Workhouse Arts Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
We strive to harness the power of the arts to engage, heal & inspire communities through creativity, cultural enrichment, historic preservation, & positive social impact.
- Income
- $3.3 million
- Spending
- $3.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 69%
- Reserves
- 1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 58%
- Employees
- 40
- Volunteers
- 200
- Highest pay
- $99,190, president & ceo
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
Fair: 64 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 14% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1569% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2521 of 21 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 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)
- $1.0 million spent. Education Program: The Workhouse Arts Foundation provides arts classes, workshops, camps and education to the general public, as well as the military community through the Workhouse Military in the Arts Initiative, offering a total of over 100 classes quarterly and 25 camps annually, in approximately 15 disciplines, to children and adults of all ability levels. The Workhouse dedicates approximately 12 teaching classrooms in 7 buildings on the campus. Each year over 1,500 students enrolled in more than 425 classes, workshops, and camps that are taught by nearly 60 teaching artists. Approximately 30% of the teaching artists are also Workhouse campus artists. The Workhouse Arts Foundation also provides movement-based wellness and fitness classes through the Art of Movement program. Classes include traditional fitness classes, meditative movement, creative movement classes, and youth gymnastic fundamentals programs through our Kidnastics Gymnastics initiative. Art of Movement offers a total of over 600 classes annually to over 2,000 students of all ages.
- $886,912 spent. Performing Arts Program: The Workhouse Arts Foundation provides more than 150 individual performances annually in theatre, dance, music, and film, including our annual Haunted Trail interactive-performance event. In addition to productions created in-house, the department also offers a robust 'presenting' series in which local (and touring) musicians and performing artists are programmed as part of our season calendar. In addition, these venue spaces are available for community organizations and other performing arts groups to be able to present their works to our neighbors. Through our connection to the Fairfax County Park Authority, the Workhouse Arts Foundation has been proud to host free concerts on Saturday nights during the Summer as part of the Mt Vernon Nights initiative.The Workhouse Arts Foundation has multiple performance spaces including a 100-seat black box theater, and a 300-seat outdoor performance pavilion with room for several hundred more in the lawn areas adjacent to the stage. Our McGuireWoods Gallery has also hosted musical concerts and stand-up comedy performances throughout each season and has a capacity of 150 persons. In addition to traditional performing arts (theatre, music, and dance) our venues have also been host to films, lectures, our annual Independence Day fireworks celebration, and educational experiences related to performing arts and the history of our campus.
- $344,775 spent. Studio Artists and Visual Arts: The Workhouse Visual Arts Program provides essential professional support through two key initiatives. We offer approximately 60 below-market rate studio spaces, maintaining an average 97% occupancy, which supports over 55 juried artists who create, exhibit, and sell their work on-site. The program also supports an almost 20 additional juried visual artists through exhibition and sales opportunities in the Arches gallery. The Workhouse produces roughly 100 annual art exhibitions across diverse disciplines including but not limited to painting, glass, ceramics, fiber arts, and photography. A significant portion of these are juried, competitive, and national in scope, demonstrating a commitment to fostering professional artistic careers.
- $209,168 spent. Museum and History Program: The Workhouse Arts Foundation operates the Lorton Prison Museum featuring the Lucy Burns Gallery, a free-admission institution located within the former Lorton Correctional Complex (1910-2001). The museum engages visitors by exploring the site's evolution from a Progressive Era reformatory to a significant adaptive reuse project. Key themes include the site's critical role in the American women's suffrage movement and its eventual failure as an American carceral site. These stories are brought to life through curated exhibitions, educational tours, and diverse public programming. The department is led by a Museum Director, supported by five full- and part-time staff members and a dedicated team of volunteer docents who steward this unique cultural legacy for the community.
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
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 June 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 September 2002.
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.
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