The Arts Connection INC

Tax-deductible

New York, NY501(c)(3)Since 1979Arts & CultureEIN 13-2953240Revenue $4.0M in FY2025

On file with the IRSartsconnection.org45 W 34th St Rm 1210, 10001-3120 · New York, NYTax-exempt since Jun 1980Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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To address the educational challenges for the 21st century, artsconnection's research-based Arts programs create socially just learning environments. Our programs support literacy, communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. Artsconnection's partnerships include and strengthen the diverse voices of new york city's children and youth, cultivating their Arts and academic skills for success in a changing world.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
76¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 23 volunteers and 132 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 7
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $24K a year · under 1% of revenue · last 7 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 7 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 7 filings
Spent on programs
76%
of spending
Looks good: 76% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$390K
to officers and key staff · 10% of spending
Top officer’s pay higher than 76% of similar orgs
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 10% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
1 mo
of spending, in cash
Fine: 1.3 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $100K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$586K
36% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 36% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
22
of 22 voting members
Looks good: 22 of 22 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$4.0M
+12% vs prior year
Spent
$3.9M
To programs
76%
Net assets
$1.0M
By yearFY2019–FY2025
Revenue
$4.0M
FY2025▲ +12%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2019$5.0M
FY2020$4.4M
FY2021$5.2M
FY2022$4.4M
FY2023$5.2M
FY2024$3.6M
FY2025$4.0M
Expenses
$3.9M
FY2025▼ -9%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2019$5.3M
FY2020$4.5M
FY2021$4.0M
FY2022$4.7M
FY2023$5.1M
FY2024$4.2M
FY2025$3.9M
Net assets
$1.0M
FY2025▲ +17%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2019$653K
FY2020$545K
FY2021$1.7M
FY2022$1.2M
FY2023$1.5M
FY2024$884K
FY2025$1.0M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending August 2025) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Jun 1980.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

76 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 76% · $2.9M Management & general 10% · $403K Fundraising 13% · $513K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

25 people listed on the 990; $390K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$174,737Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Director for Finance
$113,930Pt VII · Sec A
Dep Dir Planning and Ops
$101,828Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Founding Chairman
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Chairman Emeritus
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Ex Officio
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Rachel Watts’s $175K as Executive Director is at the 76th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3924 $1–10M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 5 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Rachel Watts$174,737$177,688$148,895$143,127$93,496—
Steven Tennen—————$149,177
Frances Van Horn———$126,807$115,853$126,521
Edisson Marmolejo$113,930—————
Keith Kaminski$101,828—————

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Connects professional arts organizations with inner-city communities in NYC.

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Provided by the organization

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2 programs · $2.9M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

In-school and professional learning programs in fy 25, artsconnection's faculty of 90+ teaching artists worked with staff to successfully deepen our work in schools. We worked with students, educators, and families from 64 schools across the city through dance, theater, music, media, puppetry, and visual arts, serving 23,944 students…

$2.1Mprogram expense
02

Teen programs we worked with 809 students coming from 144 different schools during artsconnection's out-of-school-time teen programs. Programs provided opportunities for artistic expression, experiential learning, leadership development, and building career paths in the creative industries.

$824Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$100K
Grants paid · 14 grants · $498K · 2018–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$55,541
Unitemized GrantFY2023$61,442
Unitemized GrantFY2022$47,929
Unitemized GrantFY2022$44,129
Unitemized GrantFY2021$45,000
Unitemized GrantFY2021$45,000
Unitemized GrantFY2020$33,300
Unitemized GrantFY2020$33,300
The Ps 230 School FundFY2020$5,000
Unitemized GrantFY2019$17,124
Unitemized GrantFY2019$15,324
Unitemized GrantFY2018$49,810
Unitemized GrantFY2018$40,000

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$4.0M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.6M
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.4M
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Money outPt IX
$3.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$2.9M
Managementcol C$403K
Fundraisingcol D$513K
Owns and owesPt X
$1.0M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$404K
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$586K
PeoplePt VI, VII
25
listed · VII A
PaidVII A3
Voting boardVI 1a22
IndependentVI 1b22
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$2.6M
Government grantsLn 1e$377K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$165K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$95K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.4M
Other incomeLn 4–11$4K
Total revenueLn 12$4.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$166K
SavingsLn 2$237K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$404K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$10K
Other assetsLn 15$378K
Total assetsLn 16$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$586K
Net assetsLn 32$1.0M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 5132
VolunteersI 623
Fiscal year endsHeaderAugust
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$105K$404K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$63K$10K
Total assetsLn 16$1.7M$1.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$815K$586K
Net assetsLn 32$884K$1.0M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Grants to domestic individualsLn 2$56K$56K
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$314K$131K$128K$55K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$2.1M$1.7M$154K$239K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$170K$134K$15K$21K
Payroll taxesLn 10$217K$165K$25K$27K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K$51$402
Accounting feesLn 11c$32K$27K$516$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$319K$273K$5K$41K
Office expensesLn 13$36K$17K$4K$15K
Information technologyLn 14$37K$25K$6K$7K
OccupancyLn 16$163K$109K$26K$28K
TravelLn 17$7K$7K$238$253
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$50K$45K$1K$4K
InterestLn 20$28K$18K$4K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$53K$35K$9K$9K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$288K$208K$23K$56K
All other expensesLn 24e$15K$11K$986$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$3.9M$2.9M$403K$513K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $4.0M$3.9M$154K$1.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $3.6M$4.2M−$641K$884K 990 PDF
FY2023 $5.2M$5.1M$159K$1.5M 990 PDF
FY2022 $4.4M$4.7M−$249K$1.2M 990 PDF
FY2021 $5.2M$4.0M$1.1M$1.7M 990 PDF
FY2020 $4.4M$4.5M−$108K$545K 990 PDF
FY2019 $5.0M$5.3M−$266K$653K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $4,004,151 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $2,318,309$2,577,463
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,214,042$1,422,469
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $0$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $42,298$4,219
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $3,574,649$4,004,151
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $61,442$55,541
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $2,984,525$2,764,955
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $1,169,817$1,029,811
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $4,215,784$3,850,307
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$641,135$153,844
Part VI · Governance 22 of 22 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body22
VI-1b Independent voting members22
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $4,004,151 across 9 lines filed
VIII-1c Fundraising events$95,363
VIII-1e Government grants$377,483
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$2,104,617
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$165,079
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$2,577,463
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,422,469$1,422,469
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising events$0
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $4,219$4,219
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,422,469 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $4,219$4,004,151
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $3,850,307 across 17 lines filed
IX-2 Grants to domestic individualsPrograms $55,541$55,541
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $130,715 · Management $128,460 · Fundraising $54,789$313,964
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $1,670,587 · Management $154,329 · Fundraising $239,208$2,064,124
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $134,314 · Management $15,011 · Fundraising $20,507$169,832
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $164,878 · Management $25,367 · Fundraising $26,790$217,035
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $2,707 · Management $51 · Fundraising $402$3,160
IX-11c Accounting feesPrograms $27,442 · Management $516 · Fundraising $4,081$32,039
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $272,810 · Management $5,126 · Fundraising $40,568$318,504
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $16,959 · Management $4,098 · Fundraising $15,111$36,168
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $24,933 · Management $5,735 · Fundraising $6,674$37,342
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $108,944 · Management $26,333 · Fundraising $27,997$163,274
IX-17 TravelPrograms $6,624 · Management $238 · Fundraising $253$7,115
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $44,652 · Management $1,202 · Fundraising $3,668$49,522
IX-20 InterestPrograms $18,391 · Management $4,444 · Fundraising $4,726$27,561
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $35,255 · Management $8,522 · Fundraising $9,060$52,837
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $208,432 · Management $22,817 · Fundraising $56,369$287,618
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $10,511 · Management $986 · Fundraising $3,174$14,671
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $2,933,695 · Management $403,235 · Fundraising $513,377$3,850,307
Part X · Balance sheet $1,623,901 assets, 16 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $90,382$166,216
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $14,838$237,317
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $815,357$671,920
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $86,556$101,585
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $108,796$58,737
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $63,127$10,290
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $519,503$377,836
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $1,698,559$1,623,901
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $209,896$188,827
X-19 Deferred revenue$37,199
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $505,095$360,463
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $814,991$586,489
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $92,686$63,305
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $790,882$974,107
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $883,568$1,037,412
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $1,698,559$1,623,901
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $1,037,412 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$4,004,151
XI-2 Total expenses$3,850,307
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$153,844
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$883,568
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$1,037,412

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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