going directly to the artists themselves. This program is for artists ages 16 - 24.
  3. $503,260 spent. Creative Services Studio Program: The Creative Services Studio Program provides teen and young adults with consistent employment for an entire year. ArtWorks Studio programs offer an unmatched experience for emerging artists to gain a unique skill set in artistic production, administration, and project management related to the studio concentration. This program is for artists ages 18 - 24.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since November 1999.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.