Facing History & Ourselves Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
FACING HISTORY & OURSELVES USES LESSONS OF HISTORY TO EQUIP TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS TO STAND UP TO RACISM, ANTISEMITISM, AND OTHER FORMS OF BIGOTRY AND HATE.
- Income
- $32.8 million
- Spending
- $41.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 4.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 71%
- Employees
- 242
- Volunteers
- 344
- Highest pay
- $465,710, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 25% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2537 of 37 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $24.5 million spent. FACING HISTORY & OURSELVES PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND INDUSTRY-LEADING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO TEACHERS, SCHOOLS, AND DISTRICTS. OUR PROGRAMS ENHANCE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS AND ADADEMIC ENGAGEMENT, AND EMPOWER STUDENTS TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND AROUND THE WORLD. THROUGH SEVEN OFFICES IN THE USA, AND NUMEROUS GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS, FACING HISTORY HAS A NETWORK OF MORE THAN 300,000 ACTIVE EDUCATORS.
- $3.3 million spent. FACING HISTORY & OURSELVES DESIGNS CURRICULA AND RELATED TEACHING MATERIALS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ON TOPICS INCLUDING SOCIAL STUDIES, HISTORY, CIVICS, ELA, SEL, MORAL AND ETHICAL REASONING, AND MORE. THE MATERIALS ARE USED BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS EVERY YEAR. EXAMPLES OF CONTENT AREAS COVERED INCLUDE THE HOLOCAUST, RECONSTRUCTION IN THE POST-CIVIL WAR ERA, US HISTORY, CIVICS, AND LITERATURE.
- $2.9 million spent. FACING HISTORY & OURSELVES PROVIDES TRAINING, SUPPORT, AND CLASSROOM CURRICULA TO TEACHERS THROUGH A VARIETY OF CHANNELS, INCLUDING VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON EVENTS, AND A DIGITAL PLATFORM. IN ADDITION, FACING HISTORY COMMUNICATES WITH EDUCATORS AND A BROADER COMMUNITY THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, DIRECT EMAIL COMMUNICATION, AND OTHER WRITING, INCLUDING BLOGS AND WHITE PAPERS. THE ORGANIZATION ENCOURAGES A BROAD RANGE OF STAKEHOLDERS - BUT STUDENTS IN PARTICULAR - TO LEARN ABOUT AND FROM HISTORY, TO ENGAGE IN MEANINGFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE, AND TO SEE THEIR ROLE AS CIVIC PARTICIPANTS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1994.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.