Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture nonprofit agency based in Houston, Texas. Established in 1977, HAA serves as the city's designated local arts and culture agency. The organization implements the City of Houston's vision, values, and goals for arts grantmaking and civic art investments through contracts with the City of Houston, overseen by the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs. HAA also executes privately funded programs and projects to meet the needs of the arts community.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.7M
+7.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$12.4M
+5.9% YoY
Grant Count
128
+4.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$97K
+1.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
HAA's mission is to help artists and nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong. The organization works to improve the quality of life for Houstonians and visitors while promoting Houston as a premier arts and culture destination.
HAA invests in Houston through the following activities:
- Providing grants to arts, culture, and community organizations and individual artists
- Commissioning, conserving, and promoting public art and enlivening public spaces
- Highlighting and celebrating the region's rich folklife and diverse cultural traditions through programming and documentation
- Helping arts and culture organizations develop business acumen
- Engaging neighborhoods and civic partners to advance equity in and access to arts and culture
- Furthering the arts and culture field through research and convenings
- Funding cultural tourism initiatives
- Expanding the overall creative economy
Grantmaking
HAA manages the City of Houston's competitive Arts Grants Program under contract with the City, awarding grants through a peer review panel process. Grant decisions are based on key elements including artistic/cultural merit, audience development and community outreach, cultural tourism impact, and the administrative and management ability of grant recipients.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
HAA focuses on the Greater Houston Area and Houston, Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $39,726,791
- Total Revenues: $25,459,308
- Total Expenses: $21,984,472
Previous Year Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $37.1M
- Total Revenues: $22.7M
- Total Expenses: $25.5M
- Total Liabilities: $22.4M
Budget Composition:
- Approximately 55% from Hotel Occupancy Tax
- Approximately 30% from the City of Houston's Percent for Art Program (supports commissions of new civic art projects and conservation of existing artworks)
- Approximately 15% from private fundraising (grants, contributions, and other revenue)
Staffing:
- 31 employees (as of 2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,726,791 | $37,118,560 | $34,542,590 |
| Revenue | $25,459,308 | $22,732,047 | $21,603,501 |
| Expenses | $21,984,472 | $25,458,950 | $18,544,264 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $23,289 | $40,481 | $14,309 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
9 open opportunities from Houston Arts Alliance
Festival Grant (FG)
Houston Arts Alliance
Amount
Up to $10,000
Deadline
July 24, 2026
Houston Arts Alliance: City's Initiative Grant
Houston Arts Alliance
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Houston Arts Alliance: Festival Grant
Houston Arts Alliance
Amount
Up to US $10,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Alley Theatre ($717,690), Childrens Museum Inc ($423,416), Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment ($135,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 4Th Wall Theatre Company Houston, TX | General support | $71,250 |
| Alley Theatre Houston, TX | General support | $717,690 |
| Ambassadors International Ballet Folklorico Inc Houston, TX | General support | $20,437 |
| American Festival for the Arts Houston, TX | General support | $62,500 |
| Aperio Houston, TX | General support | $9,688 |
| Apollo Chamber Players Houston, TX | General support | $85,645 |
| Archaeological Institute of America Houston Society Houston, TX | General support | $21,877 |
| Ars Lyrica Houston Houston, TX | General support | $58,646 |
| Art Colony Association Inc Houston, TX | General support | $65,000 |
| Art Factory Houston Inc Houston, TX | General support | $18,364 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michele Leal Farah | Chair | 2 | — |
| Sergio Selvera | Vice Chair | 2 | — |
| Jackie Phillips | Secretary | 2 | — |
| Paula Sutton | Treasurer | 2 | — |
| Alim Adatia | Director | 2 | — |
| Juan Alanis | Director | 2 | — |
| Lauren Anderson | Director | 2 | — |
| Jerry Barnett | Director | 2 | — |
| Beryl Basham | Director | 2 | — |
| Eric Blackwell | Director | 2 | — |
| Joe Brettell | Director | 2 | — |
| Susanne Burkeholder | Director | 2 | — |
| Shani Burnett | Director | 2 | — |
| John Paul Capistran | Director | 2 | — |
| Christopher Cardenas | Director | 2 | — |
| CC Conner | Director | 2 | — |
| Paola Creixell | Director | 2 | — |
| Andrew Davis | Director | 2 | — |
| June Deadrick | Director | 2 | — |
| Darryl Gaines | Director | 2 | — |
| Justin Goodman | Director | 2 | — |
| Rosi Hernandez | Director | 2 | — |
| Necole Irvin | Director | 2 | — |
| Garfield Johnson | Director | 2 | — |
| Victoria Lara | Director | 2 | — |
| Jackie Maldonado | Director | 2 | — |
| Rosalinda Martinez | Director | 2 | — |
| Judy Nyquist | Director | 2 | — |
| Brenda Peters-Chase | Director | 2 | — |
| Shaheen Rahman | Director | 2 | — |
| Eryn Roberts | Director | 2 | — |
| Louise Upshaw-McClenny | Director | 2 | — |
| John M Abodeely | CEO to 11/30/24 | 40 | $303,048 |
| Taylor Simone Jackson | Interim CEO from 12/1/2024 | 40 | $130,808 |
| Stacey P Keene | COO | 40 | $180,385 |
| Sixto Wagan | Director of BANF | 40 | $127,648 |
| Grace Zuniga | Director of Civic Art | 40 | $123,741 |
| Michelle Dobbins | Director of Disaster Svc | 40 | $117,792 |
| Karen Martinez | Director of Communications | 40 | $108,538 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
HAA has announced multiple grant cycles and recipients in recent years, including:
Houston Arts Alliance Announces 2026 Grant Recipients - Glasstire2026 Grant Recipients announcement
Houston Arts Alliance Announces 2026 Grant Recipients - GlasstireOpen call for Let Creativity Happen! City's Initiative Grants (2026)
City of Houston Awards Grants to Projects Amplifying Artistic CreativityCity of Houston awards to projects amplifying artistic creativity and innovation (2024 and 2025)
City of Houston Awards Grants to Projects Amplifying Artistic CreativityThe organization maintains a public list of grantees on its website.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Houston Arts Alliance fund?
HAA's mission is to help artists and nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong. The organization works to improve the quality of life for Houstonians and visitors while promoting Houston as a premier arts and culture destination. HAA invests in Houston through the following activities: • Providing grants to arts, culture, and community organizations and individual artists • Commissioning, conserving, and promoting public art and enlivening public spaces • Highlighting and celebrating the regio…
How do I apply for a grant from Houston Arts Alliance?
HAA manages the City of Houston's competitive Arts Grants Program under contract with the City, awarding grants through a peer review panel process. Grant decisions are based on key elements including artistic/cultural merit, audience development and community outreach, cultural tourism impact, and the administrative and management ability of grant recipients. **Recent Grant Activity:** • Total grants awarded through the City of Houston's Arts Grants Program: $15,251,949 • Typical award range: …
Where does Houston Arts Alliance make grants?
HAA focuses on the Greater Houston Area and Houston, Texas.
What size grants does Houston Arts Alliance award?
In 2024, Houston Arts Alliance awarded 128 grants totaling $12.4M — an average of about $97K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Houston Arts Alliance's EIN?
Houston Arts Alliance's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-1946756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Houston Arts Alliance's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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