Baryshnikov Arts Center Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
133031485
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
6467313200
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$3,617,690
Expenses
$4,151,863
Assets
$23,096,180
Liabilities
$377,582

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV (CHAIR EMERIT): $213,054 total reported compensation
  • SONJA KOSTICH (RESIGNED 07/): $144,766 total reported compensation
  • JAMIE BURNS (DIRECTOR): $32,456 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the center is to foster an interest in the arts; to encourage the development of performers, choreographers, directors, writers, composers, and designers; and to advance their collaboration. In 2005, the organization opened the baryshnikov arts center at 450 west 37th street in New York city. The center serves as a creative laboratory, meeting place and performing space for artists from around the world. Programs include the presentation of performance works, artist residencies, a subsidized rental program and an education program.

What it reported doing in 2025

Bac presents: bac presents is baryshnikov arts center's public performance series, featuring a diverse range of artists working across dance, theater, music, and multimedia. The series features both emerging and established artists and includes works developed during residencies alongside projects created independently. Performances are open to the public, with an average ticket price of 35. Bac residencies: bac residencies provide artists with the time, space, and resources needed to develop new work. Artists receive multi-week residencies that include studio space, stipends, and technical, administrative, and marketing support. While some artists choose to share works-in-progress, there is no requirement to present publicly. Bac supports up to 20 residencies annually, serving artists at all stages of their careers and across disciplines. Residencies focus on artistic development and experimentation, with some projects continuing on to public presentation at bac or elsewhere. Bac education: bac education offers opportunities for youth and adults to engage with the creative process through camps, workshops, and artist-led talks, fostering deeper connections to the work developed and presented at bac. Bac rentals: bac provides subsidized and market-rate rental access to its studios and performance spaces for rehearsals and creative work. Artists and nonprofit organizations with budgets under 500,000 are eligible for significantly reduced rates, including access to highly subsidized rehearsal space.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 78
  • Transparency & Controls: 74
  • Accountability: 91
  • Sustainability: 40
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 76.4%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.48 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -14.8%; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.56; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.4%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.8% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.6% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 0.8% per year; rating input score 100; 13th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 89% of revenue deployed · 76.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 15 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $213K · 18 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 12 filing years from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 26/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 7/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Audit committee oversight not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.