Houston Arts Alliance
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
See Schedule OHouston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture organization whose principal work is implementing the City of Houston's vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HAA conducts work through contracts with the City of Houston, overseen by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs. HAA also executes privately funded special projects to meet the needs of the arts community and energize neighborhoods. In short, HAA helps artists and arts nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong.
- Income
- $25.5 million
- Spending
- $22.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 0.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 69%
- Employees
- 31
- Volunteers
- 30
- Highest pay
- $308,050, ceo to 11/30/24
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
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.6 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 54% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 27 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 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 (5)
- $16.4 million spent. HAA manages the City of Houston's competitive Arts Grants Program, under a contract with the City, awarding grants totaling $15,251,949 through a peer review panel process, which awards on key elements such as artistic/cultural merit, audience development & community outreach, cultural tourism impact, and the administrative and management ability of the grant recipient.
- $3.0 million spent. HHA is a local arts and culture non-profit agency whose principal work is to implement the City of Houston's vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HAA conducts work through contracts with the City of Houston, overseen by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs. Established in 1999, the Civic Art Ordinance Dedicates 1.75% of the budget for eligible, City-funded construction projects to commission or acquire new artworks or conserve existing ones in the City's 800+ object Civic Art Collection. Civic Art Projects include paintings, murals, prints, drawings, photographs, videos, films, decorations, stained glass, statues, sculptures, monuments, fountains, arches, or other structures of permanent character located on City property. See Schedule OCivic art projects are located throughout the City in parks, libraries, airports, police and fire stations, and community centers.
- $1.3 million spent. The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) Arts Network & Fund (BANF) is a revolutionary arts ecosystem that empowers BIPOC artists, organizations, and communities in the Greater Houston Area with transformative opportunities to dream, connect, collaborate, and create. Established in 2021 as a collaborative community effort, BANF is a multi-year initiative dedicated to providing resources that support the vibrant BIPOC arts community of Greater Houston in fully displaying its power, values, and traditions. BANF is staffed with its own Project Director, guided by a Steering Committee and an Accountability and Advisory Council, and has engaged the alliance as an operational partner.
- $255,642 spent. Communications about and representation of the arts. As a local arts and culture organization, HAA invests in Houston as a place to visit, live, work, honor, and create. HAA advances the arts and culture field through research and convenings, the promotion of cultural tourism, and other special projects that strengthen artists and nonprofits in the City and beyond. HAA sends a newsletter several times per month announcing its opportunities for artists and nonprofits, sharing arts jobs throughout the region, and sharing other organizations' awards and grant opportunities. HAA also manages the Cultural Events Calendar, a City-supported centralized online marketing initiative that serves the region's cultural producers and consumers. A mobile-ready map of the City's public art, rife with photographs, helps tourists and others find the City's unique art collection wherever its pieces are located.
- $213,674 spent. Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is leading a new phase of work to ensure that Houston artists are ready and resilient when the next disaster hits. HAA believes in creating a system that empowers the arts, cultural, and historic preservation communities of Greater Houston to prevent and reduce damage during disruptions. Our Disaster Services program is committed to building partnerships, sharing stories, changing minds, creating experts, and pioneering solutions so our arts community can get back to doing what it does best: enhancing the lives of the people in the Greater Houston area. The contemporary traditions that make Houston one of the most vibrant urban landscapes in the United States. The program's goals include research, documentation, and public projects that explore the wide variety of established and emerging cultural communities in the greater Houston area. The program also provides technical assistance and resources to local traditional artists, collaborates with colleague organizations, and markets the city's rich and diverse culture to locals and visitors alike.
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 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.