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Nashville Public Television Inc

EIN 62-1740928 · Nashville, TN

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood84 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

NPT INSPIRES, EDUCATES, AND ENGAGES OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC MEDIA.

Income
$6.9 million
Spending
$7.7 million
Spent on programs
68%
Reserves
13.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 84%
Employees
38
Volunteers
111
Highest pay
$282,492, president and 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: 84 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 13.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 11% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 7% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    68% 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

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    23 of 24 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give 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 (3)
  1. $4.0 million spent. PROGRAMMING, PRODUCTION, AND EDUCATION OUTREACH - PROGRAMMING AND PRODUCTION: NPT SERVES MORE THAN 2 MILLION PEOPLE IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND SOUTHERN KENTUCKY WITH COMPELLING EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT ENCOMPASS THE COMMUNITY'S EDUCATIONAL, CULTURAL, ARTISTIC AND CIVIC LIFE. THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS, OUTREACH TO AT-RISK CHILDREN, PRODUCTIONS THAT HIGHLIGHT LOCAL HISTORY, CULTURE AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, NPT IS COMMITTED TO HELPING ALL CITIZENS REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL. NPT IS ONE OF THE MOST WATCHED PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS IN THE NATION WITH AN AVERAGE AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 530,000 HOUSEHOLDS PER MONTH, 84% OF NASHVILLE HOUSEHOLDS ANNUALLY. NPT PROVIDES THE FULL PBS SCHEDULE OF PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS LOCAL DOCUMENTARIES AND PROGRAMS INCLUDING "TENNESSEE CROSSROADS," "VOLUNTEER GARDENER," "A WORD ON WORDS," THE "NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS" SERIES, "AGING MATTERS AND "CHRISTMAS AT BELMONT." MANY OF NPT'S ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS HAVE AIRED NATIONALLY ON PBS, SHARING MIDDLE TENNESSEE'S CULTURE AND HERITAGE WITH THE ENTIRE NATION. NPT'S "NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS PROJECT" SEEKS TO HIGHLIGHT NASHVILLE'S STATUS AS A DESTINATION CITY FOR A VARIETY OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE GROUPS WHO HAVE MADE THE CITY THEIR HOME. THROUGH A SERIES OF DOCUMENTARIES, A PROJECT WEBSITE, COMMUNITY FORUMS AND LITERACY OUTREACH NPT SEEKS TO PROVIDE ALL RESIDENTS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE WITH A WIDE-RANGING VIEW OF THE REGION'S NEW, RAPIDLY GROWING FOREIGN-BORN COMMUNITIES INCLUDING KURDISH, SOMALI, BHUTANESE, SUDANESE, EGYPTIAN AND HISPANIC IMMIGRANTS."NPT REPORTS: AGING MATTERS" IS A MULTI-YEAR PROJECT THAT IS TAKING AN UNPRECEDENTED DEEP-DIVE LOOK AT ALL THE ISSUES FACING OUR GROWING POPULATION OF SENIORS. NPT IS FOCUSING ON THESE ISSUES THROUGH DOCUMENTARIES, TELEVISED PANEL DISCUSSIONS, "AGING MATTERS" SPOTS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CONVERSATIONS, SCREENINGS, PROJECT WEBSITE, INTERACTIVE ONLINE SCREENINGS AND DVD DISTRIBUTION. THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT IS TO CONVENE A DIALOGUE ABOUT HOW THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO CHANGE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AGING BABY BOOM GENERATION.NPT CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST-WATCHED CHANNELS FOR CHILDREN. EACH WEEK NPT BROADCASTS 68 HOURS OF CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING ON OUR MAIN CHANNEL, DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THE YOUNGEST VIEWERS ARRIVE AT KINDERGARTEN READY TO LEARN WITH A STRONG FOUNDATION OF EARLY MATH AND READING SKILLS. IN ADDITION, NPT BROADCASTS A 24/7 CHANNEL OF ALL EDUCATIONAL CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING ON NPT3, DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN OF PARENTS WHO MAY NOT WORK A TRADITIONAL 9-5 SCHEDULE AND CHILDREN IN HOSPITALS. NPT IS PERHAPS THE ONLY SOURCE OF PRESCHOOL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE PRESCHOOLERS IN DAVIDSON COUNTY WHO DO NOT ATTEND LICENSED DAYCARE, PRESCHOOL OR ANY EDUCATION PROGRAM.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION: NPT'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT EXTENDS THE IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAMMING WITH SCHOOL-READINESS TRAINING THROUGH PARENT AND EDUCATOR WORKSHOPS THAT REACH THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN EACH YEAR INCLUDING LITERACY WORKSHOPS FOR NASHVILLE'S FOREIGN-BORN COMMUNITIES INCLUDING KURDISH, SOMALI, SUDANESE, ASIAN AND HISPANIC POPULATIONS. NPT ALSO ORGANIZES SCREENINGS AND DISCUSSIONS OF PROGRAMS SEEN ON NPT THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERS SUCH AS THE LIBRARIES, BUSINESSES, MUSEUMS AND NON-PROFITS. NPT2, NPT'S COMMUNITY-BASED DIGITAL CHANNEL OFFERS LOCALLY BASED EDUCATIONAL, CIVIC AND CULTURAL PROGRAMS, SERIES AND DOCUMENTARIES INCLUDING COVERAGE OF THE STATE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. NPT SUPPORTS TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THE REGION THROUGH FREE ONLINE ACCESS TO AND DVDS OF NPT'S PRODUCTIONS. DVDS ARE AUTHORED WITH CHAPTER MARKERS TO FACILITATE USE BY TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM, GIVING THEM THE ABILITY TO JUMP TO A SPECIFIC POINT AND USE A SHORT SEGMENT OF THE PROGRAM FOR DISCUSSION.NPT POSTS "NPT REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY" ON OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WNPT.ORG, A REPORT THAT COVERS PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
  2. $886,812 spent. BROADCASTING:ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT PROGRAMMING, PRODUCTION, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR BROADCAST AND PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT, COMPUTER SUPPORT FOR ALL STATION OPERATIONS REGARDLESS OF DEPARTMENT AND ONLINE SUPPORT THROUGH WEB CONTENT DEVELOPMENT, VIEWER COMMUNICATIONS, PROGRAM INFORMATION AND FUNDRAISING.
  3. $339,985 spent. PROGRAM INFORMATION:RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL PR AND PROMOTION OF PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE COMMUNITY BY NPT THROUGH THE USE OF OUR AIRTIME AND OTHER MEDIA.

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 September 7, 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 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 June 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 March 1990.

    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.

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