New York Council for the Humanities
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
HUMANITIES NEW YORK STRENGTHENS CIVIL SOCIETY THROUGH CONVERSATIONS THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO REMEMBER THE PAST, IMAGINE NEW POSSIBILITIES, AND BUILD A SHARED FUTURE.
- Income
- $1.9 million
- Spending
- $2.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 7.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 59%
- Employees
- 12
- Volunteers
- 14
- Highest pay
- $257,660, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 53 out of 100. Higher than 23% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.3 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 35% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 19% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 25% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 17 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 October 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 (4)
- $777,767 spent. GRANT-MAKING:GRANTMAKING SUPPORTS PUBLIC HUMANITIES WORK CARRIED OUT BY ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW YORK STATE. IN FY25, HUMANITIES NEW YORK CONCLUDED ITS FORMER GRANTMAKING MODEL. GRANTMAKING ACTIVITY DURING THE YEAR INCLUDED 18 FINAL RENEWAL AWARDS THROUGH THE POST-INCARCERATION HUMANITIES PARTNERSHIP (PIHP) PROGRAM AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF EXISTING GRANT OBLIGATIONS FROM PRIOR-YEAR PROGRAMS.
- $519,130 spent. IN COMMON: A HUMANITIES FORUM:IN COMMON: A HUMANITIES FORUM IS HUMANITIES NEW YORK'S EMERGING DIGITAL HUMANITIES INFRASTRUCTURE, DESIGNED TO SERVE AS THE BACKBONE OF ITS STATEWIDE PUBLIC HUMANITIES WORK AND CONNECT PARTNERS, FACILITATORS, SCHOLARS, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS NEW YORK. IN FY25, HUMANITIES NEW YORK CONDUCTED RESEARCH, PLANNING, AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT TO DEFINE IN COMMON'S DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SHARED RESOURCES, AND STATEWIDE MODEL.
- $204,161 spent. COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS:COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS BRINGS SMALL, FACILITATED DIALOGUES TO TRUSTED PARTNER SITES ACROSS NEW YORK STATE, INCLUDING LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS, HISTORICAL SOCIETIES, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS. EACH SESSION CENTERS ON A SHORT TEXT, IMAGE, OR ARTIFACT THAT INVITES PARTICIPANTS TO REFLECT ON MEANING, CHANGE, JUSTICE, AND BELONGING. IN FY25, HUMANITIES NEW YORK REDESIGNED AND RESTARTED THE PROGRAM THROUGH LIBRARIES AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS NEW YORK STATE.
- $115,483 spent. READING & DISCUSSION IS HUMANITIES NEW YORK'S SUSTAINED, BOOK-BASED PUBLIC HUMANITIES PROGRAM, BRINGING PARTICIPANTS TOGETHER AROUND SHARED TEXTS FOR FACILITATED INQUIRY, REFLECTION, AND DIALOGUE. IN FY25, HUMANITIES NEW YORK REDESIGNED THE PROGRAM, TRANSITIONING IT FROM ITS FORMER GRANT-BASED MODEL TOWARD A FACILITATED, MULTI-SESSION PROGRAM DELIVERED THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 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 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 November 6, 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 October 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 July 1975.
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 November 4, 2026.
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