Honolulu Museum of Art
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO CREATE RELEVANT AND TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE STUDY, PRESERVATION, PRESENTATION AND CREATION OF ART.
- Income
- $14.7 million
- Spending
- $17.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 63%
- Reserves
- -17.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 70%
- Employees
- 214
- Volunteers
- 98
- Highest pay
- $476,180, 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
Weak: 43 out of 100. Higher than 9% 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
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 16% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1563% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 19 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 2518 of 18 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 (1)
- $10.8 million spent. THE ESSENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART HAS ALWAYS BEEN GROUNDED IN THREE FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS: ART OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY, A FIRM BELIEF IN THE POWER OF ART EDUCATION, AND A COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY. ART OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY KNOWS NO GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES OR TIME PARAMETERS-IT EMERGES FROM PLACES BOTH FAMILIAR AND UNFAMILIAR, AND IT CAN BE FOUND IN THE PRESENT MOMENT AND THE DISTANT PAST. REGARDLESS OF THEIR ORIGINS, ART WORKS OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY ARE UNITED IN THAT THEY EMBODY INCREDIBLE CRAFTSMANSHIP AND EXPRESS THEMES AND IDEAS THAT ARE BOTH TIMELY TO THE MOMENT IN WHICH THEY ARE CREATED AND CONVEY A UNIVERSAL AND LASTING RELEVANCE. SIMILARLY, ART EDUCATION DOES NOT HAVE ONE MODE OF EXPRESSION BUT IS MULTI-FACETED AND DYNAMIC; IT SPANS A SPECTRUM OF ENGAGEMENT WHICH RANGES FROM THE CEREBRAL TO THE HANDS-ON. HOMA'S LONG STANDING CHAMPIONSHIP OF ART EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS SOUGHT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND FACILITATE THE BROAD RANGE OF WAYS THAT PEOPLE ARE DRAWN INTO A LIFE THAT IS ENRICHED BY THE ARTS AND CREATIVITY, WHETHER THAT BE THROUGH INTELLECTUAL ENGAGEMENT OR HANDS-ON ART MAKING. A COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY IS ALSO A CORE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES HOMA, AND CARRIES WITH IT AN INHERENT EMBRACE OF COMMUNITY AND A CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. THIS COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY HAS BEEN WITH THE MUSEUM IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER SINCE ITS FOUNDING. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED 2024, AROUND 69,000 PEOPLE VISITED HOMA TO; VIEW ART IN THE GALLERIES, PARTICIPATE IN STUDIO CLASSES, ATTEND A TOUR, WATCH A FILM, WATCH A PERFORMANCE, OR ENGAGE IN A VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING ACTIVITIES, WHICH INCLUDED WORKSHOPS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS.THE HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART POSSESSES AN ENCYCLOPEDIC COLLECTION OF WORKS RANGING FROM EASTERN AND WESTERN ANTIQUITIES UP THROUGH CONTEMPORARY 21ST CENTURY ARTWORK, WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON WORKS OF ART THAT REFLECT THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES THAT CALL HAWAII HOME. THE CONSIDERABLE COLLECTION INCLUDES THE THIRD LARGEST COLLECTION OF JAPANESE WOODBLOCK PRINTS IN THE UNITED STATES, A TEXTILE COLLECTION RANGING FROM ETHNOGRAPHIC OBJECTS THROUGH CONTEMPORARY CLOTHING AND COSTUMES, AND WESTERN ART BY SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MODERN MASTERS AND ARTISTIC MOVEMENTS: PICASSO, MATISSE, GAUGUIN, VAN GOGH, MONET, SEURAT, WHISTLER, AND CASSATT, TO NAME A FEW. HOMA HAS AN ACTIVE EXHIBITION PROGRAM THAT IS CULTURALLY DIVERSE AND RELEVANT TO LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES. WITH EXHIBITIONS SPANNING TIME AND PLACE, THE MUSEUM HAS STRIVED TO ENGAGE CURRENT CONVERSATIONS AND NARRATIVES THROUGH VISUAL LANGUAGE. THE MUSEUM HAS WORKED WITH INSTITUTIONS, ARTISTS, AND LENDERS BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND ABROAD TO PRESENT EXHIBITIONS THAT ARE COMPREHENSIVE AND PROMOTE THOUGHT AND DIALOGUE. IN 2024, HOMA PRESENTED THE FOLLOWING EXHIBITIONS. SALMAN TOOR: NO ORDINARY LOVE (JULY 13 - OCT 8, 2023)TRANSFORMATION: JAPANESE MODERN ART (JULY 27-OCT. 15, 2023)DAVID HOCKNEY: PERSPECTIVE SHOULD BE REVERSED (NOV. 18 - MARCH 10, 2024)FASHIONING ALOHA (APRIL - JULY 2024)REBECCA LOUISE LAW: AWAKENING (THROUGH SEPT. 2023)A'ARU//FIELD OF REEDS (THROUGH SEPT. 2023)THE EXQUISITE CORPSES OF TAKAYANAGI YUTAKA (THROUGH DEC. 2023)LAUREN HANA CHAI: THE FIVE SENSES (AUG. 2023 - JAN 2024)SHINING PRINCE: THE TALE OF GENJI (DEC 2023 - APRIL 2024)KAPULANI LANDGRAF: 'AU'A (JAN - SEPT 2024)FORWARD TOGETHER: AFRICAN AMERICAN PRINTS FROM THE JAN AND ROBERT STEELE COLLECTION (JAN - SEPT 2024)KE KUMU AUPUNI: THE FOUNDATION OF HAWAIIAN NATIONHOOD (FEB - AUG 2024)MIYABI: RENAISSANCE OF COURT CULTURE (APRIL - JULY 2024)A COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY HAS BEEN PART OF THE HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART SINCE ITS FOUNDING. THE MUSEUM'S CHARTER DESCRIBED AN INSTITUTION WHERE ALL PEOPLE, REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND, CAN FEEL CELEBRATED AND IMMERSED IN CREATIVITY, AND WHERE, MOREOVER, THEY ARE INVITED TO PARTAKE IN THE CELEBRATION AND CREATIVITY OF OTHERS AS WELL. IF ACCESSIBILITY IS THE AIM, ART EDUCATION IS THE KEY THAT UNLOCKS THAT DOOR, AND IT BEGINS WITH CHILDREN. THE VISUAL ARTS INTEGRATION PROGRAM HARNESSES THE POWER OF ART TO ENHANCE THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN TITLE I SCHOOLS. EACH STUDENT IN THE PROGRAM PARTICIPATES IN ART IMMERSION CLASSES IN SCHOOL AND ATTENDS ACADEMICALLY ALIGNED FIELD TRIPS AT THE HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART. THEIR TEACHERS ATTEND MUSEUM-DIRECTED WORKSHOPS ON HOW TO USE ART FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING. ALL ACTIVITIES ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPORT LEARNING GOALS AS DEFINED BY THE STATE OF HAWAI'I DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC, CERTAIN IN PERSON ACTIVITIES WERE POSTPONED SO HOMA EXPANDED ITS VIRTUAL ART MAKING OFFERINGS AND IMPLEMENTED AND AT HOME ART KITS PROGRAM FOR YOUTH.HOMA IS A MUSEUM THAT HAS GROWN STRONGER THROUGH THE GENERATIONS AND CARRIES A STORIED HISTORY. WHILE IT IS ROOTED IN ITS FOUNDATIONAL LEGACY, THE MUSEUM CONTINUES TO LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE WITH FRESH IDEAS AND NEW ENERGY TO CONTINUE TO FULFILL ITS MISSION OF CREATING RELEVANT AND TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE STUDY, PRESERVATION, PRESENTATION, AND CREATION OF ART.
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 September 1927.
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.
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