Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts

EIN 82-3438309 · Hickory, NC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak38 out of 100GovernanceWeak11 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
  • Raising each dollar of donations cost 61 cents.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH CLASSICAL BALLET AND THE PERFORMING ARTS.

Income
$311,336
Spending
$312,472
Spent on programs
82%
Reserves
1.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 81%
Employees
24
Volunteers
15
Highest pay
$35,017, executive dir.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 38 out of 100. Higher than 9% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 59% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 17% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    82% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 61 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Weak: 11 out of 100. Higher than 0% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    5 of 25

    0 of 6 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    0 of 15

    Reports no written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    0 of 5

    Reports that it does not keep minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    0 of 10

    Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    0 of 10

    Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 (3)
  1. $230,684 spent. HBPA SERVES PRE-PROFESSIONAL AND RECREATIONAL STUDENTS BY OFFERING WEEKLY PERFORMING ARTS CLASSES, INCLUDING CLASSICAL BALLET, POINTE, JAZZ, TAP, MUSICAL THEATRE, TURNS AND LEAPS, CONTEMPORARY, BALLROOM, AND VOICE. APPROXIMATELY 200 STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN INSTRUCTIONAL CLASSES, AND SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO DANCERS IN NEED OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT. HBPA ALSO REACHED UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGH A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRO LATINO, PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO HISPANIC/LATINX STUDENTS AND SPANISH-LANGUAGE SUPPORT FROM STAFF.
  2. $24,040 spent. STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN FOUR MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONSWE ARE MONSTERS, THE NUTCRACKER, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, JR, AND CINDERELLAWITH CAST SIZES RANGING FROM 20-90 CHILDREN AND YOUTH. THESE PRODUCTIONS REACHED APPROXIMATELY 4,500 AUDIENCE MEMBERS THROUGH PUBLIC AND SCHOOL-BASED PERFORMANCES. SCHOOL MATINEES OF THE NUTCRACKER SERVED OVER 1300 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS, AND SOUTHWEST PRIMARY SCHOOL HOSTED A FREE IN-SCHOOL PERFORMANCE OF WE ARE MONSTERS FOR 245 STUDENTS. PUBLIC PERFORMANCES REACHED AN ADDITIONAL 3000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ACROSS ALL FOUR PRODUCTIONS. ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES INCLUDED THE HICKORY DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION ART CRAWL AND OKTOBERFEST. IN JULY, APPROXIMATELY 50 SUMMER CAMPERS ENJOYED REHEARSING AND PERFORMING BEETLEJUICE JR. DURING A WEEK-LONG CAMP IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HICKORY COMMUNITY THEATRE. HBPA VOLUNTEERS DONATED OVER 1085 HOURS TO HELP BRING OUR PRODUCTIONS TO LIFE. IN ADDITION TO THE FACULTY AND STAFF, HBPA CONTRACTED WITH 20 ADDITIONAL ARTISTS, INCLUDING 4 VISUAL ARTISTS FROM FULL CIRCLE ARTS, 1 PERFORMING GUEST ARTIST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FOR CINDERELLA, 6 GUEST TEACHERS, AND 1 STUDENT INTERN FROM UNCSA.
  3. OUTREACH EFFORTS EXPANDED HBPAS REACH BEYOND STUDIO-BASED PROGRAMMING. THE BOOKS TO BALLET AND BOOKS TO BROADWAY SERIES WERE PRESENTED 8 TIMES AT LOCAL LIBRARIES AND EXPANDED TO HICKORY CITY PRE-K CLASSROOMS, REACHING A COMBINED AUDIENCE OF 128 STUDENTS. OUR ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DANCE DAY FESTIVAL, FEATURING FREE MASTER CLASSES IN A VARIETY OF STYLES AND GENRES, WAS ATTENDED BY 96 MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. HBPA HOSTED TWO FREE PUBLIC PERFORMANCES SERVING 274 AUDIENCE MEMBERS AT UNION SQUARE, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE FAMILIES WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO TRADITIONAL VENUES. THE SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE OF THE NUTCRACKER WELCOMED 57 ATTENDEES. IT INCORPORATED LIGHTING, SOUND, AND SPATIAL MODIFICATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending July 31, 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 July 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 April 2019.

    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.