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Greater Columbus Arts Council
Greater Columbus Arts Council reported $22.4 million in revenue and $25.2 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $88.73 went to program services, $11.17 to management and general costs and $0.10 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 92.8% of the total. Government grants made up 91.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $396,278 (FORMER PRESIDENT). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 81% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $25MFor context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $22MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 88.7% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 11.2% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.1% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 92.8% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 91.0% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 5.3% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $396,278 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.58% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 4.2 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 25 of 25 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseGrants & community engagement - gcac supports nonprofit art organizations and professional artists that provide arts and cultural programming in columbus, oh including: arts exhibits, concerts, and programs for the visual and performing arts. Funding is provided by the city of columbus hotel/motel excise tax and admissions tax (from venues other than nationwide arena). Grants are awarded to local arts organizations for operating support, capital funding, projects, thrive, and cultural festivals. Funding also supports individual artists through funds for artist grants, artist project grants…
Columbus Arts festival - gcac organizes the annual Columbus Arts festival, which is held in early june. The festival provides opportunities for the community to view and purchase work of local and national artists, listen to continuous live music, and participate in art activities free of charge. The revenues of the festival represent corporate sponsorships, contributions, and booth and tent rentals, as well as revenues from concessions. Festival expenses are for operations, programming, equipment, materials, and administrative costs
Columbus makes art campaign - art makes columbus/columbus makes art is a citywide marketing campaign in central ohio that connects people with the Arts and Arts experiences. The campaign includes marketing of artists and arts events via a searchable calendar, social media, and paid digital broadcast and print ads and promoting self-guided public art tours. The public can browse the columbus makes art website to find thousands of arts events each year, explore the artists that call central ohio home and find public art in neighborhoods across the city
Highest reported compensation
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORMER PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $353,491 | $0 | $42,787 | $396,278 |
| CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $155,468 | $0 | $40,383 | $195,851 |
| CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $152,971 | $0 | $34,347 | $187,318 |
| VP OF GRANTS & SERVICES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $134,065 | $0 | $35,677 | $169,742 |
| FILM COLUMBUS DIRECTOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $117,910 | $0 | $29,688 | $147,598 |
| PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $41,895 | $0 | $1,255 | $43,150 |
5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Greater Columbus Arts Council (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $635K (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b25 · 25 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 518
- Volunteers Part I, line 6370
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| LORD CULTURAL RESOURCES Public art plan | $216,068 |
| OSA TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS Website development & maintenance | $149,963 |
| WOSU Video production | $147,752 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 4 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
5 private foundations reported grants to Greater Columbus Arts Council totaling $421K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Greater Columbus Arts Council's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Greater Columbus Arts Council, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Greater Columbus Arts Council spent in 2025, $88.73 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of ScienceMiami, FL · revenue $22M · programs 84.9% · FY2025
- Salvador Dali MuseumSt Petersburg, FL · revenue $22M · programs 86.5% · FY2025
- Worcester Art MuseumWorcester, MA · revenue $22M · programs 75.7% · FY2025
- Margaret Woodbury Strong MuseumRochester, NY · revenue $22M · programs 86.8% · 2025
- Children's MuseumHouston, TX · revenue $22M · programs 77.0% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Ohio
Questions people ask
How much of Greater Columbus Arts Council's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Greater Columbus Arts Council reported that 88.7% of its $25.2 million in expenses went to program services, 11.2% to management and general and 0.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Greater Columbus Arts Council pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Greater Columbus Arts Council reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $396,278, for the role of FORMER PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Greater Columbus Arts Council get its money?
Of $22.4 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 92.8% came from contributions and grants (including 91.0% from government grants) and 5.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Greater Columbus Arts Council a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 31-0833384 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202621219349301017 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202522869349301047 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202430889349301218 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202301229349301505 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202230969349301668 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202100789349301010 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202020919349300337 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 31-0833384: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.