Dunedin Fine Arts Cultural Center Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 71 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
The mission at the Dunedin Fine Art Center is to enrich lives through educational experiences in the visual arts. The vision is to make the Dunedin Fine Art Center a leading visual art center providing unparalleled educational, cultural & creative experiences.
- Income
- $2.1 million
- Spending
- $2.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 10.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 45%
- Employees
- 31
- Volunteers
- 64
- Highest pay
- $135,173, president/ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 27% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 6% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 71 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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 2513 of 13 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 September 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 (4)
- $324,810 spent. The Adult Education program at the Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC) offers engaging and innovative educational experiences for our community. An award-winning group of instructors provides individualized guidance in an inclusive and supportive environment, encouraging students to reach their full creative potential.In addition to traditional offerings such as painting, drawing, and ceramics, DFAC features specialized studios for jewelry, printmaking, fiber arts, and food arts. The center encompasses 21 studios across two campuses in Dunedin. Classes are offered year-round through seven six-week terms, along with a variety of individual workshops. DFAC also has the unique ability to host nationally renowned artists for workshops throughout the year, often in conjunction with gallery exhibitions or in partnership with local artist groups.To welcome new students and showcase its programs, DFAC also hosts an annual Adult Education Open House each winter. This event invites visitors to meet instructors, observe studio demonstrations, and experience firsthand what it is like to take a class at the center. In addition, DFAC offers a popular monthly Coffee and Conversation series, sponsored by the Sterling Society, DFAC's auxiliary group. These sessions feature instructors and local artists who share insights into their work, career paths, and creative techniques.DFAC is deeply committed to fostering the connection between creative expression and healthy aging. Many senior students value the mental stimulation, creative engagement, and strong sense of community found in DFAC classes. Through its Arts & Wellness programming, the center offers guided art practices designed to support overall wellbeing. Ongoing research continues to demonstrate that participation in the arts can enhance quality of life, reduce loneliness, lower the risk of depression, and help decrease the risk of dementia across a wide range of individuals.
- $158,199 spent. Besides educational outreach programs for local charter/ private schools and organizations like Safety Harbor Montessori and Academie DaVinci, the children and teen program follows the same schedule as the adult program, except for June - August, when a 10-week intensive Summer enrichment art academy program for children ages 4.5 to 14 is held. During the summer program, 7 different weekly camps which focus on photography, clay (hand building and wheel), 3D, 2D (drawing and painting), iPad Explorations, murals and musical theater are offered to age-appropriate groupings in weeklong sessions. DFAC has up to 180 children per week and employs certified teachers/ art teachers, DFAC Instructors, degreed working artists, and professionals working in the arts from the Tampa Bay area. At the close of Summer, a Summer Art Academy Exhibit is held in our Kokolakis Family Youth Gallery in part curated by the children, for the children. Close to 50 different schools are represented in our Summer Camp exhibit. DFAC's Youth Education Department also hosts our annual "Kidsfest" in conjunction with the Summer Camp Exhibit opening. This event brings in 300-500 visitors each year and is joined by the Kiwanis Club of Dunedin to provide Hotdogs, chips and drinks at no cost. Dedicated Youth Gallery: Kokolakis Youth Gallery is used exclusively for children's artwork from 4.5-17 years. DFAC partners with the Pinellas County School District's Visual Arts Supervisor to provide 4 exhibits annually featuring 75 Elementary schools, 19 Middle schools and 13 High schools. DFAC also partners with the City of Dunedin and the Dunedin Principals' Consortium to provide the Dunedin Schools Showcase exhibit featuring the youth's artwork created in Dunedin. These are wonderful events to attend to share the excitement and joy with the young Artists and their families.Youth/Adult Clay Lab: DFAC has 3 clay labs: 1 for wheel use only, 1 for hand-building only and 1 for use of wheel and hand-building. Specific times, days and classes are scheduled in clay labs for Youth Education use only as the adults are scheduled in adjoining clay labs and on schedules not affecting youth use. David L. Mason (DLM) Children's Hands-On Museum: A big part of our Youth Education Program is the Children's Hands-On Art Museum. This space gives children the opportunity to explore the different media used in art from pastels to electronic graphics and even a Green Screen theater space. The current Children's Hands-On exhibit is titled "Wacky Weather". This interactive experience combines a multitude of hands-on, interactive experiences. Use your imagination while giving the local weather report, building an icy environment for our cold weather animal friends, performing on the Green Screen, open ended art at our create table and much more. Free Family Nights are also offered October-May at no cost for families to enjoy extended hours in our DLM Museum. School Tours: DFAC's 2-hour tour consists of 3 components: 1) Students start with a 30-40 minute engaging gallery discussion and on-site tour. 2) Students proceed to the hands-on interactive area where they explore, create and build on concepts and images from the original artworks seen in the galleries. Time in the hands-on area is 30-45 minutes. 3) Tour concludes with students gathering in the art studio for a teacher directed, exhibit related activity involving imagination and motor skills. Also, due to this year's grant funding, provided by the Pinellas Community Foundation, the no cost student tours and bus reimbursement program was implemented to provide a further reach to our Pinellas County students and schools.Birthday Parties: 5 Youth Education birthday party options are provided for ages 5-17.
- $32,721 spent. The Dunedin Fine Art Center (DFAC) has museum quality exhibitions which are organized by our Curatorial Director. Exhibits change every 8 weeks, on average. In a given year, the public can enjoy 20 different exhibits in 6 distinct galleries plus 7 exhibits in our dedicated Children's Gallery. Our Curatorial Director establishes the exhibition calendar two years in advance selecting from a range of individual artist proposals, traveling exhibits, guest curator concepts plus other organizational and regional proposals. With educational values at the core of the Dunedin Fine Art Center's mission, it has been our goal, at any given time, that a visitor may view works by our faculty and students alongside exhibits of artists of national and international standing. In addition to numerous themed juried exhibitions for community participation, we have a Student / Member / Faculty exhibit that ensures every work of art submitted is shown and celebrated. It is ideal that we have been able to simultaneously stage shows of broader significance in the contemporary art world while maintaining a commitment to our students, members and their families.That commitment along with the talent of our curatorial staff led DFAC to be named best museum in Pinellas County in 2014 in a Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater poll-though we are not a museum nor maintain a permanent collection! In addition to various Critic's Awards, DFAC has received Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's Best of the Bay People's Choice Award for Best Non-Museum Gallery for eight consecutive years: 2016 - 2025 plus Best Visual Arts Curator for 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.Exhibits are a primary component of DFAC's educational and cultural outreach to our community, greater Tampa Bay and visitors to our state who attend lectures and demonstrations by visiting / exhibiting artists in collaboration with our year-round classes and workshops.DFAC's Member/Students are enhanced by daily exposure to a diverse range of contemporary art techniques and media. In addition, throughout the school year, School Tours for children of all ages enjoy: Gallery Talks led by our Youth Education Director, interactive play in our Hands-On Museum and a classroom take-home project conducted by our Youth Education Staff.
- $1.6 million spent. Memberships and donations subsidize all programs provided by DFAC and are not included in these program revenues.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 February 1978.
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.