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The Film Society of Minneapolis St Paul

EIN 41-1802905 · Minneapolis, MN

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak44 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF THE FILM SOCIETY OF MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL IS TO FOSTER A KNOWLEDGEABLE AND VIBRANT APPRECIATION OF THE ART OF FILM AND ITS POWER TO INFORM AND TRANSFORM INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES. OUR MISSION IS ACCOMPLISHED THORUGH COMMITMENT TO EXHIBITING THE VERY BEST OF NEW AND CLASSIC LOCAL, DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT CINEMA. THESE NOTABLE AWARD-WINNING FILMS REPRESENT MANY PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES AND ARE, FOR THE MOST PART, SIMPLY NOT OTHERWISE AVAILABLE TO AUDIENCES IN THE REGION. AND SO, THROUGH THE POWER OF GREAT CINEMA, WE EXPOSE OUR AUDIENCES, IN A UNIQUE WAY, TO A RARE MIX OF CULTURES, IDEAS, CURRENT AFFAIRS AND NOTABLE FILMMAKING FROM AROUND THE WORLD. OUR MISSION IS CARRIED OUT THROUGH THE ANNUAL MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, REGULAR SPECIAL THEMED SERIES, AND DAILY SCREENINGS OF NEW RELEASES AND CLASSICS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.

Income
$3.1 million
Spending
$3.1 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
-0.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 68%
Employees
39
Volunteers
40
Highest pay
$141,156, 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

Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 14% 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

    2 of 20

    It owes 88% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 11% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 21 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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 15 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

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (1)
  1. $2.5 million spent. THE VISION OF THE FILM SOCIETY OF MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL IS TO PRESENT THE BEST IN INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT CINEMA, SCREENING MORE THAN 600 INDEPENDENT NEW AND HISTORIC, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY AND NARRATIVE FILMS TO A GROWING AUDIENCE OF OVER 165,000 ANNUALLY. THE FILM SOCIETY EXHIBITS YEAR-ROUND ON A DAILY BASIS, PRESENTS A NUMBER OF MULTI-DAY FILM SERIES AND, EACH APRIL, PRODUCES AND PRESENTS ITS CENTERPIECE, THE ANNUAL TWO WEEK MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, ONE OF THE LARGEST CULTURAL EVENTS IN THE REGION, NOW DRAWING NEARLY 50,000 ATTENDEES EACH YEAR.PROGRAMMING INCLUDES MANY FIRST-RUN PREMIERES OF INTERNATIONAL, ART HOUSE AND INDEPENDENT FEATURE FILMS. THESE AWARD WINNING FILMS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE HAVE GREAT ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL VALUE, REPRESENT MANY PERSPECTIVES AND EXPERIENCES, ARE RARELY AVAILABLE ON OTHER REGIONAL SCREENS AND PLAY TO AVID, DIVERSE AND GROWING AUDIENCES WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEM. SO, THROUGH THE POWER OF GREAT CINEMA, WE EXPOSE OUR AUDIENCES, IN A UNIQUE WAY, TO A RARE MIX OF CULTURES, IDEAS, CURRENT AFFAIRS AND NOTABLE FILMMAKING FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

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 December 1995.

    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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