Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROMOTE PUBLIC APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT FOR SONGWRITERS, THE SONGWRITING CRAFT, AND FOLK MUSIC BY CREATING A COMMUNITY WHERE SONGCRAFT IS SUPPORTED AND FOLK MUSIC IS ENJOYED BY PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.
- Income
- $1.4 million
- Spending
- $1.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 13.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 46%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 750
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 13.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 27% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 24% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 11% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 September 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)
- $972,121 spent. ANNUALLY, THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL FOUNDATION ("KFF FOUNDATION- OR "FOUNDATION") NORMALLY PRODUCES THE 18-DAY KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL (MAY 22 - JUNE 8, 2025) AND A 3-DAY EVENT CALLED WELCOME HOME FEST (OCTOBER 9-11). BECAUSE OF SEVERE FLOODING IMPACTS IN THE REGION THIS YEAR, WE CANCELED WELCOME HOME FEST TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL ("KFF") IS THE FOUNDATION'S FLAGSHIP EVENT. ESTABLISHED IN 1972, THE KFF IS AMONG THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING MUSIC FESTIVALS IN THE COUNTRY AND, IN 2025, WE CELEBRATED OUR 53RD ANNUAL FESTIVAL. DURING KFF, THE FOUNDATION HOSTS THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL GRASSY HILL SINGER SONGWRITER COMPETITION. THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED ALMOST 1200 ENTRIES, FROM WHICH 24 FINALISTS WERE SELECTED TO PERFORM AT THE FESTIVAL. FROM THOSE 24 FINALISTS, 6 WINNERS ARE SELECTED; WINNERS RECEIVE A CASH PRIZE AND ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 10-DAY TOUR, PERFORMING AT TEXAS VENUES. DURING THE FESTIVAL, WE ALSO HOST A NUMBER OF SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS, INCLUDING INSTRUMENT SPECIFIC WORKSHOPS (HARMONICA, UKULELE AND GUITAR) AS WELL AS SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS SUCH AS CO-WRITING AND CREATIVE PROCESS. WE ALSO HOSTED A NUMBER OF EVENTS GEARED TOWARD THE YOUNGER GENERATION, INCLUDING FAMILY CONCERTS, A GOLF CART PARADE, A YOUNG ARTIST PERFORMANCE INCUBATOR ("YAPI") AND PRE-TEEN/TEENAGE SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS. WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HOLD OUR THREE-DAY WELCOME HOME FEST IN OCTOBER BUT ON JULY 4, THE KERR COUNTY AREA WAS HIT BY DEVASTATING FLOODS. WHILE THE PROPERTY WHERE THE FESTIVAL IS HELD WAS NOT DIRECTLY IMPACTED, WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS TO HELPING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, WE CANCELED WELCOME HOME FEST AND PIVOTED TO DOING WHAT WE COULD TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED. TO THAT END, IN JULY, OUR STAFF KITCHEN AND A DEDICATED TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS PREPARED AND DELIVERED HOT MEALS TO RESCUE WORKERS, FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND IMPACTED CITIZENS, SOMETIMES PROVIDING AS MANY AS 1,000 MEALS A DAY. WE ALSO WORKED WITH OUR FAR-RANGING FESTIVAL COMMUNITY TO RAISE MONEY FOR FLOOD RELIEF EFFORTS AND TO PROVIDE NEEDED SUPPLIES SUCH AS WORK GLOVES, GENERATORS AND CHAIN SAWS. IN ADDITION, WE OPENED THE PROPERTY WHERE THE FESTIVAL OCCURS TO HOUSE DISPLACED INDIVIDUALS AND DEBRIS REMOVAL PERSONNEL. THE FOUNDATION ALSO PARTICIPATED IN MUSICAL FUND-RAISING EVENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY HELD IN AUSTIN, TX (WITH MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHY AND LYLE LOVETT) AND SAN ANTONIO, TX (LYLE LOVETT, LOS LONELY BOYS, RECKLESS KELLY AND BRI BAGWELL). WE ALSO WORKED WITH A LOCAL PARTNER, ARCADIA LIVE, TO PRESENT A NUMBER OF SHOWS IN KERRVILLE, COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE TO RESIDENTS OF KERR COUNTY (SHINYRIBS, JOSH & CHRISTY GRIDER AND JAMES MCMURTRY). ANNUALLY, THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL FOUNDATION ("KFF FOUNDATION- OR "FOUNDATION") NORMALLY PRODUCES THE 18-DAY KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL (MAY 22 - JUNE 8, 2025) AND A 3-DAY EVENT CALLED WELCOME HOME FEST (OCTOBER 9-11). BECAUSE OF SEVERE FLOODING IMPACTS IN THE REGION THIS YEAR, WE CANCELED WELCOME HOME FEST TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL ("KFF") IS THE FOUNDATION'S FLAGSHIP EVENT. ESTABLISHED IN 1972, THE KFF IS AMONG THE LONGEST CONTINUOUSLY RUNNING MUSIC FESTIVALS IN THE COUNTRY AND, IN 2025, WE CELEBRATED OUR 53RD ANNUAL FESTIVAL. DURING KFF, THE FOUNDATION HOSTS THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL GRASSY HILL SINGER SONGWRITER COMPETITION. THE FOUNDATION RECEIVED ALMOST 1200 ENTRIES, FROM WHICH 24 FINALISTS WERE SELECTED TO PERFORM AT THE FESTIVAL. FROM THOSE 24 FINALISTS, 6 WINNERS ARE SELECTED; WINNERS RECEIVE A CASH PRIZE AND ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A 10-DAY TOUR, PERFORMING AT TEXAS VENUES. DURING THE FESTIVAL, WE ALSO HOST A NUMBER OF SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS, INCLUDING INSTRUMENT SPECIFIC WORKSHOPS (HARMONICA, UKULELE AND GUITAR) AS WELL AS SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS SUCH AS CO-WRITING AND CREATIVE PROCESS. WE ALSO HOSTED A NUMBER OF EVENTS GEARED TOWARD THE YOUNGER GENERATION, INCLUDING FAMILY CONCERTS, A GOLF CART PARADE, A YOUNG ARTIST PERFORMANCE INCUBATOR ("YAPI") AND PRE-TEEN/TEENAGE SONGWRITING WORKSHOPS. WE WERE SCHEDULED TO HOLD OUR THREE-DAY WELCOME HOME FEST IN OCTOBER BUT ON JULY 4, THE KERR COUNTY AREA WAS HIT BY DEVASTATING FLOODS. WHILE THE PROPERTY WHERE THE FESTIVAL IS HELD WAS NOT DIRECTLY IMPACTED, WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO SHIFT OUR FOCUS TO HELPING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY. AS PART OF THAT EFFORT, WE CANCELED WELCOME HOME FEST AND PIVOTED TO DOING WHAT WE COULD TO HELP THOSE IMPACTED. TO THAT END, IN JULY, OUR STAFF KITCHEN AND A DEDICATED TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS PREPARED AND DELIVERED HOT MEALS TO RESCUE WORKERS, FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND IMPACTED CITIZENS, SOMETIMES PROVIDING AS MANY AS 1,000 MEALS A DAY. WE ALSO WORKED WITH OUR FAR-RANGING FESTIVAL COMMUNITY TO RAISE MONEY FOR FLOOD RELIEF EFFORTS AND TO PROVIDE NEEDED SUPPLIES SUCH AS WORK GLOVES, GENERATORS AND CHAIN SAWS. IN ADDITION, WE OPENED THE PROPERTY WHERE THE FESTIVAL OCCURS TO HOUSE DISPLACED INDIVIDUALS AND DEBRIS REMOVAL PERSONNEL. THE FOUNDATION ALSO PARTICIPATED IN MUSICAL FUND-RAISING EVENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY HELD IN AUSTIN, TX (WITH MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHY AND LYLE LOVETT) AND SAN ANTONIO, TX (LYLE LOVETT, LOS LONELY BOYS, RECKLESS KELLY AND BRI BAGWELL). WE ALSO WORKED WITH A LOCAL PARTNER, ARCADIA LIVE, TO PRESENT A NUMBER OF SHOWS IN KERRVILLE, COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE TO RESIDENTS OF KERR COUNTY (SHINYRIBS, JOSH & CHRISTY GRIDER AND JAMES MCMURTRY).
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 2000.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.