Ashley Bryan Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE ORGANIZATION IS ORGANIZED EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHARITABLE AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES INCLUDING PROVIDING A VENUE FOR EXHIBITS OF ART AND ARTISTIC COLLECTIONS; SPONSORING SEMINARS, LECTURES AND GATHERINGS THAT ENCOURAGE AND PROMOTE THE CREATIVE ARTS; AND PROVIDING AN EDUCATIONAL SETTING TO DESCRIBE AND CELEBRATE THE LIFE AND CREATIVITY OF ASHLEY BRYAN.
- Income
- $107,741
- Spending
- $105,867
- Spent on programs
- 54%
- Reserves
- 14.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 66%
- Employees
- 9
- Volunteers
- 9
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 62% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1554% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 83% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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)
- $57,240 spent. FISCAL YEAR 2024 CONTINUED TO BE PRODUCTIVE FOR THE ASHLEY BRYAN CENTER. THE EXHIBITION FOCUSING ON BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD CONTINUED AT THE MAINE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND THEATER. WE LEARNED FROM THE ERIC CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART THAT WORK BY ASHLEY IS THE SECOND MOST REQUESTED AFTER ERIC CARLE, AND HIS ART WAS INCLUDED IN TWO EXHIBITIONS THERE. THERE WERE NO OTHER EXHIBITIONS THAT WE KNOW OF THAT INCLUDED ASHLEY'S WORK. THE CENTER HONORED ITS COMMITMENT TO EMPTYING THE CONTENTS OF ASHLEY'S HOUSE. THE TOYS AND OTHER ITEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY HIS NIECE VANESSA ROBINSON FOR DISPERSAL, AND THE REMAINING ART WAS RELOCATED TO THE NOW SECURE SPACE ADJACENT TO THE STORYTELLER PAVILION. IN JULY, SAMUEL JAMES DELIVERED THE ASHLEY BRYAN HONORARY LECTURE AT THE JESUP MEMORIAL LIBRARY IN BAR HARBOR, MAINE. THE SUBJECT WAS "STORYTELLING, AUTHENTICITY AND RACE IN AMERICA." IN DECEMBER, THE BOSTON POPS AUGMENTED THEIR HOLIDAY PROGRAM - THE GOOD NEWS VOYAGE - WITH THE CENTERPIECE OF THAT YEAR'S PROGRAM COMPRISING A NEW WORK, PERFORMED BY THE TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL CHORUS, BY LOCAL COMPOSER DAVID COLEMAN, BASED ON ASHLEY BRYAN'S BOOK CAROL OF THE BROWN KING, FEATURING THE POEMS OF LANGSTON HUGHES AND PROJECTION OF BRYAN'S WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS. THE CENTER DONATED FOUR LINOCUTS FROM HIS SPIRITUAL BOOKS TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND NICK CLARK DONATED TWO FROM HIS PERSONAL COLLECTION TOTHE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON. THIS CONSTITUTED AN IMPORTANT STEP IN PLACING ASHLEY'S WORK IN MAJOR MUSEUMS. THERE WERE CONTINUED ONGOING REQUESTS TO REPRODUCE ASHLEY'S WORK IN MAGAZINES RANGING FROM GENERAL INTEREST PERIODICALS TO MORE SPECIALIZED PUBLICATIONS. AS WELL, NUMEROUS SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES AROUND THE COUNTRY REQUESTED THE USE OF IMAGES OF ASHLEY'S WORKS IN PUBLIC PROGRAMS. THE CENTER COOPERATED FULLY TO ACCOMMODATE THESE VARIOUS REQUESTS AS WELL AS OTHER INQUIRIES DRIVEN BY AWARENESS OF THE CENTER THROUGH THE WEBSITE. THE STORYTELLER PAVILION CONTINUED TO ENGAGE VISITORS, WITH DOCENTS ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE, THE PAVILION WELCOMED OVER 1,300 VISITORS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. THE PAVILION REDUCED ITS HOURS FROM 42 HOURS 10 -4 SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AFTER LABOR DAY TO 20 HOURS 11-3 FIVE DAYS A WEEK, AND AFTER COLUMBUS DAY, IT WAS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT. THE EXPANDED PAVILION OPENED ON JULY 1, 2024. WE HAD 4 EVENTS AT THE PAVILION IN SUMMER OF 2024- ALL FOUR OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. FOLLOWING THE OVER-ARCHING THEME OF "MUSIC- AND HOSTED BY THOM HEYER, ISLESFORD SUMMER RESIDENT AND A BOARD MEMBER WITH A DEEP CONNECTION TO ASHLEY BRYAN, THE ABC HELD 3 PRESENTATIONS BY AARON GREEN( A CLASSICAL GUITARIST AND SPANISH GUITAR MAKER), NATE SHAW ( A COMPOSER, MUSICIAN, AND TEACHER), AND CHRISTINA SPURLING AND ERIC THOMAS (A PIANIST AND CLARINETIST, RESPECTIVELY). FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATIONS, A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD INVITED AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. FURTHER, WE HOSTED A 4TH EVENT, MODERATED BY RICK BENJAMIN, WHERE KAREN DOLAN READ FROM HER MANUSCRIPT ON RAISING A TRANSGENDER CHILD. A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD INVITED AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION. ALL THE EVENTS WERE EXTREMELY WELL ATTENDED WITH SEATING TO CAPACITY. FISCAL YEAR 2024 CONTINUED TO BE PRODUCTIVE FOR THE ASHLEY BRYAN CENTER. THE EXHIBITION FOCUSING ON BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD CONTINUED AT THE MAINE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM AND THEATER. WE LEARNED FROM THE ERIC CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART THAT WORK BY ASHLEY IS THE SECOND MOST REQUESTED AFTER ERIC CARLE, AND HIS ART WAS INCLUDED IN TWO EXHIBITIONS THERE. THERE WERE NO OTHER EXHIBITIONS THAT WE KNOW OF THAT INCLUDED ASHLEY'S WORK. THE CENTER HONORED ITS COMMITMENT TO EMPTYING THE CONTENTS OF ASHLEY'S HOUSE. THE TOYS AND OTHER ITEMS HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY HIS NIECE VANESSA ROBINSON FOR DISPERSAL, AND THE REMAINING ART WAS RELOCATED TO THE NOW SECURE SPACE ADJACENT TO THE STORYTELLER PAVILION. IN JULY, SAMUEL JAMES DELIVERED THE ASHLEY BRYAN HONORARY LECTURE AT THE JESUP MEMORIAL LIBRARY IN BAR HARBOR, MAINE. THE SUBJECT WAS "STORYTELLING, AUTHENTICITY AND RACE IN AMERICA." IN DECEMBER, THE BOSTON POPS AUGMENTED THEIR HOLIDAY PROGRAM - THE GOOD NEWS VOYAGE - WITH THE CENTERPIECE OF THAT YEAR'S PROGRAM COMPRISING A NEW WORK, PERFORMED BY THE TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL CHORUS, BY LOCAL COMPOSER DAVID COLEMAN, BASED ON ASHLEY BRYAN'S BOOK CAROL OF THE BROWN KING, FEATURING THE POEMS OF LANGSTON HUGHES AND PROJECTION OF BRYAN'S WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS. THE CENTER DONATED FOUR LINOCUTS FROM HIS SPIRITUAL BOOKS TO THE NATIONAL GALLERY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND NICK CLARK DONATED TWO FROM HIS PERSONAL COLLECTION TOTHE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON. THIS CONSTITUTED AN IMPORTANT STEP IN PLACING ASHLEY'S WORK IN MAJOR MUSEUMS. THERE WERE CONTINUED ONGOING REQUESTS TO REPRODUCE ASHLEY'S WORK IN MAGAZINES RANGING FROM GENERAL INTEREST PERIODICALS TO MORE SPECIALIZED PUBLICATIONS. AS WELL, NUMEROUS SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES AROUND THE COUNTRY REQUESTED THE USE OF IMAGES OF ASHLEY'S WORKS IN PUBLIC PROGRAMS. THE CENTER COOPERATED FULLY TO ACCOMMODATE THESE VARIOUS REQUESTS AS WELL AS OTHER INQUIRIES DRIVEN BY AWARENESS OF THE CENTER THROUGH THE WEBSITE. THE STORYTELLER PAVILION CONTINUED TO ENGAGE VISITORS, WITH DOCENTS ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE, THE PAVILION WELCOMED OVER 1,300 VISITORS OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER. THE PAVILION REDUCED ITS HOURS FROM 42 HOURS 10 -4 SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AFTER LABOR DAY TO 20 HOURS 11-3 FIVE DAYS A WEEK, AND AFTER COLUMBUS DAY, IT WAS OPEN BY APPOINTMENT. THE EXPANDED PAVILION OPENED ON JULY 1, 2024. WE HAD 4 EVENTS AT THE PAVILION IN SUMMER OF 2024- ALL FOUR OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. FOLLOWING THE OVER-ARCHING THEME OF "MUSIC- AND HOSTED BY THOM HEYER, ISLESFORD SUMMER RESIDENT AND A BOARD MEMBER WITH A DEEP CONNECTION TO ASHLEY BRYAN, THE ABC HELD 3 PRESENTATIONS BY AARON GREEN( A CLASSICAL GUITARIST AND SPANISH GUITAR MAKER), NATE SHAW ( A COMPOSER, MUSICIAN, AND TEACHER), AND CHRISTINA SPURLING AND ERIC THOMAS (A PIANIST AND CLARINETIST, RESPECTIVELY). FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATIONS, A QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD INVITED AU
- VARIOUS
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 December 2024.
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 January 2015.
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.