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Katharsis Media

EIN 83-3749311 · Albuquerque, NM

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak22 out of 100GovernanceGood71 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Katharsis Media empowers communities through storytelling by advancing education, workforce development, and access in film and television. The organization provides hands-on training, apprenticeships, and community broadcast programming to create sustainable industry pathways for emerging artists and creators.

Income
$251,615
Spending
$306,846
Spent on programs
89%
Reserves
-0.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 96%
Employees
9
Volunteers
15
Highest pay
$64,943, president of the board / executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 22 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    2 of 20

    It owes 77% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 22% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 17% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    89% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 71 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    3 of 5 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 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 May 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. $180,593 spent. Katharsis Media expanded workforce development opportunities in film and television through its Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), pre-apprenticeship training, internships, and professional skills development. In FY2025, the organization became an officially recognized Registered Apprenticeship Program with 14 occupational tracks in film and television careers. Katharsis Media onboarded 4 registered apprentices, trained 19 pre-apprentices (16 of whom completed the program), supported 6 general interns and 15 high school interns, and provided approximately 82 hours of professional development and workforce training. Participants received hands-on experience through real-world productions, mentorship, and paid learning opportunities designed to build sustainable creative careers.
  2. $49,897 spent. Katharsis Media created and supported community-centered film, television, and digital media productions that elevate local voices, businesses, artists, and events. In FY2025, the organization produced 79 episodes of community television programming, 4 student short films for Film Prize Junior, and 6 music videos, while supporting 10 community productions and 14 local events through production, crew, and audiovisual support. Programming highlighted local businesses, artists, nonprofits, and cultural initiatives while simultaneously serving as a hands-on training environment for emerging filmmakers.
  3. $41,848 spent. Katharsis Media supported local artists and creative professionals through artist residencies, emergency assistance, affordable creative infrastructure, and paid mentorship opportunities. Through the UETF Residency Resiliency Program in partnership with the City of Albuquerque, the organization hosted 12 artists in residence and distributed milestone-based financial support for artistic projects. Katharsis Media also operated the New Mexico Film Emergency Fund, providing emergency financial assistance for filmmakers and creative professionals experiencing hardship through direct vendor payments. Additionally, the organization expanded access to professional creative space and resources through its artist support initiatives and studio infrastructure. Katharsis Media also secured Creative Industries Division funding to expand affordable creative infrastructure through the development of Hot Sets, a modular production environment designed to support artists, workforce training, and community film and television productions. Planning and early implementation began during FY2025, with full buildout occurring in the following fiscal year. NOTE: Through the UETF Residency Resiliency Program in partnership with the City of Albuquerque, Katharsis Media continued administering milestone-based support to artists whose projects were funded through a prior-year grant award, distributing payments as artists completed project benchmarks during FY2025, which is why our expenses greatly outweigh our revenue for this program.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 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 May 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 May 2019.

    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.