Newport Festivals Foundation

Manchesterbythesea, MA · EIN 27-4099544 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Newport Festivals Foundation reported $13.0 million in revenue and $13.0 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $83.62 went to program services, $15.87 to management and general costs and $0.51 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 66.5% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $353,392 (BOARD MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIR). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 175% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $13M

Program services$83.62 $11M
Management & general$15.87 $2.1M
Fundraising$0.51 $66,316

For context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).

Where $100 of revenue came from

The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $13M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$26.69 $3.5M
Program service revenue$66.53 $8.6M
Investment income$2.99 $387K
Other revenue$3.79 $491K

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

FY2025 filing. Median across 876 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	83.6%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	15.9%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	0.5%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.02	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	26.7%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	0.0%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	66.5%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$353,392	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	2.72%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	5	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	24.8	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	21 of 21	100.0%

A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.

What the money paid for, in its own words

FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense

$5.3M expenses · 48.6% of program spending · revenue $5.2M

In 2025, the newport folk festival the festival was held at fort adams state park from july 25-27. The festival highlighted over 60 performances from both new, up and coming artists and established legends

$4.9M expenses · 45.1% of program spending · revenue $4.4M

In 2025, the newport jazz festival the festival was held at fort adams state park from august 1-3. The festival highlighted over 60 performances from both new, up and coming artists and established legends

$684K expenses · 6.3% of program spending · grants $20,000

In 2025, Newport Festivals Foundation continued to grow its year-round music education programming. 2025 programs included free music lessons, summer camps, instrument donations, free after school music programs, musician relief funds, and partnering with Newport Festivals artists to create content to be shared free of charge to music education programs across the country. Free festival access was provided for select local nonprofits, high school students and all children under 10

Highest reported compensation

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here

Role	From this org	From related orgs	Other	Total
BOARD MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIR Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$348,200	$0	$5,192	$353,392
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER(FO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$189,861	$0	$0	$189,861
PRODUCER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$174,939	$0	$5,000	$179,939
EVENT DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$148,801	$0	$0	$148,801
PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR & ARC Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$109,003	$0	$5,000	$114,003

5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Newport Festivals Foundation (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.3M (Part IX, line 5).

6 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
FY2025 ⓘ	$13M	$13M	83.6%	$27M	$353,392
FY2024 ⓘ	$13M	$12M	88.6%	$25M	$348,200
FY2023 ⓘ	$12M	$10M	88.2%	$21M	$426,750
FY2022 ⓘ	$12M	$9.6M	84.0%	$18M	$402,700
FY2021 ⓘ	$11M	$7.3M	89.6%	$19M	$344,250
FY2020 ⓘ	$4.7M	$2.7M	70.8%	$14M	$310,006

Governance answers, as filed

FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means

Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b21 · 21 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
Whistleblower policy Part VI 13No
Document retention policy Part VI 14No
Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5401
Volunteers Part I, line 6250

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

WILLIAM MORRIS ENDEAVOR ENT LLC	$328,125
CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCY LLC	$236,700
ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION SPECIALISTS LLC	$196,447
SOUNDCHECK LLC	$135,000
KLONDIKE SOUND LLC	$125,302

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

18 private foundations reported grants to Newport Festivals Foundation totaling $772K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.

Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.

Correct a figure or respond

Every number above is copied from Newport Festivals Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Newport Festivals Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Newport Festivals Foundation How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Museum of Jewish Heritage a Living Memorial to the Holocaust
New York, NY · revenue $13M · programs 69.3% · FY2025
Marbles Kids Museum
Raleigh, NC · revenue $13M · programs 65.7% · FY2025
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake City, UT · revenue $13M · programs 63.3% · 2025
Sanford Laboratories for Innovative Medicines
San Diego, CA · revenue $13M · programs 79.3% · 2025
Louisville Theatrical Association
Louisville, KY · revenue $13M · programs 99.8% · FY2025

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts

Questions people ask

How much of Newport Festivals Foundation's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Newport Festivals Foundation reported that 83.6% of its $13.0 million in expenses went to program services, 15.9% to management and general and 0.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Newport Festivals Foundation pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Newport Festivals Foundation reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $353,392, for the role of BOARD MEMBER/EXECUTIVE DIR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Newport Festivals Foundation get its money?

Of $13.0 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 26.7% came from contributions and grants and 66.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Newport Festivals Foundation a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 27-4099544 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, object 202622299349300827 · read the filing
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202500879349301420 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202402269349301200 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202332199349301053 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202212219349300141 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202112289349303261 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 27-4099544: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.