San Antonio Museum of Art
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The San Antonio Museum of Art brings people together with art by collecting, preserving, and presenting significant works of art representing a broad range of history and cultures, advancing human connection and understanding, and inspiring curiosity, creativity, and discovery.
- Income
- $11.1 million
- Spending
- $9.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 5.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 47%
- Employees
- 112
- Volunteers
- 83
- Highest pay
- $322,566, kelso director
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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 34% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2538 of 41 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)
- $6.6 million spent. The only global-facing art museum in South-Central Texas, SAMA houses more than 30,000 works spanning six continents and more than 5,000 years of human creative expression. The collection includes the foremost assemblage of art of the ancient Mediterranean world in the state and the US South, with important ancient Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Etruscan, and Near Eastern objects; the largest concentration of Asian art in Texas, with a particular strength in Chinese ceramics; and an unparalleled collection of Latin American art, with more than 10,000 works comprising pre-1500 Indigenous cultures of the region, Colonial, popular art, and modern and contemporary-in fact, SAMA opened the first center devoted to Latin American art in the country. American, contemporary, photography, African, Islamic, and aboriginal Australian art are also well-represented at the Museum. SAMA acquired 275 artworks in 2025, strengthening its vast collection and influence. Each year, the Museum presents temporary exhibitions, longer-range focus presentations, collection-based installations, and approximately 600 programs to meet the needs of its diverse, ever-growing audience.
- $129,236 spent. SAMA's 2025 exhibitions included: Envisioning the Hindu Divine: Expanding Darshan and Manjari Sharma, SAMA's first major Indian/Southeast Asian art exhibition, with photographs of deities and their ongoing relevance in art and faith by contemporary artist Manjari Sharma in dialogue with ancient devotional works from Birmingham Museum of Art; and Larry Bell: Improvisations, showcasing the achievements of the renowned "light and space" artist and his innovative use of industrial materials, including the installation [The] Dilemma of Griffin's Cat, commissioned for the Museum's grand opening in 1981. SAMA also produced a number of more intimately-scaled exhibitions, many drawn from its permanent collection: these included Readymade Remix: New Approaches to Familiar Objects; The Exquisite Art of Shibata Zeshin: Lacquerwares and Paintings; Maya Blue: Ancient Color, New Visions; Kingship and Power in Assyria; Canvas to Clay: Georgia O'Keeffe & Maria Martinez to Mata Ortiz and Tonalá; and a new Gateway installation TIPSY, by artist Marisa Morán Jahn, designed as a "gateway" to SAMA's collections upon arrival in the Museum's Great Hall.
- $251,741 spent. SAMA creates and delivers meaningful interpretive programs that connect people to art, ideas, and each other through a dynamic exhibition calendar, comprehensive encyclopedic collection, and other mission-driven offerings. With a variety of year-round initiatives for adult, family, children, university/college, patron, and other audiences, the 600+ engagements carried out encompassed: a suite of docent-led tours for preK-12, collegiate, and adult audiences, including an "off the wall" series that provides unique, often unexpected connections to SAMA's collection with themes such as Dog Days & Timeless Tails, The Foodie Tour, Texas Chicks: Don't Mess With Them, Science: There's No Art Without It, and even The Swiftie's Guide to SAMA; artist talks; artmaking experiences; lectures and panel discussions; music, dance, theatre, and other cultural performances; educator workshops; film screenings; a Kids' Studio early childhood learning initiative; immersive Family Days and other intergenerational programs; ReCollections, a creative aging initiative for people living with Alzheimer's and dementia, as well as their families and caregivers; and Haven for Hope hands-on art workshops for women and children experiencing homelessness. All programming is designed to motivate discovery, learning, creativity, reflection, and exchange through the lens of art.
- $257,392 spent. In 2025, on-site visitation was ~151,000, with many more visitors engaging in artworks and programming virtually. Based on annual Museum data, 85% of visitors to SAMA reside in Texas, with 44% from Greater San Antonio; and 15% were from other US locales or abroad. Approximately 68% of Museum visitors are racially/ethnically diverse, with 44% identifying as Hispanic/Latino or Indigenous, 35% as Caucasian, and 14% as African American, Asian, and other, and 7% as multiracial. Eight percent (8%) identify as military with increases each year. Data from recent exhibitions indicate that 40% of Museum visitors have household incomes of $100,000 or above, and 46% have a college education. While attracting all age groups, SAMA draws most strongly from the 25-44 age group, including family households with children. The Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 10 am-5pm, except Tuesday and Friday when it remains open until 7 pm. In line with SAMA's "access for all" mission, Bexar County residents receive free general admission during weekly Free Hours on Tuesdays 4-7pm and second Sundays 10am-12pm. Children aged 12 and under always receive free admission. Complimentary admission opportunities are integral to the Museum's charge to reach and engage all communities in Greater San Antonio, particularly those overlooked and/or under-resourced. To this end, SAMA also participates in two nationwide cultural admission programs for targeted individuals and families: Museums for All and Blue Star Museums. SAMA's membership currently numbers ~3,000 households, with participation and distinct benefits reflecting various membership levels.
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 May 1994.
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.