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National Film Preservation Foundation

EIN 52-2055624 · San Francisco, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair57 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The NFPF is a nonprofit organization established in the District of Columbia resulting from an Act of Congress in order to preserve and make publicly accessible our nations film heritage. The NFPF works with archives to preserve American films and improve access for education and exhibition.

Income
$1.4 million
Spending
$1.4 million
Spent on programs
94%
Reserves
0 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 73%
Employees
4
Volunteers
20
Highest pay
$113,568, sec/treas/dir.

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

Fair: 57 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 28% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    94% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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

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

    11 of 11 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 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 (3)
  1. $1.1 million spent. Preserving American films through grants. Saved 81 titles through grants to 31 institutions. Films slated for preservation include The Tombs (1973), Phil Parmets unflinching documentary; Highlanders Wedding (1961), a reenactment of a traditional Polish Highlanders celebration; instructional films by Dr. Rutherford B. H. Gradwohl, the founder of modern forensic science; sponsored film, Invitation to Ohio (1964); Two Women (1977), LA Rebellion filmmaker Carrol Parrott Bluess first film; Weak But Willing (1929), a comedy short featuring Jean Harlow; Making is Choosing: A Fragment of Life: A Broken Line: A Series of Observations (1989), by Chicano filmmaker Willie Varela; and titles by experimental filmmakers Kathleen Laughlin, Heather McAdams, and Michael Mideke.
  2. $134,435 spent. Promoting Access. The NFPF websites online component of The Field Guide to Sponsored Films (2006) hosts 205 films free to stream from 12 organizations. The NFPF added 6 silent films to its site and upgraded 5 films to HD video. All were derived from HD scans provided by the Library of Congress. In total, 380 films are available for viewing on the NFPF website as part of the launch of the NFPFs new streaming initiative. The NFPF also assists the Library of Congress in implementing selected recommendations found in the National Recording and National Film Preservation Plans.
  3. $64,393 spent. Promoting film preservation through publications. The foundation produces DVD sets in the Treasures from American Film Archives series and books that advance national film preservation efforts. With support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, the NFPF continues production on Treasures 6: Next Wave Avant-Garde Film, a 5-hour DVD box set surveying 28 experimental filmmakersfrom Abigail Child to Phil Solomonwho rose to prominence after 1965.

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 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 December 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 1997.

    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.

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.