Dome Fest West
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
Dome Fest West is dedicated to advancing education in fulldome and immersive media. Through an annual film festival, year-round Fulldome Forums webinars, the Best of Earth fulldome awards coalition, and community programming, the organization expands public access to immersive cinema, surfaces excellence in the field, and builds a sustained creator community for this emerging art form. All activities are directly aligned with and are executed in support of this educational purpose, in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Income
- $69,519
- Spending
- $61,677
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- -0.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 78%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 11
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
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 149% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 129% 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 December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 72% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 8 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
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
No reported misuse
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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)
- $51,562 spent. DFW 2025 Festival Edition at Fiske Planetarium, University of Colorado Boulder. Objective: To advance education and appreciation of fulldome and immersive media by producing the annual Dome Fest West film festival. Accomplishments: Produced the 4th annual Dome Fest West May 1 through 4, 2025 at Fiske Planetarium, the second consecutive festival at the venue and the most expansive edition in DFW history. The festival expanded across multiple CU Boulder venues including the Fiske Dome Theater, Kittredge KCEN Hall and Stage, and three Village Center rooms. Launched the inaugural Fulldome Forward Expo as a trade component including an exhibits hall and presentations stage for the immersive media industry. Presented 44 films and immersive works from 14 countries across 11 screening sessions in Fiske, plus 18 or more panel and roundtable sessions on topics ranging from fulldome storytelling to spatial audio standards, LED technology, financial models for immersive creators, and licensing and distribution. Concluded with two awards ceremonies including the inaugural Best of Earth international fulldome awards (DFW served as founding partner) presented alongside the established DFW awards across 15 categories. The City of Boulder issued an official proclamation recognizing Dome Fest West Week. Measurement: Total event participants approximately 556, comprising 172 industry passholders, 283 general screening attendees, 72 speakers, 18 sponsor organizations, and 11 organizers and crew. 44 films and immersive works selected from 14 countries. 11 confirmed Fiske screening sessions. 18 or more panel and roundtable sessions across three simultaneous tracks. Audience composition by role (estimated): approximately 30 percent filmmakers, 20 percent planetarium and science center decision-makers, 18 percent immersive technology developers, 15 percent curators and venue programmers, 10 percent academic researchers, and 7 percent other (students, press, public, investors). Social media engagement: 309 photos shared, 413 photo likes, 16 videos uploaded via the Whova event platform. Long-term goal: To establish Dome Fest West as the leading U.S. platform for showcasing fulldome and immersive media.
- $3,500 spent. Fulldome Forums Online Educational Series. Objective: To advance year-round public education on fulldome and immersive media by hosting free, publicly accessible online webinars featuring industry experts. Accomplishments: Hosted Fulldome Forums webinar installments throughout calendar year 2025 covering topics including advanced acoustic strategies for immersive venues (March 2025), innovative sound strategies for immersive creators (April 2025), key principles for innovative dome venue design (June 2025), interactive fulldome explorations (July 2025), exploring innovative revenue streams for planetariums (August 2025), securing resources for fulldome vision (September 2025), monetizing live theatrical productions in domes (November 2025), and the revival of planetarium lasers (December 2025). Eight Forums were held in calendar year 2025. Forums are free with registration, archived publicly on YouTube indefinitely, and accessible with captions. Across the rolling 13-Forum window from March 2025 through April 2026, the series reached 454 unique registrants across 19 or more countries, with an average of approximately 90 registrants per Forum and at least 68 confirmed California-based registrants. The audience skewed heavily toward dome professionals: planetarium directors, planetarium managers, producers, creative directors, professors, and filmmakers. Measurement: 8 Forums in calendar year 2025; 454 unique registrants and 19 or more countries across the rolling 13-Forum window; estimated 90 average registrants per Forum. Long-term goal: To build a year-round community of educators, creators, and audiences around immersive media.
- $2,500 spent. Best of Earth Awards and Community Programming. Objective: To recognize excellence in immersive media (particularly Earth-themed fulldome work) and foster a year-round creator community. Accomplishments: Continued the Best of Earth Fulldome Awards coalition program with ICOFF (International Conference of Fulldome Festivals) and partner festivals, surfacing Earth-themed fulldome work for global circulation through coordinated awards and partner festival screening tours in conjunction with the 2025 festival. The inaugural Best of Earth awards were presented at DFW 2025 with Dome Fest West serving as the founding partner venue. Continued in-person and online community programming through partnerships with c3 Center for Conscious Creativity (Los Angeles) and the Creative Technology Center Foundation (Los Angeles) at the Brewery Arts Complex in Lincoln Heights, including co-produced in-person events, cross-promotion through reciprocal newsletter features, shared community discount codes, and reciprocal community engagement. Measurement: Coalition-level award program with multiple partner festivals; ongoing community partnerships with c3 and CTC; reciprocal newsletter cross-promotion. Long-term goal: To enhance recognition of immersive media excellence and encourage high-quality submissions, and to anchor a sustained creative community for fulldome and immersive cinema in Los Angeles.
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
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 October 13, 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 December 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 June 2024.
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 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.