Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

Pioneers Assistance ProgramThe Pioneers Assistance Fund (PAF) provides financial assistance for health and welfare issues to people who work in theatrical entertainment. Assistance is provided on a sliding scale for people who have worked a minimum of three years in the industry up to people who have worked an entire career in the industry. The PAF is funded by restricted donations from entertainment industry companies, foundations and individuals who work in the theatrical entertainment industry. People who have worked in theatrical entertainment for a minimum of three years are eligible to receive financial assistance and counseling due to accident, illness, natural disaster, financial hardship, and medical issues. PAF provided long-term type assistance to 13 clients due to quality-of-life issues. Short-term assistance was given to 1,586 clients primarily for housing insecurity, medical rehabilitation, medical related equipment, burial and cremation expenses, and natural disaster relief. The total number of people who contacted PAF and received a minimum of counseling help or resource referral was 2,138. 2024-2025 the U.S. saw numerous natural disasters including severe storms and tornado outbreaks, winter storms, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and drought-related events. The Pioneers Assistance Fund provided more than $215,000 in emergency grants to more than 1,000 film industry members impacted by natural disasters including hurricanes Beryl, Francine, Helene, and Milton.On January 7, 2025, fires broke out across Southern California in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The fires burned roughly 37,500 acres combined and destroyed more than 16,000 structures. The Pioneers Assistance Fund provided emergency assistance to nearly 100 individuals spending a total of $70,652 on industry members who either lost work due to the fires or who sustained damage to their homes.In 2024-25, the top three reasons for financial assistance are: 1. Rent and household financial hardship 2. Accident/Natural Disaster relief and 3. Medical treatments and care. The age range for long-term assistance recipients is 64 - 99, with many of those receiving assistance between the ages 71 90. The short-term client ages are from 16-89 years of age, with the majority receiving financial assistance in the 21-25 age group.Social workers continue to find a sizable number of people seeking financial assistance are employed, but live under a very tight budget, due to many factors. One accident, illness or unforeseen incident can create a household crisis. PAF clients reflect the greater circumstance affecting middle-class workers in the USA, most are barely keeping up with financial demands of day-to-day life. The Pioneers Assistance Fund continued the effort to educate industry members through increased presence on social media, frequent email newsletters, and the INNERMISSION program which provides short-form digestible videos (primarily made for the Instagram and YouTube social media platforms) on various topics aimed at maintaining overall health through video interviews with experts in fields of mental health and financial wellness. In 24-25 the INNERMISSION Program offered a series on Healthy Relationships as well as a series on the Importance of a Healthy Diet. Combined, the two series garnered more than 100,000 views on Instagram and another 16,500 views on YouTube. Due to the increased research findings on the importance of sleep, exercise, and meditation, all created content focuses on tips to achieving a healthy living lifestyle. Social workers are now screening for Depression, Suicidality, and a Needs Audit, which demonstrates to clients areas where their lives may need more attention. For more detailed information about the program, visit www.wrpioneers.org.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 79.4%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.19 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 99.9%; rating input score 100; 42nd 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • 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: -21.4%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.69; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.03; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 11.3%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -4.4% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -6.4% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -5.2% per year; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings