C. Definitions — 2025 Inst 990-PF (PDF)

A private foundation is a domestic or foreign organization exempt from income tax under section 501(a), described in section 501(c)(3), and is other than an organization described in sections 509(a)(1) through (4).

Churches, hospitals, schools, broadly publicly supported organizations, supporting organizations, and organizations that test for public safety are excluded from private foundation status by sections 509(a)(1) through (4). These organizations may be

Private foundations exempt under section 501(a) (section 6033(a)).
Taxable private foundations (section 6033(d)).

2 Instructions for Form 990-PF (2025)

B. Which Parts To Complete

Some parts of the form listed below don't apply to some filers information on what to do if a part or an item doesn't apply.	s. See How to avoid filing an incomplete return, earlier, for
Part of Form 990-PF	Foundations Which Must Complete This Part
Heading	All
Part I (analysis of revenues and expenses), columns (a) (revenue and expenses per books) and (d) (disbursements for charitable purposes)	All
Part I (analysis of revenues and expenses), column (b) (net investment income)	All except (1) foreign taxable foundations, and (2) foreign nonexempt charitable trusts; foreign 501(c)(3) foundations need not complete line 7 (capital gain net income) or expense lines
Part I (analysis of revenues and expenses), column (c) (adjusted net income)	Only foundations claiming operating foundation status, foundations (not described in section 4948(b)) that derive income from a charitable activity and claim a qualifying distribution for net losses from the activity, and domestic 501(c) (3) foundations that maintain a common fund, as described in section 170(b)(1) (F)(iii)
Part II (balance sheets), columns (a) and (b) (beginning and end-of-year book value)	All
Part II (balance sheets), column (c) (end-of-year fair market value)	All foundations with at least $5,000 in assets per books at some time during tax year; other foundations complete only line 16
Part III (analysis of changes in net assets or fund balances)	All
Part IV (capital gains and losses for tax on investment income)	All except foreign foundations; line 3 must be completed only by foundations that must complete Part I, column (c)
Part V (excise tax based on investment income)	All except (1) organizations electing private foundation status under section 41(e) (6)(D), (2) foreign taxable foundations, and (3) foreign nonexempt charitable trusts
Part VI-A (statements regarding activities)	All; foreign foundations described in section 4948(b) need not complete lines 6 and 8, and in line 10, foreign foundations don't list persons who aren't U.S. citizens
Part VI-B (statements regarding activities for which Form 4720 may be required)	All; foreign foundations described in section 4948(b) need not complete line 2
Part VII (information about officers, directors, trustees, foundation managers, highly paid employees, and contractors)	All
Part VIII-A (summary of direct charitable activities)	All
Part VIII-B (summary of program-related investments)	All
Part IX (minimum investment return)	All except foreign foundations described in section 4948(b) that aren't claiming operating foundation status
Part X (distributable amount)	All except (1) foreign foundations described in section 4948(b), and (2) foundations claiming operating foundation status
Part XI (qualifying distributions)	All except foreign foundations described in section 4948(b) that aren't claiming operating foundation status
Part XII (undistributed income)	All except foreign foundations described in section 4948(b); if the foundation claims operating foundation status for any of the years shown in Part XII, it doesn't complete those portions of Part XII that apply to those years
Part XIII (private operating foundations)	Only foundations claiming operating foundation status
Part XIV (supplementary information)	All except (1) foundations with less than $5,000 of assets per books at all times during tax year, and (2) foreign foundations described in section 4948(b)
Part XV-A (analysis of income-producing activities)	All
Part XV-B (relationship of activities to the accomplishment of exempt purposes)	All
Part XVI (information regarding transfers to and transactions and relationships with noncharitable exempt organizations)	All
Signature block	All

Instructions for Form 990-PF (2025) 3

required to file Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or Form 990-N (“e-Postcard”) instead of Form 990-PF.

A nonexempt charitable trust treated as a private foundation is a trust that isn't exempt from tax under section 501(a) and all of the unexpired interests of which are devoted to religious, charitable, or other purposes described in section 170(c)(2)(B), and for which a charitable deduction was allowed under a section of the Code listed in section 4947(a)(1).
A taxable private foundation is an organization that previously was recognized as being exempt under section 501(a) as an organization described in section 501(c)(3), but has lost that recognition. Though it may operate as a taxable entity, it will continue to be treated as a private foundation until that status is terminated under section 507.
A private operating foundation is an organization that is described under section 4942(j)(3) or (5). It means any private foundation that spends at least 85% of the smaller of its adjusted net income (figured in Part I) or its minimum investment return (figured in Part IX) directly for the active conduct of the exempt purpose or functions for which it is organized and operated and that also meets the assets test, the endowment test, or the support test (discussed in Part XIII). Also, certain elderly care facilities created before 1970 are treated as private operating foundations.
A nonoperating private foundation is a private foundation that isn't a private operating foundation. These often are referred to as “grant-making foundations.”
A foundation manager is an officer, director, or trustee of a foundation, or an individual who has powers similar to those of officers, directors, or trustees. In the case of any act or failure to act, the term “foundation manager” may also include employees of the foundation who have the authority to act.
A disqualified person is any of the following. a. A substantial contributor (see the instructions for Part VI-A, line 10, later).

b. A foundation manager. c. A person who owns more than 20% of a corporation, partnership, trust, or unincorporated enterprise that is itself a substantial contributor.

d. A family member of an individual described in (a), (b), or (c) above.

e. A corporation, partnership, trust, estate, or unincorporated enterprise in which persons described in (a), (b), (c), or (d) above own more than 35% of the voting power, profits interest, or beneficial interest, respectively.

f. For purposes of section 4941 (self-dealing), a disqualified person also includes certain government officials. (See section 4946(c) and the related regulations.) g. For purposes of section 4943 (excess business holdings), a disqualified person also includes:

i. A private foundation effectively controlled (directly or indirectly) by the same persons who control the private foundation in question; or

ii. A private foundation to which substantially all contributions were made (directly or indirectly) by one or more of the persons described in (a), (b), and (c) above, or members of their families, within the meaning of section 4946(d).

An organization is controlled by a foundation or by one or more disqualified persons with respect to the foundation if any of these persons may, by combining their votes or positions of authority, require the organization to make an expenditure or prevent the organization from making an expenditure, regardless of the method of control. “Control” is determined regardless of how the foundation requires the contribution to be used.