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Philadelphia Film Society

EIN 23-3077468 · Philadelphia, PA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak35 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • Only 50% of its spending went to programs.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

THE PHILADELPHIA FILM SOCIETY (PFS) IS THE REGION'S HOME FOR CLASSIC AND CONTEMPORARY FILM PRESENTATION, EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. A NONPROFIT, COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION, PFS PRODUCES THE ACCLAIMED PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL, CURATES AN EXTENSIVE YEAR-ROUND FILM PROGRAM CELEBRATING THE PAST AND FUTURE OF WORLD CINEMA, AND PROVIDES EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS, ALL SERVING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF FILM AS AN IMPORTANT ART FORM AND VITAL PIECE OF PHILADELPHIA'S ARTS AND CULTURE COMMUNITY. PRESENTED AT THE PHILADELPHIA FILM CENTER, PFS BOURSE, AND PFS EAST THEATERS, THE FILM SOCIETY'S OFFERINGS INCLUDE FILM SERIES WITH A UNIQUE GLOBAL AND LOCAL PERSPECTIVE, MOVIES ON THE BLOCK, PFS ON US, AND PFS TEACHER RESIDENCIES ACROSS PHILADELPHIA SCHOOLS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.FILMADELPHIA.ORG.

Income
$7.4 million
Spending
$5.6 million
Spent on programs
50%
Reserves
-6.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 53%
Employees
110
Volunteers
100
Highest pay
$224,416, executive di

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

Weak: 35 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 74% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 24% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 54% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    50% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 26 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    22 of 23 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

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • 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 (5)
  1. $948,689 spent. PHILADELPHIA FILM CENTER: THE PHILADELPHIA FILM CENTER IS AN EXCITING PERFORMANCE VENUE IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA FEATURING THE LARGEST SCREEN IN THE CITY. THE PHILADELPHIA FILM CENTER IS LOCATED AT BROAD AND CHESTNUT STREETS ON THE AVENUE OF THE ARTS AND HOSTS AN EXTENSIVE SLATE OF CURATED FILM SCREENINGS, FILM PREVIEWS AND PREMIERES, AND LIVE EVENTS IN TWO STATE-OF-THE-ART THEATERS.
  2. $1.2 million spent. PFS BOURSE: THE PHILADELPHIA FILM SOCIETY PROUDLY OPERATES AND PROGRAMS THE PFS BOURSE, A FIVE-SCREEN, 776-SEAT THEATER LOCATED IN THE HEART OF OLD CITY, PHILADELPHIA. PFS REOPENED THE FORMER RITZ AT THE BOURSE THEATER IN 2021 WITH PROGRAMMING FOCUSING ON CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED FIRST-RUN INDIE AND ART HOUSE FILMS ALONG WITH CURATED CONTENT. PRIOR TO THE REOPENING, THE PFS BOURSE UNDERWENT A COMPLETE RENOVATION INCLUDING AN INTERIOR FACELIFT, INSTALLATION OF 4K AND 2K LASER PROJECTORS AND 7.1 DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND SOUND IN ALL FIVE THEATERS, AND AN UPDATED LOWER LOBBY CONCESSION AREA, ALL TRANSFORMING THE THEATER INTO A STATE-OF-THE-ART VENUE OPTIMAL FOR FILM PRESENTATION.
  3. $623,723 spent. PFS EAST: THE MOST RECENT THEATER UNDER PFS MANAGEMENT, THE PFS EAST IS A 2-SCREEN, 550-SEAT THEATER LOCATED IN OLD CITY, PHILADELPHIA, NEXT TO WELCOME PARK. ACQUIRED FOR USE IN OCTOBER OF 2022 FOR THE PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL, PFS PERMANENTLY REOPENED THE FORMER RITZ EAST IN NOVEMBER 2022 WITH A FOCUS ON FIRST-RUN BLOCKBUSTER AND PRESTIGE TITLES ALONGSIDE OCCASIONAL CURATED FILM SELECTIONS FROM PFS'S PROGRAMMING TEAM.
  4. $20,952 spent. PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL: EVERY OCTOBER, THE PHILADELPHIA FILM SOCIETY HOSTS THE PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL WHICH GATHERS MORE THAN 25,000 DEDICATED FILM LOVERS AND SCORES OF TALENTED FILMMAKERS FOR ELEVEN EXCEPTIONAL DAYS OF CINEMATIC SPLENDOR. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, PFS'S ARTISTIC TEAM SCOURS THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS FILM FESTIVALS - FROM SUNDANCE TO BERLIN, CANNES TO TORONTO - FOR THE YEAR'S MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING FILMS. THE FESTIVAL PRESENTS THESE FILMS AS WELL AS SELECTIONS FROM THE HUNDREDS OF SUBMITTED FILMS VIEWED BY FESTIVAL PROGRAMMERS, ALL ALONGSIDE EXCLUSIVE EVENTS WITH ACTORS, DIRECTORS, AND INDUSTRY GUESTS; VIP RECEPTIONS; AND MUCH MORE. AS A WORLD-CLASS FILM FESTIVAL, THE FESTIVAL REPRESENTS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CULTURAL LIFE OF THE CITY AND REGION, ATTRACTING NEW AUDIENCES TO PFS AND THE FILM COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
  5. PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL: EVERY OCTOBER, THE PHILADELPHIA FILM SOCIETY HOSTS THE PHILADELPHIA FILM FESTIVAL WHICH GATHERS MORE THAN 25,000 DEDICATED FILM LOVERS AND SCORES OF TALENTED FILMMAKERS FOR ELEVEN EXCEPTIONAL DAYS OF CINEMATIC SPLENDOR. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, PFS'S ARTISTIC TEAM SCOURS THE WORLD'S MOST PRESTIGIOUS FILM FESTIVALS - FROM SUNDANCE TO BERLIN, CANNES TO TORONTO - FOR THE YEAR'S MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING FILMS. THE FESTIVAL PRESENTS THESE FILMS AS WELL AS SELECTIONS FROM THE HUNDREDS OF SUBMITTED FILMS VIEWED BY FESTIVAL PROGRAMMERS, ALL ALONGSIDE EXCLUSIVE EVENTS WITH ACTORS, DIRECTORS, AND INDUSTRY GUESTS; VIP RECEPTIONS; AND MUCH MORE. AS A WORLD-CLASS FILM FESTIVAL, THE FESTIVAL REPRESENTS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE CULTURAL LIFE OF THE CITY AND REGION, ATTRACTING NEW AUDIENCES TO PFS AND THE FILM COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since November 2001.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.

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