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Kqed Inc

EIN 94-1241309 · San Francisco, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SEE SCHEDULE OKQED SERVES THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH A COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED ALTERNATIVE TO COMMERCIAL MEDIA, PROVIDING THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS; CONVENING COMMUNITY DIALOGUE; BRINGING THE ARTS TO EVERYONE; AND ENGAGING AUDIENCES TO SHARE THEIR STORIES. KQED HELPS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THRIVE IN 21ST-CENTURY CLASSROOMS AND TAKES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES ON JOURNEYS OF EXPLORATION EXPOSING THEM TO NEW PEOPLE, PLACES AND IDEAS.KQED'S VISIONTO PRODUCE A POWERFUL SHARED SENSE OF PLACE FOR THE BAY AREA.

Income
$121.0 million
Spending
$111.4 million
Spent on programs
68%
Reserves
22.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 75%
Employees
577
Volunteers
982
Highest pay
$589,733, president and ceo

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 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 22.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 8% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 8% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 11% 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 September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    30 of 30 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

    10 of 10

    Gave 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 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 (4)
  1. $32.2 million spent. MULTIPLATFORM CONTENT - NEWS, ARTS AND SCIENCE: SEE SCHEDULE OKQED'S CONTENT TEAMS DEVELOP NEWS AND PROGRAMMING THAT COMPLEMENTS DISTRIBUTED CONTENT FROM OUR NATIONAL MEDIA PARTNERS, INCLUDING NPR AND PBS. FOCUSING ON REGIONAL NEWS, ARTS & CULTURE, EDUCATION AND SCIENCE, KQED DEVELOPS COVERAGE AND CONTENT FOR DISTRIBUTION ACROSS OUR RADIO AND TELEVISION CHANNELS, AS WELL AS DIGITAL PLATFORMS, INCLUDING OUR WEBSITE (KQED.ORG), MOBILE APP, SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, AND THIRD-PARTY PODCAST AND VIDEO DISTRIBUTION PLATFORMS.EARLY IN THE FISCAL YEAR (FALL 2024), KQED PROVIDED MULTIPLATFORM RESOURCES FOR SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA VOTERS IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, INCLUDING AN EXPANDED DIGITAL VOTER GUIDE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. IN FY25, KQED VIDEO SERIES PRODUCTIONS INCLUDED DEEP LOOK, THE AWARD-WINNING SCIENCE SERIES FROM KQED AND PBS DIGITAL STUDIOS THAT EXAMINES NATURE'S SMALLEST CREATURES USING MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY AND MICROSCOPY IN 4K RESOLUTION, AND ORIGINAL FOOD PROGRAMS JACQUES PEPIN COOKING AT HOME, JACQUES PEPIN CELEBRATES, AND NO CRUMBS. THE VIDEO PRODUCTION UNIT ALSO SUPPORTED THE VIDEO VERSION OF THE FORUM RADIO SERIES, THE HYPHENACION PODCAST SERIES, AND THE LONG-RUNNING TELEVISION PROGRAM CHECK, PLEASE! BAY AREA. THE VIDEO PRODUCTION TEAM ALSO DEVELOPED VERTICAL VIDEO COMPONENTS TO DRIVE KQED'S NEWS, ARTS AND CULTURE AND, SCIENCE JOURNALISM ACROSS SOCIAL CHANNELS.KQED SUPPORTED A SUITE OF THIRTEEN ORIGINAL PODCASTS IN 2025, INCLUDING THE LAUNCHES OF CLOSE ALL TABS, A WEEKLY GUIDE TO DIGITAL TRENDS CHANGING OUR WORLD, AND HYPHENACION, WHICH FEATURES CONVERSATIONS ABOUT PERSONAL LIFE CHOICES: FAMILY, CAREERS, RELATIONSHIPS. CONTINUING PODCASTS INCLUDE BAY CURIOUS, THE BAY, MINDSHIFT, THE LATEST, SNAP JUDGMENT, SPOOKED, AND THE PODCAST VERSIONS OF THE RADIO SERIES FORUM, POLITICAL BREAKDOWN, THE CALIFORNIA REPORT, THE CALIFORNIA REPORT MAGAZINE, AND PERSPECTIVES.
  2. $18.8 million spent. TELEVISION: SEE SCHEDULE OKQED 9 AND KQED PLUS ARE AMONG THE NATION'S MOST-WATCHED PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS WITH AN AVERAGE OF APPROXIMATELY 470,000 WEEKLY VIEWERS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND-SAN JOSE MARKET. KQED OWNS AND OPERATES PUBLIC TELEVISION STATIONS KQED-TV/DT CHANNEL 9 (SAN FRANCISCO), KQEH-TV/DT CHANNEL 54 (SAN JOSE) AND KQET-TV/DT CHANNEL 25 (WATSONVILLE/MONTEREY).KQED'S DIGITAL TELEVISION CHANNELS INCLUDE KQED 9, KQED PLUS, KQED WORLD AND PBS KIDS, AND ARE AVAILABLE 24/7 OVER THE AIR AND ON CABLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE KQED 9 LIVESTREAM IS AVAILABLE ON THE STATION'S WEBSITE AND MOBILE APP. SINCE FIRST GOING ON THE AIR IN 1954, KQED HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE BAY AREA'S MEDIA AND CULTURAL LANDSCAPE. THE STATION PRODUCES ITS OWN UNIQUE CONTENT AND COLLABORATES WITH FILMMAKERS AND DOCUMENTARY PRODUCERS TO PRESENT INDEPENDENT PROGRAMMING. KQED PUBLIC TELEVISION IS COMMITTED TO PRODUCING, CO-PRODUCING AND PRESENTING CONTENT THAT SERVES THE PEOPLE OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND BEYOND. IN FY25, KQED BROADCAST THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20TH SEASON OF CHECK, PLEASE! BAY AREA, WHERE ORDINARY LOCAL DINERS REVIEW THEIR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS.
  3. $10.2 million spent. FM RADIO: SEE SCHEDULE OKQED PUBLIC RADIO IS AMONG THE MOST-LISTENED-TO PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS IN THE NATION, WITH AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY 700,000 WEEKLY RADIO LISTENERS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO METRO SURVEY AREA.KQED OWNS AND OPERATES KQED PUBLIC RADIO 88.5 FM SAN FRANCISCO AND 89.3 FM SACRAMENTO. ITS AWARD-WINNING NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM SERVICE CAN BE HEARD ON 88.5 FM OR COMCAST CHANNEL 960 IN SAN FRANCISCO, KQED 89.3 FM IN SACRAMENTO, 88.3 FM IN SANTA ROSA AND 88.1 FM IN MARTINEZ.KQED PUBLIC RADIO BROADCASTS MANY PROGRAMS FROM NPR, AS WELL AS FROM OTHER NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTORS LIKE PRX AND BBC RADIO. KQED PUBLIC RADIO ALSO PRODUCES A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF LOCAL SERIES, INCLUDING THE DAILY PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAM FORUM; THE WEEKLY POLITICAL NEWS AND INTERVIEW PROGRAM POLITICAL BREAKDOWN; AND THE DAILY STATEWIDE NEWS PROGRAM THE CALIFORNIA REPORT, WHICH ALONG WITH ITS WEEKEND COUNTERPART THE CALIFORNIA REPORT MAGAZINE ARE DISTRIBUTED TO SEVERAL OTHER PUBLIC MEDIA ACROSS THE STATE. IN ADDITION, KQED PUBLIC RADIO PRODUCES AND DISTRIBUTES 18 LOCAL NEWS REPORTS EACH WEEK DAY; 15 NEWS REPORTS SATURDAYS; AND 13 NEWS REPORTS ON SUNDAYS. PUBLIC RADIO PRESENTS LOCALLY PRODUCED CONTENT FROM CITY ARTS AND LECTURES. BEYOND BROADCAST, KQED PUBLIC RADIO SERVES THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA WITH CONTENT THROUGH A WIDE ARRAY OF ON-DEMAND AND LIVE STREAM SERVICES. THE KQED PUBLIC RADIO FLAGSHIP PUBLIC AFFAIRS CALL-IN PROGRAM FORUM IS ALSO BROADCAST NATIONALLY ON THE SIRIUS XM SATELLITE NETWORK.
  4. $14.3 million spent. KQED'S DIGITAL PROJECTS AND SERVICES INCLUDE MAINTAINING KQED'S WEBSITE KQED.ORG, THE KQED MOBILE APP, AND DEVELOPING CONTENT AND APPLICATIONS FOR OWNED AND THIRD-PARTY DIGITAL PLATFORMS, SMART SPEAKERS AND MOBILE DEVICES; KQED.ORG HOSTS ONLINE SERVICES FOR KQED PUBLIC TELEVISION, KQED PUBLIC RADIO AND KQED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES; AND SERVES AS A COMMUNITY CONVENER, PROVIDING KQED LIVE EVENT LISTINGS, RESOURCES, CROSSWORDS, PODCASTS, BLOGS AND OTHER ITEMS OF TIMELY INTEREST. KQED.ORG FUNCTIONS AS ONE OF KQED'S MEDIA PLATFORMS, DELIVERING CONTENT SPECIFICALLY ACQUIRED AND PRODUCED FOR THE WEB. KQED.ORG REACHES APPROXIMATELY 1,300,000 UNIQUE WEBSITE USERS. KQED ALSO MANAGES 43 SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS ON PLATFORMS THAT INCLUDE INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, X, TIKTOK, THREADS, AND BLUESKY. KQED ALSO REGULARLY DELIVERS 16 EMAIL NEWSLETTER SERIES, WHICH DELIVER NEWS, CONTENT, GAMES, AND PROMOTIONS. KQED PRODUCED A TOTAL OF 65 LIVE PUBLIC EVENTS IN FY25, WHICH TOOK PLACE AT KQED'S HEADQUARTERS AND IN OTHER BAY AREA VENUES. MOST EVENTS WERE MADE AVAILABLE FOR DIGITAL STREAMING AS WELL. SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR FY25 INCLUDE KQED FEST, AN ALL-DAY OPEN HOUSE AND BLOCK PARTY THAT WELCOMED AT LEAST A FEW THOUSAND ATTENDEES, TRIVIA NIGHTS, FOOD DEMONSTRATIONS PREVIEW SCREENINGS, A TEEN POETRY SLAM, CONCERTS AND ON-STAGE CONVERSATIONS. AND IN MAY 2025, KQED PARTNERED WITH PBS NEWS HOUR TO HOLD THE SECOND-EVER REFRAME FESTIVAL, AN EVENT THAT EMPHASIZED THE VALUE OF REFRAMING PERSPECTIVES AND PROVIDED A SPACE WHERE PIONEERING THOUGHT MET DISCERNING JOURNALISM. THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER ON-AIR TALENT FROM PBS NEWS HOUR AND KQED AND PROMINENT SPEAKERS ON POLITICS, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT.KQED'S EDUCATION YOUTH-AGE MEDIA LITERACY RESOURCES AND SERVICES, INCLUDING STUDENT MEDIA AND LEARNING PLATFORMS AS WELL AS TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. KQED PROVIDES EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS IN THE BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA AND NATIONWIDE FREE ACCESS TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DIGITAL RESOURCES DIRECTLY FROM KQED AND PBS LEARNINGMEDIA, INCLUDING VIDEOS, GAMES, AUDIO, IN-DEPTH LESSON PLANS AND PROJECTS. IN THE 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR, KQED PARTNERED WITH 36 CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SIX COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION TO DELIVER MEDIA LITERACY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES; PARTICIPATED WITH 6,619 EDUCATORS IN MEDIA LITERACY TRAINING WORKSHOPS AND COURSES; PUBLISHED 4,055 STUDENT MEDIA PIECES FROM 27 STATES FOR THE YOUTH MEDIA CHALLENGE SHOWCASE, WHICH RECEIVED NEARLY 130,000 VIEWS; BROUGHT 63 PIECES FROM BAY AREA YOUTH TO KQED'S DIGITAL SHOWS AND AIRWAVES THROUGH THE YOUTH TAKEOVER. TWELVE PUBLIC MEDIA STATIONS SHARED 142 YOUTH MEDIA CHALLENGE SUBMISSIONS CREATED BY LOCAL STUDENTS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

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

  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 September 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 March 1955.

    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.