Racine Arts Council Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
FOUNDED IN 1967, THE RACINE ARS COUNCIL ENCOURAGES, SUPPORTS AND ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED ARTISTS, ARTISTIC GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND YOUNG PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THE ARTS.
- Income
- $54,807
- Spending
- $52,648
- Reserves
- 8.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 39%
- Highest pay
- $17,755, executive dir.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
This organization files the short tax form, which does not ask about boards, policies or audits. That is normal for a small charity and is not a mark against it.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 (4)
- $11,300 spent. ARTROOT WALL POEMS PROJECT. THE RACINE ARTS COUNCIL IS THE FISCAL RECEIVER FOR THE ARTROOT WALL POEMS PROJECT. THE WALL POEMS OF RACINE IS AN ARTROOT PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-PARKSIDE AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE PROJECT CELEBRATES LOCAL LITERARY TALENT BY PAIRING AN EXCERPT FROM A POEM WRITTEN BY A RACINE POET WITH A DESIGN CREATED BY A STUDENT FROM CAREY WATTERS ADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGN CLASS AT UW-PARKSIDE. EACH YEAR, A POETRY SELECTION COMMITTEE OF LOCAL WRITERS SELECTS SEVERAL POETRY EXCERPTS FROM RACINE POETS AND PROVIDES THEM TO THE UW-PARKSIDE GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDENTS. EACH STUDENT CHOOSES AN EXCERPT TO INCORPORATE INTO A DESIGN. STUDENTS VISIT THE POTENTIAL WALL POEM SITES TO MEET THE BUSINESS OWNERS, INTERVIEW THEM ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS AND ASK HOW THE DESIGN CAN HELP SUPPORT THEIR COMMUNITY. STUDENTS PRESENT THEIR INITIAL DESIGNS TO A DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDES THE BUILDING OWNERS AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES, AND THE COMMITTEE PROVIDES FEEDBACK TO THE STUDENTS. STUDENTS MODIFY THEIR DESIGNS BASED ON THE FEEDBACK AND PRESENT THEM A SECOND TIME TO THE COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE CHOOSES ONE OR TWO FINAL DESIGNS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF WALLS AVAILABLE THAT YEAR. THE PROJECT IS INSPIRED BY THE WALL POEMS OF CHARLOTTE IN NORTH CAROLINA. UNLIKE THE CHARLOTTE VERSION, RACINE'S PROJECT FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON OUR RICH AND DIVERSE LOCAL COMMUNITY OF POETS. THE MURALS COMBINE BOTH VISUAL AND LITERARY ART, MUCH LIKE A POETRY BROADSIDE, IN AUTUMN 2021, ART ROOT COLLABORATED WITH THE RACINE PUBLIC LIBRARY TO PRODUCE THE FIRST INDOOR WALL POEM WALT POEM 3. THIS PILOT PROJECT FOLLOWED A SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT PROCESS, WITH A LOCAL ARTIST SELECTED TO DESIGN AND PAINT THE WALL POEM.
- $10,000 spent. ARTSEED PROGRAM - THE PURPOSE OF THE ARTSEED GRANT PROGRAM IS TO ENCOURAGE AND ENHANCE THE ARTS IN THE RACINE AREA AND TO FOSTER EXCITEMENT, SUPPORT AND GROWTH IN THE ARTS COMMUNITY. THE RAC SEEKS PROJECTS THAT ENCOURAGE NEW, INNOVATIVE OR EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS BASED IN THE ARTS.
- $3,841 spent. POETRY MOVEMENT - THE RACINE ARTS COUNCIL IS THE FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE POETRY MOVEMENT PROGRAM. THE POETRY MOVEMEMENT HELPS MOVE THE SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN CREATIVE WRITING COMMUNITY FORWARD BY HOSTING AN OPEN MIC PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE AT THE TRANSIT CENTER, COORDINATING A BUS POEMS PROJECT TO OUTFIT PUBLIC TRANSIT WITH COMMUNITY MEMBER'S POEMS, AND MAINTAINING A LIST OF OPEN MICS IN RACINE AND KENOSHA COUNTIES AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
- $1,199 spent. LONELY INSTRUMENTS NEED KIDS (LINK) - LINK is a program designed to give elementary, middle school, and high school students an opportunity to participate in school band and orchestra programs and other community musical youth organizations. Donated instruments and cases are given to children who are financially unable to purchase or rent an instrument of their own.
Source: Form 990EZ 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1967.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.