Youth and community nonprofits / California / San Francisco

Arts education

Center for Creative Exploration

A tax-exempt nonprofit in San Francisco, California, classified by the IRS as arts education. For the year ending Dec 2025 it reported $163,313 in revenue and $190,447 in expenses.

Data as of November 8, 2026Markdown copy JSON data

What it says it does

“The Center for Creative Explorations mission is to encourage people of all backgrounds and abilities to use paint and paper as tools for exploring creative expression. We offer painting classes for both adults and children and their families.”From the organization's Form 990-EZ for the year ending Dec 2025, as written (including spelling); all-capital text shown in normal capitalization.

IRS facts

Type: Arts education (IRS activity code A25)

Mailing city (IRS): San Francisco, California 94131

EIN: 94-3322708

Tax status: 501(c)(3), eligible to receive tax-deductible donations; IRS-recognized as tax-exempt since 1999, per IRS records posted October 13, 2026.

Revenue on its latest IRS filing: $163,313 (year ending Dec 2025)

Check its status on IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search · Filings on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer

Center for Creative Exploration finances

From the annual returns the group files with the IRS (Form 990, or the shorter Form 990-EZ for smaller groups), 5 filed years. Net assets are what it owns minus what it owes; management and general is office, admin and insurance cost. A dash means not reported (the short form does not ask for employees or volunteers). Each figure links to that year's return. A year is left out when no return is in the IRS e-file data; that does not mean the group was inactive.

Year ending	Dec 2021	Dec 2022	Dec 2023	Dec 2024	Dec 2025
Total revenue	$114,852	$109,256	$107,516	$133,974	$163,313
Total expenses	$103,479	$120,531	$110,601	$145,049	$190,447
Total assets	$144,564	$132,884	$131,600	$119,028	$132,489
Liabilities	$786	$381	$2,141	$644	$42,294
Net assets	$143,778	$132,503	$129,459	$118,384	$90,195
IRS form	Form 990-EZ	Form 990-EZ	Form 990-EZ	Form 990-EZ	Form 990-EZ

Where the money goes, year ending Dec 2025

Programs $147,437 (77% of $190,447)

Small groups file the shorter Form 990-EZ, which reports program spending but not the management and fundraising split.

Where the money comes from, year ending Dec 2025

Gifts and grants $36,387 (22%)
Program fees $126,676 (78%)
Investment income $0 (0%)
Other $250 (0%)

Revenue trend: Steady. Revenue went from $114,852 (year ending Dec 2021) to $163,313 (Dec 2025), about +9% a year.

Growth label: we compare total revenue on the oldest and the newest return shown above. Growing means revenue rose by more than 10% a year on average, Shrinking means it fell by more than 10% a year, and Steady means a change between -10% and +10% a year. The rate is the compounded yearly average between the two returns, so it hides ups and downs in between (see the table). We only label groups with returns at least a year apart and at least $5,000 of revenue on the oldest one. This is our own calculation, not an IRS rating or a judgment of quality.

Source: IRS Form 990 Series Downloads (the returns open on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, which republishes the IRS files). Figures are as the organization filed them. California nonprofit.

How it compares

12 of 39 arts education nonprofits in San Francisco when sorted from largest to smallest revenue. This shows size only, not quality. Groups with no reported revenue are listed last.

Size: revenue of $163,313 is higher than roughly 40 to 50% of the 246 arts education nonprofits in California that report revenue to the IRS (the city count above also includes groups with none). The median is $179,559.

Our analysis of the IRS Business Master File (posted October 13, 2026), using each group's latest reported revenue. Groups are sorted by revenue and split into ten equal bands, using all California groups of this type (Arts education, which covers several IRS activity codes). Size only, not a rating.

Around San Francisco and its county

San Francisco County, California: the Census Bureau estimates about 111,757 children under 18 (July 1, 2024). This directory lists 370 youth and community nonprofits with a mailing ZIP code in the county, about 3.3 per 1,000 children. The count includes PTAs, arts and day care groups, so it is not a measure of places for kids.

This group's ZIP code is matched to the county that holds most of its area, so counts are approximate. County figures come from the Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 population estimates.

What is Center for Creative Exploration's EIN?

Center for Creative Exploration's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3322708. It is the nine-digit number the IRS uses to identify the organization. Source: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File posted October 13, 2026.

Is Center for Creative Exploration a nonprofit?

Yes. The IRS lists Center for Creative Exploration in San Francisco, California as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), recognized since 1999. This is from the IRS Business Master File posted October 13, 2026. Status can change, so check its current status on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search before you donate.

Are donations to Center for Creative Exploration tax-deductible?

Yes, the IRS lists gifts to Center for Creative Exploration as tax-deductible (IRS Business Master File posted October 13, 2026). How much you can deduct depends on your own taxes, and this is not tax advice. Check its current status on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search before you donate.

What does Center for Creative Exploration do?

In its own words on its Form 990 for the year ending Dec 2025: "The Center for Creative Explorations mission is to encourage people of all backgrounds and abilities to use paint and paper as tools for exploring creative expression. We offer painting classes for both adults and children and their families." The IRS classifies it as: Arts education.

How much money does Center for Creative Exploration take in?

For the year ending Dec 2025, Center for Creative Exploration reported total revenue of $163,313 and total expenses of $190,447 on its Form 990-EZ (IRS Form 990 e-file data).

Do you run this organization?

Tax-exempt since 2023 · EIN 93-1669929

Arts education

Artillery Ceramics

San Francisco, CA 94110

Tax-exempt since 2021 · EIN 86-3930043

All youth and community nonprofits in San Francisco

Source: IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, posted October 13, 2026. We list 501(c)(3) organizations whose IRS activity code is youth development, amateur sports, camps and recreation, parent-teacher groups, children's services, child day care or arts education. We show the city and ZIP code only, never a street address or contact person. A listing is not an endorsement.

Data as of November 8, 2026. Sources: IRS Business Master File (posted October 13, 2026), IRS Form 990 series e-file data, U.S. Census Bureau population estimates (July 1, 2024), state child care licensing records in the BackPR finder. Growth labels, ranks and percentiles are BackPR's own calculations.

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