Portland Child Art Studio
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Art Education. The Portland Child Art Studio is dedicated to supporting the perceptual development of children through artistic learning. PCAS is also committed to providing equitable access to quality arts education.
- Income
- $132,960
- Spending
- $127,697
- Reserves
- 7.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 68%
- Highest pay
- $39,301, key employee,director of programs and operations
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 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 December 31, 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 (1)
- $115,272 spent. The Portland Child Art Studio (PCAS) Educational Program supports the perceptual development of children ages 3-14 through artistic learning. Our educational program is also committed to increasing equitable access to quality arts education by providing full scholarships to underserved families. 2025 was our fourteenth consecutive year of operation, offering classes for preschool, after-school, and homeschooled children as well as focused art clubs, free art workshops, and art-based group events. PCAS classes offer children the opportunity to experience an immersive art environment, learning about and working with a wide range of mediums including illustration, painting, plaster, ceramics, paper-mache, recycled sculpture, printmaking, and more. PCAS is a process-based child art studio focused upon the unique experience of making art for each individual child and using pedagogical research inspired by the work of Rhoda Kellogg. In 2021, PCAS relocated to a new studio space at the base of a low-income housing building in downtown/NW Portland, known as the Vibrant building. This move positioned PCAS to make a real impact in increasing equitable access to quality art education and enrichment. Since our inception in 2012, PCAS has provided 39,141 art experiences and 256 full scholarships, as well as countless partial scholarships through sliding scale options. In 2025 alone, PCAS provided 18 full scholarships and 3,282 art experiences to kids through classes, workshops, and group events. This number includes the 450 free art class experiences provided to kids specifically from the Vibrant building in which we are located, a low-income housing building that provides housing for families experiencing homelessness. PCAS has worked continuously in collaboration with Vibrant staff to establish a permanent and expansive art program for kids living in the Vibrant and the surrounding low-income housing buildings. PCAS also celebrates children's art in our community by maintaining an exhibition gallery window, visible from the street to all passerby and regularly features specific pieces made by children in the neighborhood.
Source: Form 990EZ for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 January 2013.
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.