Artist Trust
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Artist Trust supports the livelihoods of artists working in all disciplines to create a more vibrant and equitable Washington State.
- Income
- $2.1 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 20.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 92%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 65
- Highest pay
- $127,545, executive dir.
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 20.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 44% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 67% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 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 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 (4)
- $248,894 spent. Artist Trust's Artist Support Programs include business practices workshops and webinars, online resources, networking and mentorship events, town halls, artist surveys, focus groups, and other programs that provide career-training and professional development opportunities for artists and help us discover and make visible issues impacting the livelihoods of artists. Over 2,800 artists and community members were served by these programs in 2025.
- $195,959 spent. Artist Trust Fellowship Awards are unrestricted merit-based awards of $10,000 to practicing professional artists of exceptional talent and demonstrated ability. Recipients are selected through an open, competitive panel process. In 2025 there were 15 Fellowship Award recipients, including 1 Vadon Foundation Fellowship Award for Native Artists, 1 Fellowship Award for Black Artists, 1 Greg Kucera & Larry Yocom Fellowship Award, and 1 Lillian Miller Foundation Fellowship Award for Trans* and Indigiqueer Artists.
- $155,338 spent. Other Grant Programs include the unrestricted merit-based Arts Innovator Awards of $25,000 given to 2 artists and $500 given to 6 additional finalists, Twining Humber Lifetime Achievement Award of $10,000 given to 1 artist, the Support Old Lady Artists (SOLA) Award of $5,000 given to 5 artists, and other activities to administer Artist Trust's grant programs; all recipients are selected through an open, competitive panel process.
- $150,138 spent. Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) are unrestricted project-based grants of $1,500 for artists working in all disciplines across Washington State. Recipients are selected through an open, competitive panel process. There were 65 GAP recipients in 2025.
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
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 December 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 June 1987.
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.
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.