Grinnell Area Arts Council
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of the Grinnell Area Arts Council is to enrich the community by supporting creative expression.
- Income
- $273,973
- Spending
- $364,443
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 10 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 57%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 100
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: 66 out of 100.
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 33% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 0% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Strong: 91 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 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.
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 (5)
- $76,475 spent. Stew Makerspace The Stew Makerspace, or "The Stew", is a program and facilitycreated to cultivate our local creative community. Located in a storefront spaceacross from the Arts Center in downtown Grinnell, the Stew hosts making spacesfor creative projects, educational classes and workshops in a variety of mediums.
- $61,238 spent. Community Theatre - Grinnell Community Theatre stages live theatrical plays and musicals. Community members get involved as cast and crew, and shows are marketed and performed for the public. Productions involve casts from as small as 5 people to as large as 100 people, and the shows performed range from classical or avant-garde works to popular musicals. Community Theatre invites people with all levels of acting or theatre experience to participate.
- $50,811 spent. Gallery & Events - The Grinnell Arts Gallery hosts a variety of art exhibitions of regional and local artists throughout the year. Artists vary from rising up-start artists to life-long artists. The venue is open to the public and showcased each month with a reception and artist talk.
- $38,827 spent. Education - The Grinnell Arts Academy provides quality after school, evening and weekend arts-related classes throughout the school year and during the summer. The arts academy programming creates a student-centered environment in which individual activities and group projects foster creative exploration through the arts, with emphasis placed on the creative process and experimentation. Directed by professional educators with the help of volunteers and college students.
- $6,863 spent. Turlach Ur Turlach Ur is a Scottish drum and pipe band with a roster of about 25 pipers and drummers. More than half of the band members are junior players ranging in age from 10 to 17. Together, the junior players comprise Turlach Ur's youth band, the Turlach Urchins. Turlach Ur is both a competition and concert band, performing concerts regularly both in Grinnell and beyond. The band is recognized widely for its unusually fun and innovative shows. Turlach Ur holds weekly practices and monthly group lessons at which all levels come together for instruction in small groups.
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 September 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 June 1980.
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.