What ArtsPool does

ArtsPool is a private, member-owned cooperative that delivers outsourced financial management, bookkeeping, payroll processing, workforce administration, and shared retirement plan services exclusively to 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organizations. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the company serves approximately 44 Class A member organizations (per disclosed membership data), concentrated in the New York State nonprofit arts sector and including performing arts companies, arts service organizations, and cultural institutions such as Big Dance Theater, Brooklyn Arts Council, and New York Classical Theatre. The organization is co-owned by its member organizations (Class A) and its employees (Class C), with governance exercised through a Steering Committee of six member representatives and two employee representatives; there is no outside venture or private equity capital.

The service offering is delivered through a combination of a proprietary member-facing portal (the ArtsPool App) and an integrated third-party technology stack. Bookkeeping runs on Xero with a standardized chart of accounts; payroll, time tracking, time-off management, and W-2/I-9 processing run on CentrallyHR/BeyondPay (with the HCMtoGo mobile app for employees); credential and password management is handled via 1Password; and document management and email workflow sit on Google Drive and Gmail. ArtsPool additionally curates a recommended ecosystem of donor CRMs (Kindful, NeonCRM), payment processors (Stripe, preferred for its direct Xero integration), automation (Zapier), and secure file transfer (DropSecure). Members can access a Pooled Employer 401(k) Plan and flat-fee Project Services for non-membership consulting work. A bilingual (English/Spanish) Help Center supports member operations. No public API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities are described.

ArtsPool monetizes primarily through customized monthly flat-fee memberships priced per member organization's budget size and operational complexity, with annual inflation adjustments tied to NYC-metro wage growth and biennial fee reviews. Members separately reimburse ArtsPool for actual third-party software costs (Xero, CentrallyHR, 1Password, etc.) on a pass-through basis. Ancillary revenue comes from flat-fee Project Services and minor transactional fees (late bill payments, late payroll approval, unscheduled pay runs). The company operates under a two-entity corporate structure — ArtsPool LLC (Delaware parent) and ArtsPool Services, Inc. (New York operating subsidiary that employs all staff and contracts with members) — and has established a fiscal sponsorship arrangement enabling it to accept tax-deductible contributions and foundation grants while preserving its cooperative structure. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-member within the United States, with the contact-to-onboarding cycle running approximately six weeks.

Name

ArtsPool

Legal name

ArtsPool Services, Inc.

Website

https://artspool.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ArtsPool is a member-owned cooperative providing bookkeeping, payroll, financial management, and workforce administration services exclusively to 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organizations in New York. It is co-owned by its ~44 member organizations and employees, with no outside equity, and operates a proprietary member portal integrated with Xero and CentrallyHR/BeyondPay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Financial Management Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Nonprofit financial management
• Arts administration services
• Payroll processing services
• Cooperative bookkeeping
• Nonprofit HR services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Service Fees: Monthly flat fees customized based on each member organization's budget size and operational complexity. Fees include bookkeeping, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, audit prep, and workforce administration services. Annual inflation adjustments applied based on NYC metro wage growth. Reviewed every two years to ensure alignment with operational overhead and staff time required.
2. Software Cost Reimbursement: Member organizations reimburse ArtsPool monthly for actual software costs incurred on their behalf, including bookkeeping software, payroll systems, password managers, digital signature systems, payment processors, and tax filing software.
3. Consulting/Project Services: Flat-fee consulting work based on specific project scope, offered as an alternative to full membership for organizations seeking support on specific projects.
4. Late and Additional Fees: Late fees for unpaid bills ($25-$100+ per month escalating), late payroll approval fees ($50), and unscheduled pay run fees ($120 + $15 processing).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ArtsPool provides outsourced financial management (bookkeeping, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, audit prep) and workforce administration (payroll processing, labor compliance, employee onboarding, shared retirement plan) services exclusively to 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organizations. Operating as a member-owned cooperative, ArtsPool bundles these services into monthly memberships delivered by a dedicated service team using cloud-based platforms including Xero, CentrallyHR/BeyondPay, and a proprietary ArtsPool App member portal.

Product overview

ArtsPool is a member-owned cooperative providing financial management and workforce administration services exclusively to nonprofit arts organizations. The offering consists of Core Services encompassing Financial Management (bookkeeping, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, audit prep) and Workforce Administration (payroll processing, labor compliance). These are delivered through the ArtsPool App (member online portal) and CentrallyHR/BeyondPay (payroll platform). Additional services include a Shared Retirement Plan (Pooled Employer 401(k)) and Project Services (consulting). The cooperative model enables members to share administrative resources and reduce operational frictions within the arts nonprofit field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationCloud-based bookkeeping system used by ArtsPool for member financial management. ArtsPool uses a standardized chart of accounts within Xero for consistent bookkeeping across member organizations. Bank reconciliation and transaction coding performed within the Xero platform.
• CentrallyHR/BeyondPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPayroll processing platform used for member employee payroll, time tracking, time-off management, W-2 generation, I-9 verification, and direct deposit processing. Includes mobile app (HCMtoGo) for employees.
• 1PasswordcoreTechnology or IntegrationPassword management platform used by ArtsPool to securely manage and share passwords for member bank accounts, credit cards, and mission-critical services. Includes two-factor authentication support.
• Fiscal Sponsor (Unnamed Nonprofit Partner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtsPool LLC operates under a fiscal sponsorship agreement with a nonprofit partner, enabling the company to raise contributions on a tax-deductible basis and from tax-exempt foundations while maintaining its cooperative structure.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Foundation Source: Provides outsourced administration, accounting, and compliance services for private foundations. Most comparable in business model to ArtsPool - both offer back-office financial services to organizations that lack internal capacity - though Foundation Source serves foundations rather than arts nonprofits.

Broad incumbents

• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): Large national accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated nonprofit practice that delivers outsourced finance, audit, and HR services to nonprofit and arts organizations. Competes with ArtsPool for nonprofit finance mandates but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• BerryDunn: CPA and consulting firm with a strong nonprofit and arts sector practice providing audit, tax, and outsourced financial management. Comparable in serving arts nonprofits but operates as a traditional CPA firm rather than a cooperative.
• PKF O'Connor Davies: Accounting and advisory firm with a notable arts, culture, and nonprofit practice in the NYC metro area. Directly competes with ArtsPool for financial management mandates among NYC-based arts nonprofits.
• Withum: Major regional accounting firm with a significant nonprofit and arts sector practice offering outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, and HR services. Overlaps with ArtsPool in serving NYC arts nonprofits.
• BDO USA Nonprofit Practice: Top-tier global accounting firm with a dedicated nonprofit industry group offering audit, tax, and outsourced back-office services to nonprofit organizations including arts and culture clients.
• Blackbaud: Largest software provider serving nonprofits, including arts and culture organizations, with fundraising, financial management, and CRM software. Competes indirectly by offering self-service financial management that could substitute for ArtsPool's outsourced services.

Emerging players

• Whole Whale: Digital agency and consulting firm that helps nonprofits with marketing, technology, and capacity building. Adjacent peer rather than direct - complements ArtsPool's financial services with marketing and digital capabilities.

Others

• Instrumentl: Grant discovery and management platform for nonprofits. Complementary rather than competitive - ArtsPool members could use Instrumentl to source grants that ArtsPool then administers financially.
• Salesforce.org / Nonprofit Cloud: Enterprise CRM and program management platform adapted for nonprofits. Indirect peer - represents the broader software/automation trend that could erode demand for outsourced nonprofit finance services over time.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/artspool
• Xx.com/artspoolco

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ArtsPool