Rhode Island School of Design
78% goes to programs $101 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Rhode Island School of Design is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Providence, Rhode Island, registered in 1934, with $223,500,826 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it C+, and it directs about 78% of spending to programs.
2 College St, Providence, RI, 02903 EIN 05-0258956 Since 1934
Revenue (FY2023)
$223.5M
▼ 2.3% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$226.9M
Net assets
$517.7M
Employees
3,577
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
C+
★★★★
Rated on 4 of 4 criteria.
Held down by its weakest criterion — a strong score on one criterion can't hide a weak one.
How the rating works →DProgram efficiency40% of the rating78% to programs · $101 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Rhode Island School of Design: 78% to programs · $101 to raise $100 earns a D on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
AFinancial health25% of the rating27 mo reserves · -2% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Rhode Island School of Design: 27 mo reserves · -2% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Rhode Island School of Design: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Rhode Island School of Design: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To educate its students and the public in the creation and appreciation of art and design.
What they do
Museum - the risd museum was founded on the belief that art, artists, and the institutions that support them play pivotal roles in promoting broad civic engagement and creating more open societies. the risd museum educates and inspires students and the public through exhibitions, lectures, tours, workshops and publications and provides free access to digital images of public domain materials in the collection for any purpose. we want our collection, scholarship, and interpretive content to be accessed, distributed, and reused by everyone.
Contact & location
- Address
- 2 College St, Providence, RI, 02903
- City
- Providence
- State
- Rhode Island
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Graduate & Professional Schools
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $144.7M (FY2013) to $223.5M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $212.4MNet assets $517.7M
Operating margin
-1.5%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$730.1M
Total liabilities
$212.4M
Net assets
$517.7M
Salaries & benefits
$116.5M
51% of expenses
Board members
29
28 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $223,500,826▼2.3% | $226,885,120▲2.7% | $517,699,399▲4.5% | $730,061,257▲2.2% | 990 |
| 2022 | $228,805,896▲1.5% | $220,855,533▲7.4% | $495,195,454▲3.1% | $714,113,370▲0.7% | 990 |
| 2021 | $225,470,039▲12.3% | $205,705,909▲11.6% | $480,533,672▼10.6% | $709,047,420▼7.6% | 990 |
| 2020 | $200,813,322▼7.4% | $184,284,545▼2.0% | $537,780,459▲20.1% | $767,673,515▲12.1% | 990 |
| 2019 | $216,882,419▼2.2% | $188,096,035▲2.5% | $447,767,466▼1.0% | $684,859,205▼1.7% | 990 |
| 2018 | $221,821,222▲2.2% | $183,596,691▲7.6% | $452,113,960▲1.1% | $696,356,053▲11.0% | 990 |
| 2017 | $217,078,503▲28.2% | $170,566,736▲4.8% | $447,023,776▲8.3% | $627,213,718▲4.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $169,273,950▲10.2% | $162,720,272▲3.5% | $412,915,159▲10.4% | $599,409,732▲5.3% | 990 |
| 2015 | $153,649,215▼3.0% | $157,291,495▲1.0% | $374,125,056▼4.2% | $569,276,493▼4.0% | 990 |
| 2014 | $158,454,700▲9.5% | $155,721,447▲3.3% | $390,587,596▲2.2% | $592,921,948▲0.1% | 990 |
| 2013 | $144,714,370 | $150,786,156▲6.8% | $382,093,970▲9.2% | $592,035,613▲5.5% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $141,161,413▲3.5% | $349,865,396▲5.7% | $561,270,231▲2.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $136,438,706▲6.0% | $331,110,311▼4.9% | $545,533,242▼2.9% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $128,739,810▲4.5% | $348,154,459▲11.6% | $561,724,525▲5.8% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $123,201,152 | $311,891,416 | $530,872,824 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Crystal Williams — $635,176 (0.28% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Williams | President | 50 | $635,176 |
| O'neil Outar | Vp Inst. Advancement (to 11/23) | 50 | $341,981 |
| Renee Byas | General Counsel | 50 | $295,310 |
| James Paul O'hara | Vp Enrollment | 50 | $275,203 |
| Sarah Ganz Blythe | Interim Dir., Risd Museum | 50 | $268,261 |
| Bethany Jankunis | Vp Strategy/planning/sr Adv To Pres | 50 | $265,324 |
| Richard Mickool | Chief Information Officer | 50 | $224,745 |
| John R Silva | Vice President, Campus Services | 50 | $223,109 |
| Kerci Marcello Stroud | Chief Market/comm Officer(to 4/24) | 50 | $219,884 |
| Anais A Missakian | Interim Provost | 50 | $218,821 |
| Elizabeth Rainone | Interim Vp Human Resources | 50 | $207,915 |
| Sarah Cunningham | Vice Provost For Strategic Partnerships | 50 | $203,438 |
| Joanne L Stryker | Special Advisor, Offshore Initiatives | 50 | $188,424 |
| David Rosati | Svp Finance & Administration | 50 | $179,385 |
| Brooks W Hagan | Dean, Fine Arts | 50 | $172,192 |
| Touba Ghadessi | Provost | 50 | $160,416 |
| Mary-rebecca Ebeling | Special Assist To Pres (to 3/24) | 50 | $110,545 |
| Rosanne Somerson | President Emeritus (until 06/24) | 50 | $98,208 |
| Ashleigh Axios | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Caroline Baumann | Trustee | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Shawmut Woodworking and Supply Inc | Construction Svcs | $2,895,316 |
| Global Endowment Managementlp | Investment Mgmt | $2,112,137 |
| Site Specific LLC | Construction Svcs | $1,531,971 |
| Allcsource Pps Inc | Temp Agency Svcs | $1,388,536 |
| Lombardi Construction | Construction Svcs | $945,295 |
Grants received · $29.4M total
140 grants to Rhode Island School of Design totaling $29.4M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rhode Island Community Foundation | Edu - educational success (primary) | 2024 | $77,910 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $40,000 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $31,676 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2024 | $25,000 |
| The Rhode Island Community Foundation | Edu - educational success (primary) | 2024 | $14,000 |
| The New York Community Trust | For general support. | 2024 | $12,500 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $10,000 |
| The Seattle Foundation | Needs-based scholarships | 2024 | $10,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2023 | $2,340,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $208,721 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Education | 2023 | $121,700 |
| Rsf Social Finance Inc | For the sustainable design lab | 2023 | $100,000 |
| The Rhode Island Community Foundation | Educational success | 2023 | $75,741 |
| Brown University of Providence | Subcontract grant | 2023 | $52,795 |
| American Gift Fund | Operations | 2023 | $50,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Rhode Island School of Design a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Rhode Island School of Design is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 05-0258956, based in Providence, Rhode Island. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Rhode Island School of Design's EIN?
- Rhode Island School of Design's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 05-0258956.
- How much revenue does Rhode Island School of Design report?
- Rhode Island School of Design reported $223,500,826 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Rhode Island School of Design's spending goes to programs?
- Rhode Island School of Design spends about 78% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Rhode Island School of Design have?
- CharityIndex grades Rhode Island School of Design C+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Rhode Island School of Design's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Rhode Island School of Design's latest Form 990 is $635,176, paid to Crystal Williams (President).
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Data for Rhode Island School of Design (EIN 05-0258956) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.