Chinati Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE CHINATI FOUNDATION/LA FUNDACION CHINATI IS TO PRESERVE THE VISION OF THE ARTIST DONALD JUDD (1928-1994), WHO IN 1986 FOUNDED THE ORGANIZATION AS A UNIQUE MUSEUM. JUDD INSTALLED LARGE-SCALE WORKS AND GROUPS OF WORK BY HIMSELF AND A LIMITED NUMBER OF OTHER ARTISTS ON A PERMANENT BASIS ACCORDING TO EACH ARTIST'S SPECIFICATIONS. IT WAS JUDD'S GOAL TO BRING ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND THE LAND TOGETHER TO FORM A COHERENT WHOLE. JUDD BELIEVED IN THE PURITY OF ART AND ITS INTRINSIC VALUE FOR HUMANS. HE SITUATED HIS MUSEUM IN MARFA, TEXAS, BELIEVING THAT THE REMOTENESS AND VAST OPEN SPACES OF THE LOCALE ENHANCED VIEWERS' EXPERIENCE OF THE ARTWORKS. CENTRAL TO THIS MISSION ARE CONSERVING THE COLLECTION AND MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, WHILE MAINTAINING THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT JUDD INITIATED.
- Income
- $6.4 million
- Spending
- $3.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 66%
- Reserves
- 9.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 75%
- Employees
- 62
- Highest pay
- $200,547, executive director
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 42% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 18% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1566% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 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 (2)
- $2.2 million spent. TO PRESERVE THE CHINATI FOUNDATION'S PERMANENT ART COLLECTION AND PRESENT IT TO THE PUBLIC: THE MUSEUM IS LOCATED ON 340 ACRES OF LAND ON THE SITE OF THE FORMER FORT D.A. RUSSELL IN THE SMALL TOWN OF MARFA, TEXAS. WITH FUNDS PROVIDED BY THE DIA ART FOUNDATION, REPAIRS AND RENOVATIONS OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS WERE BEGUN IN 1979, FOLLOWED BY THE INSTALLATIONS OF ART WORKS. IN 1986, CHINATI OPENED TO THE PUBLIC AS AN INDEPENDENT, NON-PROFIT, PUBLICLY FUNDED ORGANIZATION. THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT WAS TO FOCUS ON WORK BY DONALD JUDD, DAN FLAVIN, AND JOHN CHAMBERLAIN, WHO ARE REPRESENTED IN THE COLLECTION BY 15 OUTDOOR WORKS IN CONCRETE, AND 100 MILL ALUMINUM WORKS IN TWO CONVERTED ARTILLERY SHEDS (DONALD JUDD); ILLUMINATIONS IN COLORED FLUORESCENT LIGHT IN SIX FORMER BARRACKS (DAN FLAVIN); AND 225 SCULPTURES INSTALLED IN A RENOVATED WAREHOUSE (JOHN CHAMBERLAIN). SUBSEQUENTLY, JUDD DECIDED TO EXPAND THE COLLECTION TO INCLUDE WORKS BY CLAES OLDENBURG & COOSJE VAN BRUGGEN, RICHARD LONG, RONI HORN, DAVID RABINOWITCH, ILYA KABAKOV, AND INGOLFUR ARNARSSON. FOLLOWING HIS DEATH IN 1994, THE MUSEUM REALIZED PROJECTS, ADHERING TO JUDD'S IDEAS INCLUDING CARL ANDRE'S POEMS (1995(, DAN FLAVIN'S INSTALLATIONS (2000), AND JOHN WESLEY'S GALLERY OF PAINTINGS (2004). FURTHER ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTIONS WILL ALSO STRICTLY FOLLOW THE PARAMETERS SET BY JUDD AND WILL ALWAYS BE GUIDED BY HIS INTERESTES AND INTENTIONS OF AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND THE LAND EXIST IN MUTUAL AESTHETIC HARMONY. DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE AND SCALE OF THE MUSEUM AND ITS GROUNDS, THE CHINATI FOUNDATION IS ACCESSIBLE BY GUIDED TOUR ONLY. PUBLIC TOURS OF THE COLLECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. CONSERVATION OF THE COLLECTION AND MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF THE BUILDINGS HOUSING THE COLLECTION ARE ONGOING EFFORTS.
- $277,183 spent. PROGRAMS: CHINATI SPONSORS PROGRAMS INITIATED BY JUDD ESTABLISHING LINKS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE US AND ABROAD. THESE INCLUDE ARTISTS' RESIDENCIES, SUMMER ART CLASSES FOR LOCAL CHILDREN, INTERNSHIPS, TEMPORARY ART EXHIBITIONS, PUBLICATIONS AND SYMPOSIA. THE CHINATI FOUNDATION WILL CONTINUE THESE PROGRAMS HOSTING INTERNS AND ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, PUBLISHING ITS ANNUAL NEWSLETTER WITH SCHOLARLY ESSAYS AND MUSEUM INFORMATION IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, CONDUCTING ITS SUMMER ARTS CLASSES AND ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR AREA RESIDENTS, SPONSORING SYMPOSIA (EVERY FEW YEARS) AND TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS (ANNUALLY) RELATED TO CHINATI'S COLLECTION AND JUDD'S VISION. CHINATI'S EMPHASIS REMAINS ON THE PERMANENT COLLECTION; ITS DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE AND CONSERVATION WILL BE A CORNERSTONE FOR THE MUSEUM'S EFFORTS IN THE COMING YEARS. IN ALL OF ITS ACTIVITIES THE MUSEUM IS GUIDED BY THE IDEAS OF ITS FOUNDER AND HIS PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH THAT ART IS ESSENTIAL TO LIFE, AND CREATED WITH THE CONCERN OF ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE CONSTRUCTED AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT. CHINATI'S COLLECTION AND PROGRAMS REFLECT JUDD'S BELIEF OF A MULTI-LAYERED WORLD, IN WHICH THE COMPONENTS ARE JOINT BUT DISTINCT.
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 1985.
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.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Chg Foundation (Chula Vista, CA), EIN 33-0586911. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.