Whitefish Songwriter Festival
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 332644796
- IRS 990-EZ coverage
- 2025–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990-EZ 2025
- Location
- Whitefish, MT, USA
- Rating
- 87
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Music
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $110,923
- Expenses
- $101,543
- Assets
- $16,370
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
8 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Shelley Johnson (President of the Board of Directors)
People named in this filing
- Shelley Johnson (President of the Board of Directors)
- Cari Klepper (Treasurer)
- Don Rodie (Secretary of the Board of Directors)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Celebrate the art of songwriting by bringing world-class songwriters to Whitefish to share a behind-the-scenes look at their stories through intimate live performances. Cultivate arts culture and opportunity for local youth through festival-based education classes songwriting mentorship programs and scholarship-supported access. Enrich downtown Whitefish and drive economic prosperity by attracting regional and national audiences strengthening shoulder-season tourism and positioning the Flathead Valley as the perfect music destination.
What it reported doing in 2025
The organizations primary program services center on the Whitefish Songwriter Festival and related initiatives that promote original music support professional songwriters and enrich the cultural life of the Whitefish community through accessible live performances and educational programming. The Whitefish Songwriter Festival is a multi-day live music event that presents nationally and regionally recognized professional songwriters performing original works in intimate listening-room environments at local venues. The program provides residents and visitors with access to high-quality live music while highlighting the craft of songwriting and storytelling. During the reporting year the festival presented approximately 20 performances featuring 25 professional songwriters and served an estimated audience of approximately 500514 attendees. Programming included curated songwriter rounds featured performances and collaborative showcases designed to foster meaningful connections between artists and audiences. In addition to live performances the organization provides direct artist support and professional development opportunities. Participating songwriters receive stipends assistance with travel coordination promotional exposure and access to professional networking opportunities. These services are designed to sustain independent artists expand audience reach and support the creation and performance of original music. During the reporting year approximately 25 artists received direct financial or professional support. The organization also conducts community engagement and music education outreach. This programming includes workshops songwriter discussions and educational sessions accessible to students emerging musicians and the general public. Activities focus on creativity songwriting and the artistic process with the goal of increasing access to arts education and encouraging participation in music and cultural experiences. Approximately 500 individuals participated in educational or outreach activities during the reporting year. The festival further contributes to the economic vitality and cultural development of downtown Whitefish by activating local venues including restaurants lodging properties and performance spaces. Festival programming attracts residents and visitors to the area increases foot traffic and encourages extended stays thereby supporting local businesses and tourism. During the reporting year festival activities brought an estimated 500+ attendees to downtown Whitefish benefiting the local economy while fostering community connection and civic pride. All program services advance the organizations charitable mission to support working songwriters promote original music and expand public access to high-quality cultural experiences.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 61% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- Distribution model
- Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
The verdict
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Total assets are small relative to annual expenses; liquid coverage is unknown and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 91
- Transparency & Controls: 100
- Sustainability: 37
- Growth: NotEnoughData
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 88%; rating input score 88
- Program expense ratio: 96.2%; rating input score 96
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 8.5%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.16; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: Limited
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: Limited
- Revenue growth: Limited
- Asset growth: Limited
Details
- Where the money goes: 88% of revenue deployed · 96.2% of spending went to programs
- Governance: Filed governance answers
- Accomplishments: 2 filed program accomplishments · $98K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 8 people listed
- Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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.
- High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 16/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 52/100.