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Menil Foundation Inc

EIN 74-6045327 · Houston, TX

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The Menil Collection ("The Menil") is committed to its founders' belief that art is essential to human experience. The Menil fosters direct personal encounters with art, and welcomes all visitors free of charge to its museum buildings and surrounding green spaces.

Income
$37.3 million
Spending
$31.3 million
Spent on programs
68%
Reserves
49.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
investment income, 59%
Employees
167
Volunteers
24
Highest pay
$625,256, director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 49.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 16% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 2% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    68% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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 25

    23 of 24 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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)
  1. $9.6 million spent. Exhibitions, art displays, and neighborhood enhancement: The Menil Collection regularly rotates displays of its permanent collection and organizes loan exhibitions, primarily in the main museum building and in the Menil Drawing Institute. The Menil's thirty-acre campus includes three other art buildings - Cy Twombly Gallery, the Dan Flavin Installation at Richmond Hall, and the Fresco Building along with bungalows serving as staff offices, and a bookstore. The Menil Foundation rents out a number of properties in the neighborhood, including some to other non-profits at discounted rates, and maintains a significant amount of green space, which contributes to the unique vitality of the Menil neighborhood. (Continued on Schedule O)Additionally the Foundation maintains the historic Menil House, the former residence of the museum's founders, which is located in a nearby neighborhood, and serves as the site for museum functions.
  2. $9.0 million spent. Curatorial and collections - The Menil cares for more than 17,000 works of art in its permanent collection spanning the prehistoric to the present day. The museum's holdings comprise four primary areas of focus: artifacts and objects from the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean, Egypt, and the Near East; medieval and Byzantine art, objects, and icon paintings; the arts of Africa, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas and the American Pacific Northwest; and modern and contemporary paintings, sculptures, drawings and works on paper, photography, and installations, with concentrations in Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism.
  3. $2.0 million spent. Education and public programs - Each year the Menil presents a variety of free educational programs and events, including artist and curator lectures, panel discussions and book readings, musical performances, and film screenings. Since 1989, the Menil and the non-profit Writers in the Schools have collaborated to offer an experiential arts education program that introduces young students to fine arts and creative writing.
  4. $681,824 spent. Membership - The Menil Collection offers three categories of membership, each with a unique focus and benefits. In addition to general memberships, the museum's Menil Contemporaries program is a membership group for emerging patrons, collectors, and art enthusiasts who share a common passion for the Menil Collection. The Menil Society is a group of committed patrons who enjoy a strong relationship with the Menil. Members are dedicated to fostering deeper engagement with the museum, its mission, and its world-renowned collection by generously supporting exhibitions, programming, and the museum's annual fund.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since July 1955.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.

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.