Art Students League of Denver
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
ASLD OFFERS COURSES AND PROGRAMS THAT FOSTER GROWTH FOR ARTISTS AT EVERY LEVEL.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $2.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 3.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 62%
- Employees
- 212
- Volunteers
- 123
- Highest pay
- $176,356, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 69 out of 100.
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100.
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 16 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 August 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)
- $1.9 million spent. ART COURSES: ASLD FOCUSES ON TEACHING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE VISUAL ARTS TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN STUDYING WITH NO REQUIREMENT OF BACKGROUND OR EXPERIENCE. THE TEACHING PHILOSOPHY IS THE ATELIER (MASTER/ APPRENTICE) METHOD. THE IMMERSION APPROACH PROVIDES STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH A MASTER ARTIST IN THE STUDIO. WHEN ASLD FIRST OPENED, IT EMPLOYED ONLY A HANDFUL OF ARTISTS WHO TAUGHT FEWER THAN 100 STUDENTS. CURRENTLY WE EMPLOY MORE THAN 100 PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS SERVING APPROXIMATELY 800 STUDENTS PER MONTH. WE OFFER MORE THAN 400 HANDS ON WORKSHOPS, CLASSES, LECTURES AND YOUTH COURSES.
- $104,600 spent. SUMMER ART MARKET: SUMMER ART MARKET (SAM) IS ASLD'S ANNUAL OUTDOOR STREET FAIR, HELD SINCE 1992. THE EVENT SHOWCASES ALMOST 300 LOCAL ARTISTS, ALL OF WHOM ARE PART OF THE ASLD COMMUNITY, AS FACULTY, STUDENTS AND MEMBERS. EACH YEAR, 10,000 PEOPLE ATTEND, COMPRISING A LOYAL BASE OF COLLECTORS, DONORS, SPONSORS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. IT HAS WIDELY BEEN CALLED THE BEST ART MARKET IN ALL OF COLORADO. ASLD MAKES NO MONEY FROM THE SALE OF ART, BUT DOES RAISE FUNDS THROUGH BOOTH RENTAL FEES, AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE SALES AT THE EVENT. EXPENSES INCLUDE EVENT PLANNERS, LICENSES, ENTERTAINMENT, SUPPLIES, MARKETING, SECURITY, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE EVENT ITSELF.
- $219,743 spent. OTHER PROGRAMS: OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, ASLD HAS PURSUED PARTNERSHIPS WITH A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE ART EXPERIENCES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. SOME OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE THE DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY, WHERE ASLD FACULTY ARTISTS TEACH HANDS-ON ART WORKSHOPS IN LIBRARIES TO INTERGENERATIONAL AUDIENCES; JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS, WHERE FACULTY TEACH ART TEACHERS STUDIO TECHNIQUES; AND WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER ART ORGANIZATIONS TO OFFER JOINT PROGRAMMING. REVENUE FOR THESE PROGRAMS COMES FROM A COMBINATION OF GRANTS AND REGISTRATION FEES. EXPENSES INCLUDE WAGES AND SUPPLIES. ASLD HOSTS A VARIETY OF EXHIBITIONS AT OUR HISTORIC GRANT STREET BUILDING AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VARIOUS CREATIVE SPACES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. REPRESENTING THE DIVERSITY OF THE THRIVING DENVER ARTS COMMUNITY, OUR EXHIBITIONS ALSO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE CURRENT TRENDS AND PURCHASE ORIGINAL FINE ART FROM FACULTY, STUDENTS AND CELEBRATED ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. EACH YEAR, THE VISITING ARTIST SERIES BRINGS SEVERAL NOTABLE ARTISTS TO ASLD TO TEACH MASTER CLASSES, WHICH SUPPLEMENT EXISTING ONGOING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS. THIS EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY ALLOWS STUDENTS AND ARTISTS FROM THE COMMUNITY TO WORK AND LEARN FROM SOME OF TODAY'S MOST SIGNIFICANT WORKING ARTISTS. OTHER PROGRAMS: OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, ASLD HAS PURSUED PARTNERSHIPS WITH A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE ART EXPERIENCES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. SOME OF THESE PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE THE DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY, WHERE ASLD FACULTY ARTISTS TEACH HANDS-ON ART WORKSHOPS IN LIBRARIES TO INTERGENERATIONAL AUDIENCES; JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS, WHERE FACULTY TEACH ART TEACHERS STUDIO TECHNIQUES; AND WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER ART ORGANIZATIONS TO OFFER JOINT PROGRAMMING. REVENUE FOR THESE PROGRAMS COMES FROM A COMBINATION OF GRANTS AND REGISTRATION FEES. EXPENSES INCLUDE WAGES AND SUPPLIES. ASLD HOSTS A VARIETY OF EXHIBITIONS AT OUR HISTORIC GRANT STREET BUILDING AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VARIOUS CREATIVE SPACES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. REPRESENTING THE DIVERSITY OF THE THRIVING DENVER ARTS COMMUNITY, OUR EXHIBITIONS ALSO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE CURRENT TRENDS AND PURCHASE ORIGINAL FINE ART FROM FACULTY, STUDENTS AND CELEBRATED ARTISTS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. EACH YEAR, THE VISITING ARTIST SERIES BRINGS SEVERAL NOTABLE ARTISTS TO ASLD TO TEACH MASTER CLASSES, WHICH SUPPLEMENT EXISTING ONGOING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS. THIS EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY ALLOWS STUDENTS AND ARTISTS FROM THE COMMUNITY TO WORK AND LEARN FROM SOME OF TODAY'S MOST SIGNIFICANT WORKING ARTISTS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending August 31, 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 August 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 March 1992.
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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