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THE CHELSEA FACTORY INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 862026695 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A20 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · chelseafactory.org
revenue
$1.6M
expenses
$3.8M
net assets
$209K
employees
82
volunteers
4
program ratio
83%
mission · from form 990

CHELSEA FACTORY EXISTED TO SUPPORT THE ARTISTS, ENSEMBLES, AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS OF NEW YORK CITY AS WE EMERGE FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS FROM HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED COMMUNITIES, CHELSEA FACTORY PROVIDED HIGHLY SUBSIDIZED CREATION AND PRESENTATION SPACE, PRODUCTION RESOURCES, AND DYNAMIC CONNECTIONS THAT AIM TO CREATE TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES FOR ITS ARTISTS AND PARTNERS ACROSS GENRES.

profile · synthesized from sources

Chelsea Factory is a nonprofit arts organization in New York City that provides subsidized space, production resources, and support to artists, ensembles, and arts organizations, with a focus on historically excluded communities. It hosts artist residencies, performances, workshops, and community events across disciplines. The organization emphasizes creative development and public engagement through its Chelsea-based venue.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Artist Residency
Provides time, space, and resources for artists and ensembles to develop new work, with a focus on historically excluded communities
Free at the Factory
Community series offering free performances, workshops, and events including yoga, music, and theater for the public
Rehearse at the Factory
Program providing rehearsal space and technical support for dance and performance artists
Showcases at the Factory
Presents works-in-progress and performances by resident and visiting artists across genres
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Performing Arts Production Support 1 activity
    • Fund arts programming through public and state support
      Operates programs with funding support from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Office of the Governor, and the New York State Legislature.
  • Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
    • Host public performances and free community events
      Produced over 300 public performances and free events, including performances, premieres, music concerts, family events, and hip hop battles, as part of the Free at the Factory series and other programs, welcoming over 50,000 audience members.
  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Operate an artist residency program for emerging and mid-career artists
      Hosted three cohorts of resident artists from diverse disciplines at critical career junctures, including Hope Boykin, Soul Science Lab, Yara Travieso, and Leigh Fondakowski, providing tailored resources such as financial support, rehearsal and performance space, production assistance, and professional development.
  • Subsidized Rehearsal and Performance Space 1 activity
    • Provide subsidized space and resources for artists and arts organizations
      Provided highly subsidized space for artistic creation and presentation, production resources, and networking opportunities to over 5,000 New York City-based artists from historically excluded communities, supported by event rental income from 2021 to 2025. Operated in a 14,000 sq ft landmarked building in Manhattan through May 2025.
  • Historic Theater and Arts Venue Preservation 1 activity
    • Transform and maintain a flexible performance venue through infrastructure upgrades
      Transformed a historic industrial building in Manhattan into a fully flexible performance venue through infrastructure upgrades and theatrical buildout, supporting a wide range of artistic uses until operations concluded in Spring 2025.
  • Uncategorized 1 activity
    • Distribute theatrical equipment to artists and organizations at reduced cost
      During organizational wind down, distributed high-demand theatrical equipment to partner organizations and art makers at a deep discount to support continued artistic production.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.57M
Contributions & grants$296K19%
Program service revenue$2.10M133%
Investment income$-824K-52%
Other revenue$693
expenses
Total expenses$3.77M
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising2%
Salaries & benefits$1.09M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$242K
Cash$242K
Investments$0
Liabilities$34K
Net assets$209K
Liquid reserves0.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -68.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 2
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
LAUREN KIEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/TREASURER 40 $357K
DONALD BORROR MANAGING DIRECTOR 40 $194K
board members · 4
  • ANDREA MILLER — BOARD MEMBER
  • ARIELLE PATRICK — BOARD MEMBER
  • JIM HERBERT — FOUNDER & BOARD CHAIR
  • LINDA SHELTON — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 107

Who they work with

  • AFRO LATIN JAZZ ORCHESTRA Partner — Collaborated on programming at Chelsea Factory.
  • Afro Latin Jazz Alliance Partner — Partner organization that presented performances at Chelsea Factory.
  • Amazon Partner — Corporate rental partner
  • Ariel Investments Funder — Funder of Chelsea Factory programming
  • BALLET HISPÁNICO PA'LANTE SCHOLARS Partner — Partnered to support emerging dancers and artists.
  • Babson College Network — Jim Herbert formerly served as a trustee.
  • Ballet Hispánico Partner — Partner organization that presented performances at Chelsea Factory.
  • Ballet Hispánico Partner — Provided production and logistical support for performances or rehearsals.
  • Bare Opera Partner — Partner organization that presented performances at Chelsea Factory.
  • Big Dance Theater Partner — Partner organization that collaborated on programming at Chelsea Factory.
  • Bitkraft Partner — Corporate rental partner
  • Booth Ferris Foundation Funder — Funder of Chelsea Factory programming
  • Brooklyn Raga Massive Partner — Partner organization that presented performances at Chelsea Factory.
  • Buglisi Dance Theatre Partner — Hosted residency and performance activities including "Leaping in...30th Anniversary" and "The Table of Silence Project 9/11".
  • CHELSEA MUSIC FESTIVAL Partner — Collaborated on musical performances and events.
  • Chelsea Factory Network — Andrea Miller serves on the board of Chelsea Factory.
  • Chelsea Music Festival Partner — Partner organization that presented performances at Chelsea Factory.
  • Children’s Museum of the Arts Partner — Partner organization that collaborated on programming at Chelsea Factory.
  • Choreographers and Cocktails Partner — Partner organization that participated in programming at Chelsea Factory.
  • Dia Art Foundation Partner — Corporate rental partner
  • EMERGE125 Partner — Partnered on artist development and performance initiatives.
  • EMERGE125 Partner — Partnered to support artistic programming and field-building initiatives.
  • Federal Reserve’s Twelfth District Federal Advisory Council Government — Jim Herbert served as a member from 2018 to 2020.
  • Freestyle Love Supreme Partner — Partner organization that presented performances at Chelsea Factory.
  • GALLIM Partner — Andrea Miller is the founder and artistic director of GALLIM, an NYC-based dance company.
  • GALLIM Partner — Partner organization that presented performances at Chelsea Factory.
  • GALLIM Partner — Partnered on dance productions and rehearsals.
  • General Motors Partner — Corporate rental partner
  • HBO Partner — Corporate rental partner
  • Harvard Partner — GALLIM’s repertory, creative methodology, and dance training are taught at Harvard.
+ 77 more
strategies · 5

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Adaptive Space Utilization for Artistic Responsiveness
    methodology: adaptive_reuse_arts_spaces
    By transforming underutilized industrial spaces into flexible venues and using a pop-up, non-competitive model, we respond rapidly to artists’ needs and catalyze systemic rebuilding of the arts sector because temporary and adaptive spaces lower barriers to entry and enable experimentation without long-term overhead.
  • Collaborative Programming with Mission-Aligned Partners
    methodology: collaborative_programming
    By co-hosting events with mission-aligned organizations, we extend collective resources and deepen community impact because shared programming amplifies reach, reduces duplication, and strengthens the cultural ecosystem through interdependence.
  • Equity-Centered Artist Support
    methodology: equity-centered artist support
    By providing subsidized access to space, production resources, and cross-genre collaborations for artists from historically excluded communities, we foster transformative artistic experiences because systemic inequities in the arts are addressed through targeted resource allocation and inclusive creative ecosystems.
  • Process-Centered Artistic Residency
    methodology: process-centered artistic residency
    By prioritizing creative process over final product in residencies, we enable deep artistic investigation and collaborative problem solving because this approach fosters innovation, risk-taking, and long-term artistic growth unencumbered by commercial or performative pressures.
  • Subsidized Access via Cross-Subsidy Model
    methodology: revenue-subsidized artist access
    By using revenue from corporate event rentals to subsidize space access for local artists, we create a self-sustaining model of artist support because financial sustainability enables ongoing equity-driven programming without reliance on volatile funding streams.