San Diego Museum of Art
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO INSPIRE, EDUCATE AND CULTIVATE CURIOSITY THROUGH GREAT WORKS OF ART.
- Income
- $15.8 million
- Spending
- $17.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 63%
- Reserves
- 26.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 44%
- Employees
- 147
- Volunteers
- 450
- Highest pay
- $530,901, executive director & ceo
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
Good: 72 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 26.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1563% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2549 of 49 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 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)
- $7.2 million spent. EXHIBITIONS: THE MUSEUM PRESENTED A BROAD RANGE OF EXHIBITIONS DURING THE YEAR. THESE WERE CREATED FROM THE MUSEUM'S OWN COLLECTION, AS WELL AS BORROWED FROM OTHER MUSEUMS AND LENDERS. WONDERS OF CREATION: ART, SCIENCE, AND INNOVATION IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD, GARRY WINOGRAND: MAN OF THE CROWD, RUUD VAN EMPEL, FOSTERS + PARTNERS: ARCHITECTURE OF LIGHT AND SPACE, WILLIAM GROPER: AMERICAN AGITATOR, PRIX PICTET: HUMAN, AND WOMEN IN FOCUS WERE SOME OF THE EXHIBITIONS PRESENTED DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025.WONDERS OF CREATION: THIS SWEEPING SPECIAL EXHIBITION EXPLORED THE DYNAMIC INTERSECTIONS OF ART, SCIENCE, AND INNOVATION ACROSS THE ISLAMIC WORLD FROM THE EIGHTH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT. INSPIRED BY A THIRTEENTH-CENTURY ILLUSTRATED COSMOGRAPHY THAT FRAMES WONDER AS A WAY TO COMPREHEND THE UNIVERSE, THE PRESENTATION BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 200 WORKS FROM MANUSCRIPTS, MAPS, AND SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS TO CONTEMPORARY ARTWORKS ILLUMINATING THE GLOBAL INFLUENCE OF ISLAMIC INTELLECTUAL AND VISUAL CULTURE. THE INSTALLATION MARRIED HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS WITH NEWLY COMMISSIONED CONTEMPORARY WORKS, ENCOURAGING VISITORS TO TRAVERSE CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL REALMS AND CONSIDER HUMANITY'S ROLE WITHIN THEM.GARRY WINOGRAND: A MAJOR PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION SHOWCASING THE VIVID, KINETIC STREET PHOTOGRAPHY OF GARRY WINOGRAND, ONE OF THE DEFINING AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. KNOWN FOR HIS AGILE USE OF THE LEICA CAMERA AND HIS INTUITIVE COMPOSITIONAL STYLE, WINOGRAND'S WORK IN THIS SHOW SPANNED KEY PROJECTS FROM HIS PROLIFIC CAREER. IMAGES OF URBAN LIFE, PROTEST SCENES, AND CHANCE ENCOUNTERS ON AMERICAN STREETS CAPTURED THE ENERGY AND SOCIAL UPHEAVAL OF THE 1960S AND '70S, REVEALING HIS ENDURING INTEREST IN THE HUMAN SUBJECT AND PUBLIC SPACE.RUUD VAN EMPEL: THIS EXHIBITION PRESENTED THE RICHLY IMAGINATIVE WORK OF DUTCH PHOTOGRAPHER RUUD VAN EMPEL, WHOSE METICULOUSLY CONSTRUCTED DIGITAL IMAGES OCCUPY A SPACE BETWEEN PHOTOGRAPHIC REALISM AND ARTIFICE. BUILT FROM THOUSANDS OF FRAGMENTS OF HIS OWN PHOTOGRAPHS, THESE HYPER-DETAILED COMPOSITIONS INVITE VIEWERS INTO DREAMLIKE LANDSCAPES THAT BOTH CELEBRATE AND CHALLENGE PERCEPTIONS OF NATURE, MEMORY, AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TRUTH. THE WORKS BLENDING LUSH FLORA, COMPLEX COLOR, AND UNCANNY FIGURES ENCOURAGED DEEP ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CONSTRUCTED WORLD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ILLUSION.FOSTER + PARTNERS: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTING THE CELEBRATED ARCHITECTURAL PRACTICE OF FOSTER + PARTNERS, LED BY SIR NORMAN FOSTER. THE SHOW INVITED AUDIENCES TO EXPLORE THE FIRM'S DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES, PARTICULARLY ITS FOCUS ON LIGHT, SPACE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND INNOVATION. ARCHITECTURAL MODELS, DRAWINGS, AND CONCEPTUAL PLANS ILLUSTRATED HOW THE STUDIO APPROACHES THE INTEGRATION OF FORM AND ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDING VISIONS FOR THE MUSEUM'S OWN WEST WING TRANSFORMATION POSITIONING ARCHITECTURE AS A BALANCE OF ENGINEERING, ARTISTRY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS. WILLIAM GROPPER: THIS RETROSPECTIVE CELEBRATED THE INCISIVE VOICE OF AMERICAN SOCIAL REALIST WILLIAM GROPPER, WHOSE CAREER SPANNED POLITICAL CARTOONS, PAINTINGS, AND PRINTS MARKED BY SHARP SATIRE AND A COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL JUSTICE. BORN IN NEW YORK CITY'S LOWER EAST SIDE, GROPPER CHRONICLED AMERICAN LIFE WITH WIT AND CRITIQUE, TARGETING INSTITUTIONAL HYPOCRISY, LABOR ISSUES, AND POLITICAL SPECTACLE. THE EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTED HIS ENDURING ENGAGEMENT WITH DEMOCRACY AND DISSENT, AFFIRMING HIS PLACE AS AN ARTIST WHO USED VISUAL ART AS A FORM OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.PRIC PICTET: AT THE MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS (PART OF THE SDMA CAMPUS), THE PRIX PICTET: HUMAN EXHIBITION BROUGHT TO SAN DIEGO THE INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD'S LATEST CYCLE FOCUSED ON HUMANITY'S ROLE IN AN ERA OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIETAL CHANGE. FEATURING WORK BY A GLOBAL SHORTLIST OF PHOTOGRAPHERS RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR POWERFUL VISUAL NARRATIVES ON SUSTAINABILITY AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE, THE EXHIBITION UNDERSCORED PHOTOGRAPHY'S ABILITY TO PROVOKE REFLECTION ON COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP.WOMEN IN FOCUS: THIS PHOTOGRAPHY-CENTRIC EXHIBITION CELEBRATED THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS FROM THE NINETEENTH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT. BY FOREGROUNDING A RANGE OF GENRES AND INNOVATIVE VISUAL VOICES, THE SHOW EXAMINED HOW WOMEN HAVE SHAPED AND EXPANDED THE MEDIUM DESPITE HISTORICAL GENDER BARRIERS. DRAWING ON THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION AND HIGHLIGHTING FIGURES ACROSS ERAS, WOMEN IN FOCUS OFFERED A RICH SURVEY OF BOTH CANONICAL AND UNDER-RECOGNIZED PRACTITIONERS.THE MUSEUM PRESENTED SMALLER EXHIBITIONS IN ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION GALLERIES, SUCH AS SHADOWS OF CONTEMPLATION, FOR THE PEOPLE: MODERNIST PRINTMAKING IN MEXICO, AND DUTCH ART IN A GLOBAL AGE, ALONG WITH ROTATIONS IN THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION GALLERIES. IN THE ONGOING EFFORT TO ADVANCE THE MUSEUM'S GOAL OF MAKING ART MORE ACCESSIBLE, THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO OFFER FREE ADMISSION TO AGES 17 AND UNDER. THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO OFFER ITS SMARTPHONE APP TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING THE AUGMENTED REALITY FEATURE, WHICH BRINGS ART TO LIFE. THE APP IS FREE TO DOWNLOAD AND CAN BE USED AT HOME AS WELL AS ON THE PREMISES. SINCE ITS LAUNCH, THE APP HAS OVER 83,000 DOWNLOADS AND INCLUDES 26 AUGMENTED REALITY EXPERIENCES, 619 AUDIO STOPS IN 10 LANGUAGES. IN FY25, THE APP WAS USED OFFSITE IN 48 STATES AND 51 COUNTRIES. THESE DIVERSE EXHIBITIONS AND THEIR COMPLEMENTARY PROGRAMS RESULTED IN THE MUSEUM WELCOMING APPROXIMATELY 541,000 VISITORS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
- $95,242 spent. COLLECTIONS: THE MUSEUM'S MISSION IS, IN PART TO CARE FOR ITS COLLECTIONS, WHICH INCLUDES MORE THAN 20,000 WORKS OF ART. THE COLLECTION IS THE MUSEUM'S GREATEST ASSET. ITS WORKS OF ART ARE DISPLAYED ON A ROTATING BASIS WITHIN THE MUSEUM AND ARE FREQUENTLY LENT TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS FOR EXHIBITION ELSEWHERE. THE MUSEUM ALSO SEEKS TO ACQUIRE ART WHICH WILL ENHANCE ITS COLLECTION. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, IN ADDITION, CONSERVATION BEGAN ON WORKS OF ART TO BE FEATURED IN FUTURE EXHIBITIONS, BOTH AT THE MUSEUM AND AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS.
- $1.3 million spent. PROGRAMS: THE MUSEUM OFFERS A BROAD RANGE OF PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES, FILMS, EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS, TEEN ART CLASSES, SUMMER CAMPS, FAMILY DAYS, AND LECTURES AND SYMPOSIA. IN ADDITION, THE MUSEUM SPONSORED A DOZEN OUTREACH PROGRAMS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. MORE THAN 40,000 VISITORS PARTICIPATED IN THESE PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. MANY OF THESE PROGRAMS WERE FREE OF CHARGE OR INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF ADMISSION.
- $2.7 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES: DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2025, THE MUSEUM SERVED AN AUDIENCE OF APPROXIMATELY 541,000 VISITORS FROM LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES. THE MUSEUM PRODUCED TWO ISSUES OF ITS MEMBER'S MAGAZINE. THE MUSEUM WAS SUPPORTED BY APPROXIMATELY 5000 MEMBERS DURING THE YEAR.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since June 1935.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.