Passes our checks

Seattle Folklore Society Inc

EIN 91-0826420 · Seattle, WA

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

What it says it does

the preservation and presentation of folk arts

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

Reserves
35 of 35
Spendable reserves would cover 13.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20
It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15
Income exceeded spending by 9% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15
Income rose 21% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15
100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).

Independent board
25 of 25
10 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15
Reports no 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.
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

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (6)

$43,858 spent. Concert committee produces and presents concerts of traditional, largely acoustic music 2000+ people benefit
$51,947 spent. Emerald City Contra Dance is a weekly contra dance with live band and caller with room for 150 attendees. 7500 annual attendees.
$53,200 spent. The Mexican Music Project records, transcribes, teaches and performs rare violin music from Mexico. Live concerts and on-line classes, online videos and musical transcriptions reach 100s
$17,252 spent. The main committee of SFS produces the monthly newsletter, the SFS Flyer. It has roughly 450 subscribers, on paper and digitally, and is also distributed to a number of libraries and businesses.
$17,058 spent. Old Growth Oldtime Gathering is a new project of the Seattle Folklore Society. The event took place in October of 2024 and again in October 2025. Expenses listed here are almost exclusively for the 2023 event, but some of income is fundraising for the subsequent festival. The event included workshops, concerts and dances and g=had attendance of about 300.
$3,010 spent. Dare to Be Square last happened here in 2019. We held the funds until the next location decided to put it on. We paid the rent for that event.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

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.
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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1968.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.