Art Start
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of ArtStart, founded in 1988, has remained constant over its 36-year history: to foster artistic creativity and illuminate the connections among people, ideas, and the environment. Our artists engage children, families, and communities in quality arts education experiences that investigate environmental and cultural themes and use recycled materials. We say we do our work at the intersection of where art, environmental stewardship, and culture come together which enables us to address diversity, equity, and accessibility issues as they relate to our paradigm.
- Income
- $506,808
- Spending
- $443,989
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -5.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 68%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $64,944, 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
Fair: 50 out of 100.
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 63% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 12% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 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
Good: 71 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 257 of 8 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.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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)
- $112,152 spent. : 1.) ArtStart's ArtScraps, providing low-cost, recycled materials to families, professional and young artists and organizations to further our message of environmental stewardship through the arts. ArtStart's ArtScraps Creative Materials and Ideas store: for the first 10 months, we were open to the public 3 days a week, Thurs-Sat. In June, we added Sundays, due to popular demand. We continued to make gains in revenue. Overall, revenue for the store was up almost 22% in FY25, from $94,162 in taxable income in FY24 to $121,340 in FY25.
- $170,126 spent. 2.) Adult and Youth Development that includes community workshops in libraries and with social service organizations, school residencies, our Studio A in-store classes, and summer cultural arts camps to further our message of respect for our environment and honoring the arts of diverse cultures while employing artists from those cultures. ArtStart continued to implement community workshops working with the entire seven-county Metro library system, Washington Co., ScottCo., Hennepin Co., Ramsey Co., Carver Co., Anoka Co., Dakota Co., and the Saint Paul Public Library, as well as the Great River Regional Library system and those in southern Minnesota. Workshops emphasized cultural in twelve Minnesota counties that were free to the public. arts and reuse art workshops. In FY25 we provided 124 library workshops. * ArtStart implemented eight school residencies through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board, plus twenty five additional residencies that were earned income. * It was a record summer for camp registrations. Our Passport to India Through the Arts and Teen Camp Create were filled with over 370 children ages 4 -17 years attending. In addition, for the second year we held our new Creative Writing Camp in June in Prospect Park, Minneapolis, and saw higher numbers than the previous year. ArtStart also provided client art camps to Sunny Hollow in July of 2024, and to St. Paul Urban Tennis's Artful Aces camp. * We added some new classes to our Studio A offerings for teens and adults, including Anishinaabe beading, painting on glass, and some artful and reuse programs like artful mending cigar jewelry boxes. Our popular poetry readings continued in the fall and spring, featuring both accomplished published Minnesota poets and young poets from Cristo Rey High School.
- $95,004 spent. 3. ArtStart Special Projects and Commissions provide emerging and experienced artists with income, training and support. This includes many program expenses that support the whole organization. * We provided artful reuse activities through a STAR grant at ten events in St Paul, including Irish Fair, Cinco de mayo, St Paul Pride, Twin Cities Jazz Fest and the Flint Hills Children's Festival at the Ordway Theater. We also served the greater Twin Cities area with thirteen additional workshops. * The board continued its fundraising initiatives holding a Fall and a Spring campaign through GiveMN. We saw an increase of more than 13% in our programming revenue overall.
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 September 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.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Start Corporation (Houma, LA), EIN 58-1687098. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.