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Active Cultures

EIN 82-5384806 · Los Angeles, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong91 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

ACTIVE CULTURES IS A PUBLIC ARTS NONPROFIT IN LOS ANGELES THAT EXPLORES THE INTERSECTION OF ART, FOOD, AND ECOLOGIES THROUGH ARTIST-LED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS.

Income
$348,405
Spending
$294,936
Spent on programs
69%
Reserves
4.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 94%
Employees
4
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$90,750, executive director

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

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 15% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 39% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    69% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 cents.

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

Governance

Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 6 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

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 December 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 (1)
  1. $203,168 spent. FISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS THE FIRST FULL YEAR OF IMPLEMENTING ACTIVE CULTURES' FY2024-2027 STRATEGIC PLAN, A YEAR DEVOTED TO GROUNDING THE ORGANIZATION'S VALUES IN PRACTICE. ACTIVE CULTURES DEEPENED ITS ARTIST COLLABORATIONS, EXPANDED FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, AND STRENGTHENED THE ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRED TO SUSTAIN AND GROW ITS WORK. THE ORGANIZATION ONBOARDED ITS FIRST FULL-TIME CURATOR, NANETTE ORLY, EXTENDING CURATORIAL AND PROGRAMMATIC LEADERSHIP BEYOND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE ORGANIZATION'S HISTORY. ACTIVE CULTURES ALSO STABILIZED FULL-TIME SALARIES FOR ALL STAFF, INTRODUCED HEALTH BENEFITS, AND ESTABLISHED AN OPERATING RESERVE FUND (BENCHMARKS IDENTIFIED IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN AS FOUNDATIONAL TO LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY). THESE ORGANIZATIONAL INVESTMENTS DIRECTLY ENABLED AN EXPANDED SLATE OF FREE AND ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC PROGRAMS ACROSS LOS ANGELES.ARTIST-LED PROJECTSACTIVE CULTURES' CORE PROGRAMMING COMPRISES MULTI-SEASON ARTIST COLLABORATIONS DEVELOPED THROUGH SUSTAINED DIALOGUE, FIELD RESEARCH, AND DEEP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IN FY2025, THE ORGANIZATION SUPPORTED THE FOLLOWING ARTIST-LED PROJECTS:O LANGIT LUPA (HEAVEN AND EARTH). ACTIVE CULTURES CULMINATED THIS MULTI-SEASON COLLABORATION WITH ARTISTS AMI LIEN AND ENZO CAMACHO WITH THE PUBLICATION OF RECLAIMING THE LAND, A COLLECTION OF CONVERSATIONS WITH AGRARIAN REFORM LEADERS IN NEGROS, PHILIPPINES, FOREGROUNDING THE ONGOING STRUGGLE FOR LAND JUSTICE.O COLECTIVO AMASIJO: A CIRCULAR OFFERING. PRODUCED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE BRICK AND ARTCENTER, THIS PERFORMANCE AND COMMUNAL MEAL GUIDED APPROXIMATELY 100 PARTICIPANTS THROUGH COLLECTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH INGREDIENTS FORAGED FROM THE MILPA AND THE HILLS OF PASADENA, CULMINATING IN AN OFFERING OF ENDEMIC FOODS HARVESTED BY THE ARTISTS DURING THEIR AGRICULTURAL JOURNEY IN THE YUCATAN.O FUNGAL TEACHINGS / MYCELIAL RESIDENCY. A MULTIYEAR COLLABORATION WITH ARTIST YASMINE OSTENDORF-RODRIGUEZ INVESTIGATING ECOLOGIES OF MUTUALISM THROUGH RESEARCH, FIELDWORK, AND PUBLIC GATHERINGS. IN FY2025, THE PROJECT CONTINUED BUILDING MYCELIAL NETWORKS AMONG ECOLOGICAL ART PRACTITIONERS IN LOS ANGELES AND BEYOND.O SUMMER SOLSTICE. ACTIVE CULTURES LAUNCHED ITS INAUGURAL ANNUAL SUMMER SOLSTICE EVENT AT THE AUDUBON CENTER AT DEBS PARK: A SEASONAL CONVERGENCE OF SOUND, FOOD, AND LAND-BASED RITUAL FEATURING ARTISTS AND CHEFS JIHEE KIM, EVA AGUILA, OLIVE KIMOTO, LIVING EARTH, AND HERB CLUB LA. THE EVENT ESTABLISHED A NEW ANNUAL PLATFORM FOR SEASONAL PUBLIC GATHERING ROOTED IN ECOLOGICAL CYCLES.ONGOING PUBLIC PROGRAMSUNDER CURATOR NANETTE ORLY'S LEADERSHIP, ACTIVE CULTURES LAUNCHED TWO NEW ONGOING PUBLIC SERIES IN FY2025, ALONGSIDE COMMUNITY-FACING PROGRAMS IN RESPONSE TO IMMEDIATE LOCAL NEED:O SEEDS: A FILM SERIES. LAUNCHED AT NOW INSTANT, THIS NEW SERIES OPENED WITH WILD RELATIVES BY JUMANA MANNA, ACCOMPANIED BY A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION WITH NINA RAJ OF THE ALTADENA SEED LIBRARY EXPLORING BIODIVERSITY AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION.O BOOK CLUB. A NEW BI-MONTHLY READING SERIES CONVENED IN PARKS AND GARDENS ACROSS LOS ANGELES, EXPLORING TEXTS ON THE AESTHETICS OF FOOD, CULINARY RESILIENCE AND KINSHIP, ALTERNATIVE FOODWAYS, LAND RIGHTS AND STEWARDSHIP, AND THE INTERSECTION OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY.O SEED SORTING NIGHT WITH ALTADENA SEED LIBRARY. A HANDS-ON VOLUNTEER WORKSHOP HOSTED BY NINA RAJ IN WHICH PARTICIPANTS CLEANED, SORTED, AND LABELED SEEDS FOR SEED BANKING AND COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION.O COMMUNITY PRODUCE DRIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD FARMERS' MARKET. A ONE-DAY COLLABORATION WITH FOOD FORWARD, FOOD ACCESS LA, AND CHEF MINH PHAN TO COLLECT AND DISTRIBUTE FRESH MARKET PRODUCE TO COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY SNAP CUTS.ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTSFY2025 MARKED SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD THE BENCHMARKS ESTABLISHED IN ACTIVE CULTURES' FY2024-2027 STRATEGIC PLAN:O STAFFING AND COMPENSATION. ACTIVE CULTURES GREW TO A THREE-PERSON, FULL-TIME LEADERSHIP TEAM--EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LAURA FRIED, CURATOR NANETTE ORLY, AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND OPERATIONS SONIA ALI--WITH STABILIZED SALARIES AND THE INTRODUCTION OF HEALTH BENEFITS FOR ALL FULL-TIME STAFF.O FINANCIAL RESILIENCE. THE ORGANIZATION GREW REVENUE 49% TO $366,865 WHILE MAINTAINING AN OPERATIONAL SURPLUS, ESTABLISHING A $76,467 RESERVE FUND. THIS FINANCIAL TRAJECTORY REFLECTS DELIBERATE GOVERNANCE INVESTMENTS INCLUDING 100% BOARD PARTICIPATION IN ANNUAL GIVING AND QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REVIEWS WITH THE BOARD TREASURER.O GOVERNANCE AND ADVISORY LEADERSHIP. ACTIVE CULTURES WELCOMED NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND LAUNCHED ITS ADVISORY BOARD-A COMMUNITY COUNCIL OF ARTISTS, CHEFS, AND CULTURAL PRACTITIONERS INCLUDING FRITZ HAEG, MINH PHAN, AND NORMA LISTMAN AND SAQIB KEVAL, WHO ADVISE MAJOR INITIATIVES INCLUDING THE FORTHCOMING ART AND FOOD BIENNIAL.O COALITION AND FIELD ENGAGEMENT. ACTIVE CULTURES CONTINUED ITS ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THE LOS ANGELES VISUAL ARTS (LAVA) COALITION AND THE GREEN ART LAB ALLIANCE (GALA), CONTRIBUTING TO AN ARTS ECOSYSTEM ROOTED IN RECIPROCITY, ECOLOGICAL PRACTICE, AND SHARED STEWARDSHIP.ALL PROGRAMS WERE FREE OR OFFERED ON AN AFFORDABLE SLIDING SCALE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. ACTIVE CULTURES COMMISSIONED AND COMPENSATED ARTISTS EQUITABLY THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 December 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 March 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.