Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Anthology Film Archives

EIN 13-6227423 · New York, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong96 out of 100GovernanceStrong95 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

ANTHOLOGY FILM ARCHIVES IS A MAJOR CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT, NONCOMMERCIAL AND AVANT-GARDE CINEMA. THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS AND OPERATES AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FACILITY FOR THE PHYSICAL PRESERVATION, EXHIBITION AND STUDY OF ESSENTIAL WORKS OF FILM AND VIDEO ART. IN ADDITION TO ITS FILM PRESERVATION AND PUBLIC SCREENING PROGRAMS, THE ORGANIZATION OFFERS IN-PERSON ARTIST APPEARANCES, LECTURES, TOURS AND SEMINARS FOR THE PUBLIC AND VISITING SCHOOL GROUPS; PUBLISHES PROGRAM CATALOGS AND BOOKS OF SCHOLARLY RESEARCH; AND MAINTAINS AN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH LIBRARY THAT SERVES STUDENTS, SCHOLARS AND WRITERS ASSOCIATED WITH UNIVERSITIES, MUSEUMS, ARCHIVES AND CINEMAS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ABROAD. THE ORGANIZATION'S PRIMARY ACTIVITIES ARE TO EXHIBIT A BROAD PROGRAM OF HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY CINEMA; TO PRESERVE ITS OWN VAST COLLECTION OF RARE AND UNIQUE ARTIST-MADE FILMS; AND TO COLLECT AND PUBLISH DOCUMENTATION IN THIS FIELD.

Income
$1.5 million
Spending
$1.2 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
21.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 50%
Employees
35
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$55,000, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 21.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 25% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 66% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 69% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $617,916 spent. FILM AND VIDEO EXHIBITIONS: THE ORGANIZATION MAINTAINS AND OPERATES TWO THEATER SPACES THAT ARE USED FOR FILM AND VIDEO EXHIBITION ON A DAILY BASIS. THE ORGANIZATION'S OWN FILM COLLECTION IS PRESENTED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF EACH YEAR, AND IS PROGRAMMED TO PROVIDE REGULAR ACCESS TO MANY OF THE MASTERPIECES OF FILM HISTORY, WITH A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON INDEPENDENT AND AVANT-GARDE CINEMA. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PRESENTS NUMEROUS FILMS AND FILM SERIES CURATED FROM SOURCES OUTSIDE ITS OWN COLLECTION, INCLUDING RETROSPECTIVES, SINGLE- EVENING PROGRAMS OF EXPERIMENTAL FILMS OLD AND NEW, AND THEATRICAL PREMIERS OF FEATURE FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
  2. $297,026 spent. FILM AND VIDEO PRESERVATION AND ARCHIVING: THE ORGANIZATION STORES APPROXIMATELY 20,000 FILMS AND 5,000 VIDEOS IN ITS CLIMATE CONTROLLED VAULTS, MANY OF WHICH MIGHT NO LONGER EXIST WITHOUT THE ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS. THE ORGANIZATION PRESERVES DOZENS OF FILMS AND VIDEOS EACH YEAR, OF VARYING FORMAT, LENGTH AND PROJECT COMPLEXITY, MAKING NEW NEGATIVES, PROJECTION PRINTS AND DIGITAL COPIES OF FILMS THAT ARE UNIQUE AND/OR THREATENED BY DECAY, INSURING THAT THESE CRITICALLY AND CULTURALLY IMPORTANT WORKS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO AUDIENCES AND SCHOLARS FOR DECADES TO COME.
  3. $41,587 spent. LIBRARY AND RESEARCH: THE ORGANIZATION'S LIBRARY HOUSES THE MOST EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF RESEARCH AND ARCHIVAL PAPER MATERIALS RELATED TO AVANT-GARDE AND EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA IN THE COUNTRY (AND PERHAPS THE WORLD). THESE COLLECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT, AND HAVE BEEN WIDELY ACCESSED BY STUDENTS, SCHOLARS, PROFESSORS, WRITERS AND CURATORS AS A UNIQUE RESOURCE IN THE FIELD. THE ORGANIZATION IS A NONLENDING LIBRARY, BUT OFFERS PHOTOCOPY FACILITIES AND IS BUILDING A DIGITAL IMAGE DATABASE OF ITS RARE PAPER MATERIALS THAT WILL BE UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE ONLINE. IN 2026, THE ORGANIZATION PLANS TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION TO EXPAND ITS FACILITIES, FEATURING A NEW ANNEX ADDITION ADJACENT TO ITS EXISTING HISTORIC BUILDING. THE NEW FACILITY WILL GREATLY EXPAND PUBLIC ACCESS, ALONG WITH THE FORTHCOMING COLLECTIONS WEBSITE.
  4. $21,110 spent. PUBLICATIONS AND REPRODUCTIONS: INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED FOR ITS DEDICATION TO THE HISTORY OF INNOVATIVE, AVANT-GARDE AND EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA, THE ORGANIZATION PUBLISHES EDUCATIONAL CATALOGS AND BOOKS IN THE FIELD, WHICH WOULD HAVE NO OTHER PROSPECTS FOR PUBLICATION BECAUSE OF THE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED SUBJECT MATTER. THE ORGANIZATION'S PUBLICATIONS ARE SOLD TO COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORES, AND DIRECTLY TO TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR RESEARCH AND STUDY PURPOSES.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1967.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.