Palm Springs Art Museum
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM CREATES TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES THAT EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF OURSELVES AND THE WORLD. PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM HAS A WIDE-REACHING AND GROWING PERMANENT COLLECTION OF OVER 12,000 OBJECTS ROOTED IN MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND DESIGN THAT HAS DEVELOPED FROM OF OUR UNIQUE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND PLACE.THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION, EXHIBITION, AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS CONNECT THE PUBLIC WITH ART AND IDEAS THAT SERVE AND ADAPT WITH THE DYNAMIC AND GROWING COMMUNITY THAT CALLS PALM SPRINGS HOMEAS WELL AS NEW GENERATIONS OF VISITORS WHO CONTINUE TO MAKE THE AREA A DESTINATION FOR REJUVENATION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND CULTURAL EXCURSION.THE MUSEUM IS COMMITTED TO HARNESSING THE RICH LEGACY, DIVERSE CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES, AND PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT THAT IS SHAPING OUR MUSEUM'S FUTURE AND MAKE AN IMPACT UPON THE EVOLVING CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF OUR REGION.
- Income
- $9.7 million
- Spending
- $11.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 66%
- Reserves
- -4.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 55%
- Employees
- 140
- Volunteers
- 296
- Highest pay
- $337,065, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 8% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 32% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1566% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, 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 2524 of 24 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, 2024, 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 (1)
- $7.6 million spent. FOUNDED IN 1938, PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM (PSAM) IS THE LARGEST ARTS CULTURAL INSTITUTION IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY. ACCREDITED BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS, THE MUSEUM HAS 28 GALLERIES, TWO SCULPTURE GARDENS, FOUR CLASSROOMS, A RESOURCE CENTER, FIVE STORAGE VAULTS, AN 85-SEAT LECTURE HALL, A 433-SEAT PROFESSIONAL THEATER, A 1,000 SQUARE-FOOT STORE SPACE, A PERMANENT COLLECTION OF 16,000+ WORKS OF ART (INCLUDING PAINTING, SCULPTURE, PHOTOGRAPHY, DRAWINGS, PRINTS, AND MEDIA WORKS, WITH STRENGTHS IN MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART), AND A BISTRO ALL IN A 150,000 SQUARE-FOOT ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT BUILDING. OUR SATELLITE LOCATION, THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN CENTER, EDWARDS HARRIS PAVILION FEATURES A 17,000 SQUARE-FOOT SPACE FOR EXHIBITIONS AND PROGRAMMING. WE ALSO HAVE A SATELLITE OUTDOOR VENUE, THE FOUR-ACRE FAYE SARKOWSKY SCULPTURE GARDEN IN PALM DESERT WHICH IS FREE AND OPEN 24/7. WE CURRENTLY OFFER 10 MEMBERSHIP LEVELS RANGING FROM $50 TO $25,000. MEMBERSHIP IN 2024 REMAINED STEADY WITH 3,300 MEMBERS; IN LINE WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR.IN FISCAL YEAR ("FY") 2024, OUR VISITOR TOTAL WAS 164,912 AND IN FY 2023, TOTAL VISITATION WAS 134,557. IN TERMS OF REVENUE, FY 2024, ADMISSIONS REVENUE WAS $1,1039,410 VS FY 2023, $1,107,427. FY 2023 WAS ONLY NINE MONTHS DUE TO CHANGING OUR FISCAL YEAR END TO JUNE 30 FROM SEPTEMBER 30.THE MUSEUM PRESENTED THREE MAJOR EXHIBITIONS IN OUR MAIN MUSEUM IN FY 2024, KALI ARTOGRAPHER, 1932-2019, AN EXHIBITION CHAMPIONING THE WORK OF THE PIONEER LIGHT AND SPACE MOVEMENT ARTIST NORMAN ZAMMITT; AS WELL AS MYTHOPIETICA; AN EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTING THE WORK OF ARTISTS IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INLAND REGION WHOSE WORK INCORPORATES MYTHOLOGIES, ICONOGRAPHIES, AND CULTURAL CODES. IN MARCH 2024 THE MUSEUM LAUNCHED ITS Q+ ART INITIATIVE AND DEDICATED THE MONTGOMERY GALLERY TO SHOWCASE Q+ ARTISTS FROM OUR PERMANENT COLLECTION. TO MOVE TOWARD THE LIMITS OF LIVING EXAMINED HOW LGBTQ+ ARTISTS USED DIVERSE STRATEGIES TO RESPOND TO EXPERIENCES OF EXCLUSION AND DISCOVER NEW POSSIBILITY, CASTING LIGHT ON SUBJECTS INCLUDING THE LGBTQ+ SELF, DOMESTIC SPACE, AND THE BROADER SOCIAL WORLS.THE MUSEUM CONTINUED ITS OUTBURST PROJECTS OF SMALL-FORMAT EXHIBITIONS FOR EMERGING ARTISTS AND FEATURED PALM SPRINGS ARTIST THOMAS MICHAEL JOHNSON AS WELL AS A ANGELES-BASED ARTIST ALAKE SHILING. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SEVERAL SMALLERPERMANENT COLLECTION ROTATIONS ALLOWING THE MUSEUM TO SHARE MORE WORKS FROM OUR DYNAMIC HOLDINGS-IN AREAS OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN, ART OF THE WESTERN AMERICAS, MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND STUDIO GLASS. AT THE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN CENTER, THE MUSEUM PRESENTED A MAJOR EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORKS OF ALBERT FREY. ALBERT FREY HELPED TO ESTABLISH PALM SPRINGS AS A WORLD-RECOGNIZED CENTER FOR MODERN ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN. HE WAS THE FIRST ARCHITECT TO DESIGN A MODERN INTERNATIONAL STYLE STRUCTURE FOR PALM SPRINGS AND PAVED THE WAY FOR MODERN ARCHITECTURE AND THE ARCHITECTS THAT FOLLOWED.THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO HOLD "THURSDAY NIGHT SESSIONS" FEATURING FREE ADMISSION FROM 5:00 8:00 P.M. AS WELL AS ART ACTIVITIES AND DJS IN THE GALLERIES. THURSDAY NIGHT SESSIONS IS SPONSORED BY THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS. THE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT ALSO BUILT UPON THE FAMILY+ SERIES OF FREE ADMISSION AND ACTIVITIES EVERY THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH. ADDITIONALLY, WE WORKED WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY-BASED GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO WELCOME NEW AUDIENCES THROUGH SPECIAL LIMITED EXHIBITIONS, LECTURES, PERFORMANCES, AND ACTIVITIES. THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN ONGOING PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PALM SPRINGS BLACK HISTORY MONTH COMMITTEE, RAICES, MODERNISM WEEK, DESERT X AND THE PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. INDIVIDUAL LECTURES WERE PRESENTED INVOLVING EXHIBITING AND VISITING ARTISTS AND CURATORS, ARCHITECTS, AND DESIGNERS, AND EXPERTS IN A RANGE OF FIELDS. IN 2024, THE MUSEUM AGAIN PRESENTED A MUSEUM-WIDE PRIDE CELEBRATION FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND ITS ALLIES, AS WELL ITS ANNUAL SUMMER FILM SERIES. THE MUSEUM COLLABORATES AND PARTNERS WITH LIBRARIES IN THREE CITIES AND THREE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE REGION, INCLUDING PALM SPRINGS UNIFIED, COACHELLA VALLEY UNIFIED, DESERT SANDS UNIFIED, AS WELL AS PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND THE AREA'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE, COLLEGE OF THE DESERT. WE SERVE STUDENTS, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND FAMILIES OF ALL AGES IN A RANGE OF CREATIVE PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES. WE ALSO HAVE PRINTED SELF-GUIDED GALLERY GUIDES THAT FOCUS ON SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS, PERMANENT COLLECTION WORKS FROM OUR GALLERIES, AND THAT HIGHLIGHT SINGLE ARTWORKS EVERY MONTH; THESE ARE DISTRIBUTED DURING OUR FAMILY+ AND FREE THURSDAY NIGHTS PROGRAMS AS WELL AS DURING REGULAR VISITING HOURS. ADDITIONALLY, THE MUSEUM ANNUALLY CELEBRATES DA DE LOS MUERTOS; THIS PAST YEAR, SIX STUDENT GROUPS CREATED ALTARS THAT WERE THEN DISPLAYED IN THE LOBBY AMONG A HOST OF OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES. PSAM HAS ALWAYS HAD VERY ROBUST VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT. THE MUSEUM SERVICE CORPS (MSC) WAS OFFICIALLY FORMED IN 1986 TO ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AND SUPPORT MUSEUM STAFF. EAGER, ENTHUSIASTIC AND ENGAGING, MSC VOLUNTEERS ENCOMPASS A BROAD RANGE OF SKILLS AND PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN THE MUSEUM'S OPERATIONS, PROGRAMS AND EVENTS. MSC LEADERSHIP REPORTED THAT FOR FY 2024 283 VOLUNTEERS DONATED OVER 15,676 VOLUNTEER HOURS. DURING FY2023, THE NINE-MONTH PERIOD, WE HAVE A SIMILAR NUMBER OF AMBASSADORS DONATING A SIMILAR RATE OF HOURS. LOCATED WITHIN THE MUSEUM, THE STATE-OF-THE-ART ANNENBERG THEATER CAN SEAT 433 PATRONS. WE BRING AUDIENCES A RENOWNED COMBINATION OF VISUAL ARTS-RELATED PROGRAMMING AND PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS; THE THEATER ALSO BRINGS IN SIGNIFICANT INCOME FROM RENTALS. PROGRAMMING ALSO INCLUDES COLLABORATIONS WITH THE PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL AND THE PRESENTATION OF LECTURES, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND SYMPOSIUMS. MUSEUM PRODUCTIONS FALL INTO THREE CATEGORIES: ENTERTAINMENT PERFORMANCES & SHOWS, EDUCATIONAL LECTURES & SYMPOSIUMS, AND FILMS. OUR OUTREACH
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2024, 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 June 2024.
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 September 1941.
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.