City Ballet Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of City Ballet is to provide excellence in professional ballet for cultural enhancement through performances, education and outreach programs to diverse communities and audiences.
- Income
- $1.3 million
- Spending
- $1.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 0.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 47%
- Employees
- 26
- Volunteers
- 76
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
Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 11% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.1 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 97% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 11% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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
Fair: 68 out of 100. Higher than 17% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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.
Independent check of accounts
0 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 (2)
- $1.1 million spent. City Ballet, under the artistic direction of Steven Wistrich, presented a season of five productions performed in theaters in the San Diego area. Productions included A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM by Resident Choreographer Elizabeth Wistrich and a premiere work by Resident Choreographer Geoffrey Gonzalez titled Summer Wind; a production of DRACULA, a premiere by Geoffrey Gonzalez, plus the San Diego premiere of Ecliptic by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Emeralds from Jewels by George Balanchine; THE NUTCRACKER by resident choreographer Elizabeth Wistrich accompanied by the City Ballet Orchestra; a production of SWAN LAKE, ACT II by Lev Ivanov and the premiere of The Seasons by Elizabeth Wistrich to a score by Alexksander Glazunov; the spring production closed the season with CARMEN by Elizabeth Wistrich and Divertimento No. 15 by George Balanchine accompanied by the City Ballet Orchestra for a total audience of 10,543 patrons.
- $211,007 spent. During the Season, City Ballet continued to offer the following education and outreach programs: Ballet Goes to School program with special performances of ADVENTURES IN COLOR and THE NUTCRACKER for school children during school hours as field trips to the theaters; Discover a Dancer program which is a residency of ballet classes free of charge for at risk school children in Title I schools culminating in a presentation for family members and friends; Summer Intensive program, a three-week intensive for career-minded ballet students, that included principal dancers with New York City Ballet as guest teachers and culminated in a free performance; and Outreach presentations called "A Book and a Ballerina' incorporating literature and ballet at all 37 libraries in San Diego, plus two Family Ballet productions of CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS and CINDERELLA at area theaters to introduce families and young children to the ballet. These programs reached over 3,000 in the San Diego area.
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 April 1994.
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.