Fresh Films

What it reported doing in 2025

Fresh films works with underserved teens and young adults ages 14-26 to build their technical skills, career and life skills (21st century skills), confidence and realization of their own future potential through actively involving them in the collaborative, creative and technical processes of filmmaking- filmmaking is our vehicle for mentorship, leadership and workforce development among teens. The program serves diverse underserved teens of all ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, and experience levels. The program goal is to build career pathways, job opportunities and college readiness for the $771b media/entertainment industry that is growing rapidly due to non-traditional video producers, the growth of traditional producers for digital demand as well as the growth of visual communications across social media and other platforms. The 3-leveled learning program operates at 28 physical sites + 3 virtual sites which includes after-school and evening filmmaking, summer workplace experiences and paid internships. Wrap around supports including speaker and soft-skills workshops compliment the tech learning.fresh films revenue comes from corporate and foundation grants, program sponsorship, government grants and united way grants. Program expenses to engage, mentor and train 400+ teens and young adults per year in weekly program plus on-set or digital content summer experiences, speaker sessions and soft-skills workshops, and upper level internships include staff and teaching artists, curriculum creation and implementation, equipment and supplies, travel and all program coordination with site locations, instructors, youth and their parents.staff includes 9 full-time staff, 35 part-time staff and instructors, and 5-7 paid college interns. Staff includes an executive creative director/film director, managing director/development, director of development, youth outreach, producer, production assistant and editor who work on all projects and curriculum and travel to those programs that are outside our headquarters in rock island, il. Fresh films hires freelance film professionals such as a director of photography for apprenticeship programs just like other film companies in the industry. We also have a local filmmaker/teacher artist in each city to work with the teens on the weekly program. Equipment and supplies include all camera, sound, lighting and other film and editing equipment as well as props, costumes, on-set food, and other needs needed to train the youth and produce the films in the multiple locations. Some equipment is donated or loaned to us at no charge. Travel is mostly summer local transportation to help teens get from their homes to the film sets and/or to paid internships and out-of-town travel. Expenses also include the paid internship stipends for the teen filmmakers. General expenses include accounting, legal and insurance across all programs.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 74.6%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 75%; rating input score 75
• Fundraising efficiency: $6.04 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Missing
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 75%; rating input score 75; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 5 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 56
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: Fail
  • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 1.3%; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.59; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 13.9%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 18.9% per year; rating input score 100; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 15.1% per year; rating input score 100; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 19.8% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings