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Segunda Quimbamba Folkloric Center Inc

EIN 22-3515086 · Jersey City, NJ

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceGood76 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To promote the preservation of folkloric music and dance of Puerto Rico especially the Bomba and the Plena of Puerto Rico through teaching performances recordings and publications. SQFC creates spaces where these Afro-Puerto Rican drumming and dancing traditions manifest themselves in the Puerto Rican diaspora. We strive to celebrate and share our drumming and dancing traditions with Puerto Ricans and others who seek to collaborate and learn about this Afro-Puerto Rican folklore especially and the Afro-Latino influences in Latin American culture in general.

Income
$211,591
Spending
$190,107
Spent on programs
93%
Reserves
6.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 69%
Employees
0
Volunteers
25
Highest pay
$40,715, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 81% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 9% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 10% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 28% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    93% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 8 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

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

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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. $67,093 spent. SQFC continued growing the number of students served in all of our teaching platforms in 2025. Our adult and childrens classes in dance and drum had their highest enrollment this year requiring additional classes for our students. Our public-school residencies were completed in Willingboro Newark Jersey City Bayonne Hoboken Princeton Union City Kearny and Trenton New Jersey and exposed these students to dance and drum practices that led to memorable student performances in each of these cities. In sum approximately 600 students were part of SQFCs instructional programs in 2025.
  2. $64,477 spent. With 49 performances logged in 2025 over 9,500 persons of all races and nationalities witnessed SQFCs Afro-Puerto Rican musical expressions. With the addition of our performance at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in June 2025 - the largest Puerto Rican parade in the U.S. - an additional 250,000 people enjoyed live Bomba and Plena music with Segunda Quimbamba. Among the 259,000 persons who saw Segunda Quimbamba perform in 2025 we had over 7,000 public-school students who were introduced to Puerto Rican drum and dance traditions at assemblies in Hoboken Morris Plains Bayonne Newark Jersey City Toms River Princeton Berkeley Heights Paterson Bridgeton Irvington North Haledon Trenton Kearny Pleasantville New Jersey plus schools in Wilmington and Dover Delaware.
  3. $16,277 spent. Reclaim The Block is SQFCs annual street music festival held in Jersey City. In 2025 it drew close to 500 people who enjoyed childrens arts and crafts food art and clothing vendors and live music from U.S. Puerto Rican and Peruvian musicians. The dance and drum ensemble Segunda Quimbamba closed the event with live participatory Bomba music. The festival was very well received by our neighbors in Jersey City and was made possible by the work of our volunteers.
  4. $29,517 spent. The balance of Program Services expenses consists of a SQFC Archival Preservation: a project to catalogue and digitize the archival collection of SQFC that focuses on Bomba and Plena practice in the Puerto Rican diaspora. This project received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for the 2025 year and is an ongoing project of SQFC; and b Promotion and Communications for the work of SQFC.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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? Worth knowing.

    Status was revoked on May 15, 2018 for not filing returns for three years. The IRS now lists it as tax-exempt again.

    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 December 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 2022.

    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.