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Orange County Arts Alliance

EIN 86-1597342 · Hillsborough, NC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair58 out of 100GovernanceStrong97 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The mission of the Orange County Arts Alliance is to expand the capacity of the Orange County Arts Commission, as together, they create, develop, and grow the arts of Orange County, North Carolina.

Income
$284,548
Spending
$277,217
Spent on programs
71%
Reserves
1.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 50%
Employees
0
Volunteers
50

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: 58 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 33% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 32% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    71% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 47 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: 97 out of 100. Higher than 91% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    7 of 8 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.

  • Independent check of accounts

    12 of 15

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

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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)
  1. $159,915 spent. The Arts Alliance continued its third full year of programming the Eno Arts Mill. Revenues reflect income from classes, events, and gallery sales; expenses reflect payments to teaching artists, gallery payments to artists for work sold, and volunteer expenses. Grants received supported free programs for historically underrepresented communities, including the 2024 Eno Arts Mill BIPOC Artist-in-Residence Grant; Studio Be, providing small group art-making experiences for underrepresented youth ages 13-17; and, our LGBTQ Teens Arts Collective. A grant from the Town of Hillsborough supported First Fridays at the Mill, a monthly free celebration at the Eno Arts Mill featuring art, live music, art-making, and community.
  2. $25,326 spent. The Arts Alliance contributed $25,326 to support the operations of the Orange County Arts Commission, their partner agency and a unit of Orange County government, through a staffing support grant to support the salary of the Grants and Operations Manager for FY24.
  3. $10,570 spent. The Arts Alliance collected revenue and paid expenses in FY24 associated with the 2nd Uproar Festival of Public Art, a free, accessible, and interactive event which took place in August of 2025.

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

  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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 2021.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 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.