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San Francisco Cinematheque

Fine art film exhibition, publication, and education.

Arts & Culture San Francisco, CA EIN: 942361837 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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70
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
70/100 · methodology

About San Francisco Cinematheque

Artistic screenings presentation and exhibition of fine art films, contemporary experiments in film and video, historial works from international and american cinema and historical documentation. Publications, journals, & monographs present historical works and essays by film curators. These publications descriptions educate & enlighten the public about the visual art of film. Crossroads annual film festival celebrating recent and rediscovered film, video and performance cinema, presenting a diverse line up of contempory work from the national and international community.

Founded
Headquarters
San Francisco, CA
Foundation type
Supporting organization (509(a)(3))
NTEE code
A310
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
small

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1977

Mission

Fine art film exhibition, publication, and education.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Cause tags

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar arts & culture in United States
Program spending This charity: 63%
Peer average: 76%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 30.25%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 70
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· 1 red flag
High Executive Pay
Top executive compensation is 32.6% of total expenses ($63,328 of $194,043).

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.63
Program$0.63

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, San Francisco Cinematheque has a complete profile, sourced from the IRS.

  • It has more complete contact information than nearly all similar organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
  • It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all similar organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
  • GiveRadar has verified more about this organization than about 71% of the 133,127 arts & culture charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

San Francisco Cinematheque is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in San Francisco, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1977 and has been operating for 49 years. Its EIN is 942361837. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 70/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $209K in annual revenue. 42 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.

San Francisco Cinematheque's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 942361837. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

San Francisco Cinematheque has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 70/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 70 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 90/100.

San Francisco Cinematheque is located in San Francisco, CA, United States. The organization was established in 1977 and has been active for 49 years.

Based on official tax filings, San Francisco Cinematheque has $209K in annual revenue. It allocates 63% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 76% for arts & culture charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

San Francisco Cinematheque is classified as an Arts & Culture organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a small organization. It has $209K in annual revenue. The organization has 42 disclosed officers and directors.

GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for San Francisco Cinematheque. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.

According to GiveRadar's records, San Francisco Cinematheque holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 63% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 76%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Artistic screenings presentation and exhibition of fine art films, contemporary experiments in film and video, historial works from international and american cinema and historical documentation. Publications, journals, & monographs present historical works and essays by film curators. These publications descriptions educate & enlighten the public about the visual art of film. Crossroads annual film festival celebrating recent and rediscovered film, video and performance cinema, presenting a diverse line up of contempory work from the national and international community. San Francisco Cinematheque is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1977.

Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: It allocates 63% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 76%. Its annual revenue of $209K is below the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to San Francisco Cinematheque are generally tax-deductible in the United States. San Francisco Cinematheque is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 942361837, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
63% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
2

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

ST
Steve P••••
Exec. Dir./Dir.

Officers & trustees (13)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

13 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
$0.2M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.2M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.2M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture this charity 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 42 disclosed in the public registry.

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 6, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
90%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 42 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1977
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about San Francisco Cinematheque

What is San Francisco Cinematheque?
San Francisco Cinematheque is a arts & culture supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in San Francisco, United States. Artistic screenings presentation and exhibition of fine art films, contemporary experiments in film and video, historial works from international and american cinema and historical documentation. Publications, journals, & monographs present historical works and essays by film curators. These publications descriptions educate & enlighten the public about the visual art of film. Crossroads annual film festival celebrating recent and rediscovered film, video and performance cinema, presenting a diverse line up of contempory work from the national and international community.
When was San Francisco Cinematheque founded?
San Francisco Cinematheque was founded in 1977.
Who leads San Francisco Cinematheque?
Steve Polta serves as Exec. Dir./Dir..
Where is San Francisco Cinematheque located?
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, United States.
What is San Francisco Cinematheque's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $100K-$1M. 63% of expenses go to program services.
Is San Francisco Cinematheque trustworthy?
San Francisco Cinematheque has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 70 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is San Francisco Cinematheque's registration number?
IRS EIN: 942361837.
What is San Francisco Cinematheque's website?
http://www.sfcinematheque.org