Arts, Culture & Humanities (A113) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

PBS FOUNDATION

EIN: 20-1476451 · ARLINGTON, VA 22202-4371 · United States · FY 2025 Data

3 out of 5 58 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 86/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 85/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2025 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

As the national fundraising arm for PBS, we help donors realize their philanthropic goals by offering opportunities to make outsized impact. We work collaboratively with PBS member stations to ensure the sustainability and stability of PBS at the national level.

Financial Overview — FY 2025

$53.7M

Total Revenue

$38.8M

Total Expenses

$50.9M

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 89.3%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 15.72x

Liability-to-Asset 28.6%

Revenue Diversification 95.9%

Executive Compensation $438K

Compared with Peers

FY 2025

Compared with 273 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $10M–$100M in expenses), FY 2025.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	89.3%	79.1%	P10P90	Top quarter
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	3.3%	13.3%	P10P90	Top quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	7.4%	6.4%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	15.7 mo	30.8 mo	P10P90	Below median
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	28.6%	14.0%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	95.9%	65.5%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	159.2%	8.7%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	130.5%	4.8%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	27.6%	5.3%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2025	$53.7M	$38.8M	$50.9M	89.3%	21
2024	$20.7M	$16.8M	$34.2M	70.4%	19
2023	$17.7M	$15.9M	$28.5M	72.6%	21
2022	$17.8M	$11.4M	N/A	—	21
2021	$27.1M	$22.3M	N/A	—	15

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Organization Details

EIN: 20-1476451
State: VA
City: ARLINGTON
ZIP: 22202-4371
Classification: A113
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
Foundation Code: 21
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

A pillar with no data counts as zero. Without impact metrics the score is capped at 59 (three stars): only the charity can supply that data.
The coverage grade (A to D) says how much filing data the score rests on; NONE means there is not enough to rate.
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