The Fred Rogers Company
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE FRED ROGERS COMPANY WAS FOUNDED BY FRED ROGERS IN 1971 TO PRODUCE MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD (TELEVISION'S LONGEST-RUNNING PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN). FOLLOWING ITS FOUNDER'S DEATH IN 2003, THE COMPANY HAS EXPANDED TO BECOME A MAJOR SUPPLIER OF CHILDEN'S PROGRAMMING FOR PBS, WITH SIX SERIES REGULARLY BROADCASTED. ITS SIGNATURE PROPERTY, DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD, SUPPORTS HEALTHY EMOTIONAL, SOCIAL, AND INTELLECTUAL GROWTH FOR THE VERY YOUNGEST VIEWERS, AND EMBODIES THE PHILOSOPHY AND VALUES OF FRED RODGERS. THE FRED ROGERS COMPANY WORKS IN TWO BROAD AREAS:1. CREATING ENGAGING, EDUCATIONAL CONTENT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN BROADCAST AND DIGITAL MEDIA, INCLUDING TELEVISION, WEBSITES, AND APPS. 2. EXTENDING THE IMPACT OF THIS CONTENT BY PARTNERING WITH OTHERS, INCLUDING NONPROFITS, REASEARCH ORGANIZATIONS, AND PBS MEMBER STATIONS, TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO ACCOMPANY ITS PROGRAMS FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN.
- Income
- $28.6 million
- Spending
- $57.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 90%
- Reserves
- 9.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- other income, 35%
- Employees
- 44
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $385,703, president/ceo
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: 78 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 13% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 101% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1590% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2516 of 16 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
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 (7)
- $27.0 million spent. DONKEY HODIE IS A PUPPET SERIES INSPIRED BY THE WORK OF FRED ROGERS THROUGH HIS MISSION TO HELP YOUNG VIEWERS NAVIGATE THE FRUSTRATIONS AND CHALLENGES OF CHILDHOOD. DONKIE HODIE PREMIRED ON PBS MAY 3, 2021.
- $11.4 million spent. ALMA'S WAY IS AN ANIMATED SERIES CREATED BY SONIA MANZANO THAT PREMIERED ON PBS OCTOBER 4, 2021. ALMA RIVERA SHARES HER DILEMMAS WITH THE AUDIENCE AND DEMONSTRATES THAT WITH CRITICAL THINKING AND UNDERSTANDING OTHERS' POINTS OF VIEW SHE CAN THINK IT THROUGH AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
- $6.5 million spent. DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD PREMIRED ON PBS IN SEPTEMBER 2012, AND WAS WARMLY RECEIVED BY CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND EDUCATORS ALIKE. THIS ANIMATED SERIES, FOR A NEW GENERATION OF CHILDREN AGED 2-4, TELLS IT'S ENGAGING STORIES ABOUT THE LIFE OF A PRESCHOOLER USING MUSICAL STRATEGIES GROUNDED IN FRED ROGERS' LANDMARK SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL CURRICULUM. THROUGH IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY, AND MUSIC, DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS LEARN THE KEY SOCIAL SKILLS NECESSARY FOR SCHOOL AND FOR LIFE. THE BROADCAST SERIES IS REGUALRLY ONE OF THE MOST-VIEWED BY PRESCHOOL CHILDREN.
- $3.4 million spent. ODD SQUAD IS A LIVE-ACTION, EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION SERIES FOR CHILDREN AGES 6 TO 8 THAT EMPHASIZES THE USE OF EFFECTIVE MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES AND CRITICAL MATHETMATIC CONCEPTS AND SKILLS TO ULTIMATLEY SOLVE EACH CASE. IN OTHER WORDS: ODD IS THE PROBLEM, MATH IS THE SOLUTION.
- $256,273 spent. PEG + CAT IS AN ANIMATED MATH-BASED SERIES FOR CHILDREN 3-5 YEARS OLD, WHICH PREMIERED IN THE FALL OF 2013. EACH EPISODE FOLLOWS THE ADORABLE, SPIRITED PEG AND HER SIDEKICK CAT AS THEY EMBARK ON ADVENTURES, SOLVE PROBLEMS TOGETHER, AND LEARN FOUNDATIONAL MATH CONCEPTS AND SKILLS. PEG + CAT INSPIRES PRESCHOOLERS' NATURAL CURIOSITY ABOUT MATH AND HELPS THEM DEVELOP NEW SKILLS AND STRATEGIES FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS CREATIVELY IN THEIR DAILY LIVES. THROUGH ENGAGING CHARACTERS, WHIMSICAL STORIES AND SONGS, THE SHOW CELEBRATES THE WAYS IN WHICH MATH PLAYS A ROLE IN THEIR WORLD.
- $50,537 spent. THROUGH THE WOODS IS AN EMMY AWARD WINNING ANIMATED PRESCHOOL SERIES THAT FOLLOWS RIDER AND HIS DOG WOLFIE AS THEY EXPLORE THE "NEARBY NATURE" THAT MANY PRESCHOOLERS CAN RELATE TO. IN EACH 3-MINUTE STORY, RIDER WONDERS ABOUT SOMETHING HE SAW OR HEARD IN THE SMALL WOODS BEHIND HIS HOUSE, OBSERVES AN ANIMAL OR PLANT TO LEARN MORE AND THEN SHARES HIS DISCOVERIES WITH HIS GRAMMIE.
- $3.1 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE SUPPORTING OUR BROADCAST SERIES BY PROVIDING RESOURCES FOR PBS MEMBER STATIONS, PARTNERING WITH ORGANIZATIONS CONDUCTING RESEARCH INTO CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL MEDIA, AND PROVIDING EXTRA CONTENT FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS AT PBSKIDS.ORG. WE ALSO MAINTAIN OUR OWN WEBSITE, WWW.FREDROGERS.ORG, WHICH PROVIDES A RICH RESOURCE ON PARENTING AND OFFERS SEPARATE NEWSLETTERS DESIGNED BOTH FOR PARENTS AND PROFESSIONALS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE WEBSITE, THE COMPANY OFFERS EDUCATIONAL TRAINING MANUALS, BOOKS, DVD'S, VIDEOS, AND OTHER LICENSED PRODUCTS.
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 January 1972.
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.