Arena Hall Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
The Organization will provide education and training for rising leaders for the benefit of the broader community in Austin and the State of Texas.
- Income
- $1.2 million
- Spending
- $1.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 91%
- Reserves
- 0.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 71%
- Employees
- 5
- Highest pay
- $156,250, director operations
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: 47 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 76% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1591% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Fair: 66 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
18 of 252 of 3 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.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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 (28)
- $1.2 million spent. 1. Community Building, Civic Engagement, and Network Development Arena Hall built and expanded a professional and civic community of aligned leaders in Austin, Texas, growing over 100% in a single program year. The organization hosted events across twelve topical areas including national security, energy, capital markets, education, public policy, arts and culture, health and wellness, and entrepreneurship. Programming brought together founders, investors, policymakers, researchers, and civic leaders for structured convenings designed to generate partnerships, accelerate active projects, and launch new ones. Event formats included weekly community lunches, off- the-record roundtable discussions, thematic working groups, expert-led
- training sessions, and documentary film screenings. The organization also hosted recurring happy hours connecting leaders across Austins emerging sectors, and provided physical space and hospitality infra- structure for thousands of informal meetings and working sessions. Programming regularly featured nationally recognized leaders visiting, Austin, providing the broader civic community with access to consequential conversations on the most pressing challenges facing the city, state, and nation. 2. Support for Educational, Philanthropic, and Faith-Based Initiatives Arena Hall actively supported and accelerated a range of educational, philanthropic, and faith-based initiatives by providing convening
- infrastructure, cross-sector introductions, and direct programming. On the educational front, the organization hosted leaders from UATX, the Civitas Institute and the recently founded School of Civic Leadership at UT Austin, and multiple K-12 innovation efforts, including founders developing new school models, school choice policy advocates,and investors deploying significant capital into educational ventures. Programming addressed everything from AI-driven curriculum development to classical education models and higher education reform. In the philanthropic sphere, Arena Hall hosted workshops on strategic giving and spotlighted high-impact nonprofit organizations, connecting member leaders to opportunities for more intentional - continued Schedule O
- and effective charitable giving. The organization also supported
- faith communities by hosting Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish leaders and
- providing space for congregational and interfaith gatherings, operating
- from the conviction that healthy religious communities are
- 3.Leadership Development, Fellowship Programs, and Young Talent Cultivation
- Arena Hall operated two concurrent fellowship programs designed to culti-
- vate the next generation of civic and entrepreneurial leaders. The flagship
- fellowship recruited college students to serve in daily hospitality
- roles while receiving mentorship, professional formation, and direct access
- to the organization's broader network of leaders. The program was
- modeled after established leadership development institutions and designed
- o equip participants with the skills, relationships, and
- convictions needed for a lifetime of purposeful work. The Medina
- Fellowship, running concurrently, convened top undergraduate and graduate
- graduate students monthly from the University of Texas and
- Texas A&M University for a lunch with established business leaders,
- creating a direct talent pipeline into ventures, civic projects,
- and organizations operating within the Arena Hall ecosystem. Complementing
- both fellowship programs, the organization launched two monthly
- dinner series Young Men of the Arena and Young Women of the Arena
- - connecting college-aged participants with professional role models
- through guest speakers focused on values formation, life
- principles, and professional development. Collectively, these
- programs positioned Arena Hall as a meaningful point of
- formation and connection for the next generation of leaders in Texas.
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 November 6, 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 December 2022.
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 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.