San Francisco Ballet Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $70.8 million
- Spending
- $67.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- -6.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 56%
- Employees
- 811
- Volunteers
- 499
- Highest pay
- $637,215, art dir & prin choreo
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: 45 out of 100. Higher than 11% 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
0 of 20It owes 115% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2550 of 50 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
0 of 10Did not give 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 (4)
- $48.1 million spent. SAN FRANCISCO BALLET'S LEGACY AND REPUTATION HAVE EARNED ITS PLACE AMONG THE WORLD'S LEADING BALLET COMPANIES. THE COMPANY UNDERTOOK ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL TOUR SINCE 2019 AND FIRST UNDER THE DIRECTION OF ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TAMARA ROJO. THIS TOUR MARKS THE FIRST-EVER ENGAGEMENT IN MADRID, SPAIN. ON OUR HOME STAGE AT THE WAR MEMORIAL OPERA HOUSE, COMPANY PRESENTED A RANGE OF CLASSICAL, NEOCLASSICAL, AND CONTEMPORARY BALLETS INCLUDING 37 NUTCRACKER, 16 FRANKENSTEIN, 10 MANON, 8 RAYMONDA, AND 21 PERFORMANCES COVERING THREE MIXED BILL PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION, SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL SPRING FESTIVAL FEATURED SFBS STUDENTS IN TWO PERFORMANCES.
- $7.0 million spent. THE ASSOCIATION OPERATES SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL AND A STUDENT RESIDENCE. OVER 800 STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN THE SCHOOL AND 60 ADVANCED STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE US AND AROUND THE WORLD RESIDE IN THE STUDENT RESIDENCE. THE BALLET SCHOOL CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED AND TAUGHT BY AN EMINENT FACULTY, EMPHASIZING A STRONG CLASSICAL TECHNIQUE AND A FLOW OF MOVEMENT THAT SUGGESTS A SENSE OF ENERGY, FREEDOM, AND JOY REFLECTING THE KIND OF DANCING FAVORED BY THE COMPANY. (SEE SCH. O) STUDENTS AGES 2 TO 18 FOLLOW A STRUCTURED SEQUENCE OF TRAINING DESIGNED TO INCREASE THEIR TECHNICAL SKILLS, STAMINA, AND DISCIPLINE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR AGE AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT. THE PROGRAM VARIES ACCORDING TO AGE AND ABILITY AND INCLUDES CLASSES IN BALLET TECHNIQUE, POINTE WORK, PAS DE DEUX, BATTERIE, CONDITIONING, CONTEMPORARY DANCE, AND MUSIC. DROP-IN BALLET CLASSES FOR ADULT DANCERS AND A PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S REACH MORE THAN 1500 INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY. THE SCHOOL ALSO OPERATES A SUMMER SESSION THAT BRINGS AN ADDITIONAL 240 STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO SAN FRANCISCO FOR RIGOROUS BALLET TRAINING. THE BALLET SCHOOL PROVIDES A LIMITED NUMBER OF TUITION AND HOUSING SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDENTS BASED ON THEIR FINANCIAL NEED OR POTENTIAL TO ACHIEVE A PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN BALLET, AS WELL AS TO TALENTED STUDENTS RECRUITED FROM SF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THROUGH THE COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. NEARLY 70% OF THE DANCERS IN THE BALLET'S PROFESSIONAL COMPANY TRAINED IN THE SCHOOL. STUDENTS HAVE ALSO GONE ON TO DANCE WITH SUCH COMPANIES AS AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE, ATLANTA BALLET, BOSTON BALLET, ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET, DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET, HAMBURG BALLET, HOUSTON BALLET, MIAMI CITY BALLET, NATIONAL BALLET OF CANADA, NEW YORK CITY BALLET, OREGON BALLET THEATRE, PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET, PHILADELPHIA BALLET, PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE, ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET, ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET, VIANNA OPERA BALLET, AND WASHINGTON BALLET AMONG OTHERS. SEMINARS ON NUTRITION, PSYCHOLOGY, AND RELATED ISSUES ARE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE BALLET SCHOOL ALSO OPERATES SUMMER SESSIONS IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED DANCERS FROM AROUND THE US AND ABROAD. ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING INCLUDES PRE-BALLET CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AGES 2-7, ADULT OPEN BALLET CLASSES, REPERTORY WORKSHOPS, AND CLASSES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH PARKINSON'S.
- $720,482 spent. THE ASSOCIATION PROVIDES DANCE EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS TO YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND ADULTS THROUGHOUT THE BAY AREA. PROGRAMS TAKE PLACE IN K-12 SCHOOLS, AT THE WAR MEMORIAL OPERA HOUSE, IN THE CHRIS HELLMAN CENTER FOR DANCE, AND IN THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, OFTEN IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND SERVE NEARLY 50,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ANNUALLY. THE DANCE IN SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES (DISC) PROGRAM IS THE LARGEST OFFERING TARGETING YOUTH AND IT PROVIDES FREE, STANDARDS-BASED DANCE EDUCATION TO APPROXIMATELY 3000 STUDENTS IN 37 SAN FRANCISCO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EARLY EDUCATION AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THROUGH AN ANNUAL RESIDENCY PROGRAM. TALENTED STUDENTS ARE ALSO IDENTIFIED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM TO JOIN SAN FRANCISCO BALLET SCHOOL ON SCHOLARSHIP.
- $63,933 spent. THE ARTISTS RESERVE FUND IS ESTABLISHED BY A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BALLET AND THE AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS (AGMA), THE DANCERS AND STAGE MANAGERS UNION. EACH YEAR, A COMMITTEE OF BALLET REPRESENTATIVES, ARTISTS, AND A UNION REPRESENTATIVE MEET TO GRANT MONEY FROM THE ARTISTS' RESERVE FUND TO ELIGIBLE ARTISTS TO ASSIST WITH FUNDING FOR THEIR CAREER TRANSITION ACTIVITIES.RENTAL INCOME - THE ASSOCIATION RENTS OUT ITS CONFERENCE ROOM AND STUDIO SPACE. IN ADDITION, THE ASSOCIATION PERIODICALLY RENTS OUT SETS AND COSTUMES TO OTHER BALLET COMPANIES AND DANCERS IN FURTHERANCE OF THE BALLET'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
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 January 1961.
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.