Phoenix Art Museum
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PHOENIX ART MUSEUM CREATES SPACES OF EXCHANGE AND BELONGING FOR ALL AUDIENCES THROUGH DYNAMIC EXHIBITIONS, COLLECTIONS, AND EXPERIENCES WITH ART. THIS MISSION IS SUPPORTED BY SEVEN STRATEGIC PILLARS:(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)1. BE A SPACE OF BELONGING.2. PRACTICE THOUGHTFUL COLLECTION STEWARDSHIP.3. PRESENT IMPACTFUL ART EXPERIENCES.4. SERVE AS A CENTER FOR ENRICHMENT AND COMMUNITY-FOCUSED ENGAGEMENT.5. PRIORITIZE INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY AND AGILITY.6. SERVE AS A MODEL FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT.7. STRENGTHEN FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY.
- Income
- $14.1 million
- Spending
- $15.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- -3.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 72%
- Employees
- 225
- Volunteers
- 200
- Highest pay
- $436,032, the sybil harrington director & 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
Weak: 39 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 57% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 13% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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 2543 of 43 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 (3)
- $10.5 million spent. COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS: PHOENIX ART MUSEUM IS A NONPROFIT MUSEUM FOUNDED IN 1959. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE MUSEUM IS TO ENGAGE THE BROADEST SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION WITH THE HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC ATTRIBUTES OF THE VISUAL AND ASSOCIATED PERFORMING ARTS. OUR FINE ARTS COLLECTION CONSISTS OF MORE THAN 21,000 PURCHASED AND DONATED WORKS OF ASIAN, LATIN AMERICAN, EUROPEAN, AMERICAN, MODERN, AND CONTEMPORARY ART AND FASHION. ON AVERAGE, THE MUSEUM HAS WELCOMED 300,000 VISITORS PER YEAR FOR THE PAST DECADE.IN FY25, EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED: THE WORLD OF ANNA SUI, SHOWCASING THE ROCK-AND-ROLL-INSPIRED FASHIONS FROM THE PERSONAL ARCHIVE OF THE ICONIC AMERICAN DESIGNER. GREATEST FITS: THE ART OF ARCHIVING FASHION, A "LIVING" EXHIBITION OF ROTATING ENSEMBLES THAT SHOWCASE MORE THAN 100 OF THE FASHION COLLECTION'S FINEST WORKS CHARLIES GAINES: 1992 2023, ILLUMINATING THE CAREER OF A PREEMINENT FIGURE IN CONTEMPORARY ART WIDELY KNOWN FOR CONVERTING IMAGES AND TEXT-BASED DOCUMENTS INTO NUMERICAL STRUCTURES, MUSICAL NOTATIONS, AND OTHER SIGN SYSTEMS THROUGH RIGOROUS TRANSLATION MECHANISMS. CHARLES GAINES: NUMBERS AND TREES (ARIZONA SERIES), SHOWCASING GAINES' NEW SERIES FEATURES EIGHT LARGE-SCALE TRIPTYCHS DEPICTING COTTONWOODS THAT WERE PHOTOGRAPHED ALONG THE SAN PEDRO RIVER OUTSIDE SIERRA VISTA, AZ. THE COLLECTION: KEITH HARING, CELEBRATING THE IMPACTFUL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POP ARTIST AND PHOENIX ART MUSEUM IN THE 1980S. RICHARD AVEDON: AMONG CREATIVES, HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE 20TH CENTURY, RENOWNED FOR CAPTURING THE VULNERABILITY OF CELEBRITY SUBJECTS AND CREATIVE ICONS. LARRY BELL: IMPROVISATIONS, SHOWCASING GLASS SCULPTURES AND COLLAGE WORKS BY ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS TO EMERGE FROM THE LIGHT AND SPACE MOVEMENT.
- $916,391 spent. EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM DEVELOPS, IMPLEMENTS, AND OVERSEES EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ARTS-ENGAGEMENT EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES FOR A WIDE RANGE OF AUDIENCES. THE MUSEUM'S LIBRARY PRESERVES AND DEVELOPS AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF ART-RELATED SCHOLARLY AND RARE PUBLICATIONS. THE LIBRARY IS OPEN TO STAFF AND THE PUBLIC FOR RESEARCH AND ENJOYMENT.IN FY25, THE MUSEUM ENGAGED MORE THAN 204,900 COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH ON-SITE ARTS ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, INCLUDING DOCENT-LED TOURS FOR ADULTS AND SCHOOL GROUPS, SENIOR COFFEE SOCIALS FOR MEMBERS 65 AND OLDER, STORYTIME IN THE GALLERY SESSIONS FOR VISITORS 0-5 YEARS OLD AND THEIR CAREGIVERS, AND OTHER INTERGENERATIONAL PROGRAMMING. THE MUSEUM ALSO ENGAGED MORE THAN 59,800 FREE-ACCESS VISITORS THROUGH FIRST FRIDAYS, FAMILY FUNDAYS, PAY-WHAT-YOU-WISH WEDNESDAYS, AND OTHER VOLUNTARY-DONATION PERIODS.
- $469,319 spent. MUSEUM STORE: THE MUSEUM STORE ENHANCES THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE BY OFFERING PRODUCTS RELATED TO EXHIBITIONS AND ARTWORKS ON VIEW IN THE MUSEUM, ENSURING ENGAGEMENT WITH PHXART AND THE VISUAL ARTS LONG AFTER GUESTS HAVE LEFT THE MUSEUM CAMPUS AND RETURNED HOME.
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 May 1949.
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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