Attitudinal Healing Connection Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Since 1995, ArtEsteem's award-winning academic day and after school visual arts and extended arts programming cultivates creative, engaged, and successful children and youth through artistic, social-emotional, and academic standards based skills. The curriculum combines Attitudinal Healing Principles with culurally, academically, and environmentally relevant arts instruction. This culminates with an annual student art exhibition. ArtEsteem serves over 2,500 children at an average of fifteen Bay Area school sites during the fiscal year. A sample of the over twenty awards and recognitions include: 2024 Black History Month Commendation from the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, 2019 Community Award from the Oakland Unidfited School District's Office of African American Male Achievement, 2016 Best Arts Nonprofit from the East Bay Express Best of the East Bay Arts & Culture Writers' Picks, 2012 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from former Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and 20
- Income
- $1.9 million
- Spending
- $1.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 66%
- Reserves
- -3.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 41%
- Employees
- 27
- Volunteers
- 31
- Highest pay
- $106,290, exec director
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: 56 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1566% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 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 41% of charities in its peer group (civil rights, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 8 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
0 of 5Reports that it does not keep 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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)
- $962,516 spent. Since 1995, AHC's award-winning ArtEsteem academic day and after school visual arts and extended arts programming cultivates creative, engaged, and successful children and youth through artistic, social-emotional, and academic standards based skills. The curriculum combines Attitudinal Healing Principles with culturally, academically, and environmentally relevant arts instruction and culminates in an annual student art exhibition. ArtEsteem serves over 2,500 children at an average of fifteen Bay Area school sites during the fiscal year. Among its over 20 awards and recognitions, a sample of what ArtEsteem has received include: 2024 Black History Month Commendation from Alameda County Board of Supervisors, 2019 Community Award from the Oakland Unified School Districts Office of African American Male Achievement, 2016 Best Arts Nonprofit from East Bay Express Best of the East Bay 2016: Arts & Culture Writers Picks, 2012 Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from former Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and 2002/1998/1993 Jampolsky Awards for Exemplary Work in Attitudinal Healing from the International Conference for Attitudinal Healing.
- $194,006 spent. The Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project is a crucial community beautification effort creativley originated and led by Amana Harris. Since 2021 ArtEsteem has completed four of five large scale murals, aproximately 12,000 sq. ft. each, in the I-580 freeway underpasses between San Pablo Avenuen and West Street in West Oakland. Using the theme of super hero characters that embody the students' image and use special powers to address our community's deepest concerns, the murals were designed by elementary, middle, and high school students in District 3 with community participation in the design and painting process. The first of the five murals was conceptually designed by students from McClymonds High School. The second was conceptually designed by students from West Lake Middle School, the third by students from West Oakland Middle School, the fourth by students from Hoover Elementary, and the the fifth by students in ArtEsteems's Oakland Legacy Project after school program. All schools were engaged in the Self as Super Hero curriculum process.
- $59,825 spent. Since 1998, ArtEsteem programmin has culminated in an annual student art exhibition. Students participate in a professional process of submitting artwork and artistic statements, and, if they choose, selling their pieces to the public. They receive half the proceeds from the art they sell, along with information about financial responsibility and higher education. The other half of the proceeeds goes back toward ArtEsteem programming. The 27th Annual ArtEsteem Exhibition theme was "Lighting our Future." The ArtEsteem team crafted this theme of replenishment and regeneration to provide hope amidst the struggles seen in students, school sites, communities, and the world. The 2025 Exhibition contained a wide range of artwork, including pieces from ArtEsteem Visual Arts, Digital Media, and Animation classes at 11 school sites, Oakland Legacy Project classes, St. Mary's Center portraits by elders taught by artist Jack Leamy's workshop, and a selection of pieces from ArtEsteem's archival collection. Our guests, staff, and parents informed us that this year's Exhibition was the best yet. (We seem to say this every year.) The 27th Annual Exhibition took place of Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Studio One Art Center in Oakland. Students submit works they wish to show and our teaching artists submit group projects from their classes. Our Artistic Development Manager is the curator. Each staff member assits to transform Studio One into a two-floor celebration of our students' passion and efforts. We created elementary, middle, and high school display areas. This year we added an animation and film room. In the main hall, the featured exhibit was shared by high school students from Emiliano Zapata Street Academy and a Special Education class from Allendale Elementary. The Digital Media Externship class from Street Academy showcased the art practice of black and white photography, with the chosen pieces enlarged to 4' X 2.5' canvases. The Visual Arts class from Allendale's project was a 3-tiered collage sculpture made with watercolor paper strips that were interactive, spinning around and amazing viewers. Our staff personally invite the parents and guardians of every student who has work on display. The principal of Allendale wanted to ensure that every student had a skill-based art opportunity. Seeing the interactive sculpture on the main floor entrance made him so proud. But it was the reaction from a student and his father that moved us to tears. "My son has never had anything on display. I'm so grateful for the patience of Miss Alexa. Look at him, he's proud, and I'm thankful.
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 February 1994.
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.