Filmnorth

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
411594894
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
St Paul, MN, USA
Phone
6516441912
Rating
88
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Film, Video

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,962,905
Expenses
$2,418,947
Assets
$6,116,532
Liabilities
$3,317,792

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

20 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JEREMY WILKER (PRESIDENT)
  • KELLAN ANDERSON LEE (CO-VICE PRESIDENT)
  • REBECCA SMITH (CO-VICE PRESIDENT)
  • ANDREW PETERSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANDREW PETERSON (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $80,000 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Filmnorth inspires and provides opportunities for all filmmakers and media artists in the north to thrive, with a commitment to eliminate disparities for those from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the film industry.

What it reported doing in 2024

Education - filmnorth has a unique, primary focus on educational activity, providing independent media artists the training and professional development needed to thrive in the industry. Filmnorth also offers unique cohorts, such as the inclusive and socially conscious film lab, free to participants and inclusive of a mentorship component. Filmnorth offers over 100 courses each year on a quarterly basis to teach the art, business, and technology of media making. Filmnorth's annual forum and master classes connect media artists to industry leaders and innovators from around the country. All teaching artists, panelists, and guest speakers are experts in their field.(continued on schedule o)(continued from part iii)topics include screenwriting, editing, cinematography, production, direction, and photography. Students range from emerging artists to seasoned professionals. Scholarships are provided for all paid programs. Over 2,000 served annually, which includes in-person and some online classes.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 81% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Grant intermediary. The nonprofit sent 61% of its reported program spending out as grants.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 89
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 33
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 86%; rating input score 86
  • Fundraising efficiency: $11.96 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 85.9%; rating input score 86; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -23.2%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.53; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.54; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 3.3%; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.1% per year; rating input score 100; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 86% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 8 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 5 filed program accomplishments · $2.1M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $80K · 20 people listed
  • Consistency: 35 of 36 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 13 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 18 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 18 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 44/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 8/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 14/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 57/100.