Cinema Tropical Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROMOTE LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA THROUGH APPROPRIATE CHANNELS FOR EXHIBITION.
- Income
- $252,198
- Spending
- $249,183
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 5.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 37%
- Employees
- 2
- Highest pay
- $89,000, dir/officer
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
Good: 72 out of 100. Higher than 45% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 18% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports 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 (3)
- $86,728 spent. FILM PROGRAMMING: THROUGH ITS FILM PROGRAMMING, CINEMA TROPICAL IS AIMING TO CREATE VALUE TO THE FILMS THEY PRESENT IN THE FORM OF PARTICULARLY THEMED FILM SERIES. FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD, CINEMA TROPICAL PRESENTED A WIDE ARRAY OF FILM SERIES INCLUDING "GENMEX: RECENT FILMA FROM MEXICO, PART II", "TROPICAL TUESDAYS", "CINEMA TROPICAL'S MUSIC + FILM SERIES",AND "INDOCUMANTALES/UNDOCUMENTARIES: THE US/MEXICO INTERDEPENDENT FILM SERIES".SOME OF THESE SERIES CONTINUE TO TRAVEL AROUND THE COUNTRY PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE SEEN IN ALTERNATIVE FILM CIRCUITS. CINEMA TROPICAL HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A MODEL NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND A PIONEER IN FINDING NEW WAYS FOR MEDIA ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO ADAPT TO THE NEW CONTEXTS.CINEMA TROPICAL'S BIGGEST ASSET, AND WHAT DIFFERENCIATES CINEMA TROPICAL FROM ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION, IS THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST TEN YEARS CINEMA TROPICAL HAS BUILT A DEDICATED AUDIENCE INTERESTED IN LATIN AMERICAN FILMS. CINEMA TROPICAL'S GRASSROOTS EFFORTS HAVE ALLOWED IT TO FIND THE POPULATION, GAIN THE KNOW-HOW TO REACH, AND BUILD A COMMUNITY INTERESTED IN LEARNING AND EXPERIENCING THE CINEMA FROM LATIN AMERICA. BY FOCUSING ON RELEASING FILMS IN NEW YORK, CINEMA TROPICAL'S BIGGEST ASSET IS BEING MAXIMIZED.
- $72,090 spent. MARKETING & PUBLICITY: THE MAIN GOAL OF CINEMA TROPICAL'S MARKETING AND PUBLICITY PROGRAM IS TO CONSOLIDATE AND EXPAND THE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE INTERESTED IN LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA AROUND THE U.S. CINEMA TROPICAL USES ITS MARKETING AND PUBLICITY SERVICES AS AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR THE ORGANIZATION. CINEMA TROPICAL USES ITS OWN COMMUNICATION CHANNELS (MAILING LISTS, E-MAIL BLASTS, WEBSITE, POSTCARDS), GRASS-ROOTS STRATEGIES (RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS), AND PRESS RELATIONS (CONTACT WITH GENERAL AND LATINO MEDIA) AS PART OF ITS CONTINUOUS OUTREACH CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE A LARGER AUDIENCE ABOUT THE ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL VALUE OF THE FILMS PRODUCED IN THE REGION. IN ADDITION TO PROMOTING THEIR OWN FILMS IN THE CINEMA TROPICAL SERIES, AND WORKING ON THE NEW YORK THEATRICAL RELEASE OF FEATURE FILMS DISTRIBUTED BY CINEMA TROPICAL, IN THE PAST YEAR, CINEMA TROPICAL PROMOTED 53 FEATURE FILMS RELEASED BY RENOWNED US DISTRIBUTORS AND 5 FILM SERIES ORGANIZED BY PRESTIGIOUS NEW YORK AND NATIONAL CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, SUPPORTING THE WORK OF MORE THAN 112 FILMMAKERS AND REACHING AN ESTIMATED AUDIENCE OF 93,000 PERSONS.AS THE LEADING ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO THE PROMOTION OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN LATIN AMERICA AND THE UNITED STATES, CINEMA TROPICAL OPERATES AN INFORMATION SERVICES PROGRAM THAT RESPONDS TO APPROXIMATELY 100 E-MAILS PER WEEK FROM INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS. THROUGH A WEEKLY E-MAIL NEWSLETTER AND THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED ELECTRONIC QUERIES, CINEMA TROPICAL PROVIDES SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE TO MORE THAN 11,000 INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY. THE CINEMA TROPICAL E-MAIL NEWSLETTER INCLUDES ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT UPCOMING SCREENINGS OF LATIN AMERICAN FILMS IN ALL NEW YORK CITY AREA VENUES, THUS CULTIVATING A GROWING NETWORK OF LATIN AMERICAN AND LATINO AUDIENCES.
- $28,825 spent. FILM RENTALS: THIS PROGRAM ATTEMPTS TO OFFER A LIBRARY OF FILMS TO FURTHER EXPAND THE EXHIBITION OF LATIN AMERICAN FILMS BY PROMOTING THEM IN OTHER PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES, ESPECIALLY WHERE LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA DOES NOT REACH COMMERCIAL THEATERS. CINEPHILES, STUDENTS OF FILM, AND PEOPLE INTERESTED IN LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND UNIVERSITIES, MUSEUMS, AND FESTIVALS, TO SEE THESE FILMS AROUND THE COUNTRY. WITH AN IMPRESSIVE LIBRARY OF FICTION FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES, CINEMA TROPICAL OFFERS FILMS TO U.S. EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS THAT WOULD NOT HAVE REACHED THE COUNTRY HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR CINEMA TROPICAL. THE ORGANIZATION WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND THIS ASPECT OF ITS OPERATION SO THAT MORE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY CAN BE REACHED.
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
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 2003.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 21, 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.