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Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Foundation Inc

EIN 13-3118415 · New York, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY-ELLIS ISLAND FOUNDATION IS A NON-PROFIT THAT COLLABORATES WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IN ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. IN 1982, PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN ASKED LEE IACOCCA TO RAISE PRIVATE FUNDS FOR THE HISTORIC RESTORATION OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND ELLIS ISLAND. THE FOUNDATION HAS ALSO CREATED THE ELLIS ISLAND NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IMMIGRATION, DEVELOPED THE FREE 65-MILLION-RECORD ELLIS ISLAND PASSENGER DATABASE, CONSTRUCTED THE STATUE OF LIBERTY MUSEUM, MAINTAINED MUSEUM EXHIBITS, AND FUNDED OVER 200 ADDITIONAL PROJECTS ON THE ISLANDS. THE FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS:TO RESTORE AND PRESERVE THE STATUE OF LIBERTY NATIONAL MONUMENT, WHICH INCLUDES ELLIS ISLAND; CUSTODY AND CONTROL OF RECORDS AND OTHER ARTIFACTS OF HISTORIC INTEREST RELATED TO THE STATUE OF LIBERTY AND THE MILLIONS OF IMMIGRANTS WHO ENTERED THE UNITED STATES THROUGH THE PORT OF NEW YORK AND ELLIS ISLAND AS WELL AS ALL IMMIGRATION TO THE UNITED (SEE CONTINUATION)

Income
$36.4 million
Spending
$34.0 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
25.9 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 55%
Employees
37
Volunteers
165
Highest pay
$454,525, dir/pres/ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 87% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 25.9 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 9% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 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 25

    23 of 24 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 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 (7)
  1. $24.7 million spent. ELLIS MUSEUM PROJECT: THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO REIMAGINE THE 34-YEAR-OLD MUSEUM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. THE PROJECT WILL PRESERVE THE 125-YEAR-OLD HISTORIC LANDMARK, ENHANCE ITS EXHIBITS, AND TELL A MORE VIBRANT STORY OF IMMIGRATION IN A BUILDING THAT ONCE PROCESSED 12 MILLION IMMIGRANTS. IN ADDITION TO PERFORMING ESSENTIAL BUILDING AND SYSTEMS UPGRADES, THE NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION WILL REIMAGINE INSTALLATIONS FOR A MORE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE, SHOWCASE THE MUSEUM'S HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE, AND IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY THROUGHOUT ITS 137,000 SQUARE FEET. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE ENHANCEMENTS WILL OFFER THE MUSEUM'S TWO MILLION ANNUAL VISITORS A MORE COMPELLING AND COMPREHENSIVE EXPERIENCE INSIDE A MODERNIZED AND MORE IMMERSIVE MUSEUM. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN MARCH 2024; THE MUSEUM REMAINS
  2. $3.1 million spent. AUDIO TOUR: UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, THE FOUNDATION OPERATES A AUDIO TOUR PROGRAM WITH CONTENT COVERING LIBERTY ISLAND AND THE ELLIS ISLAND MUSEUM. THE AUDIO TOUR IS AVAILABLE IN 12 LANGUAGES, AS WELL AS AN ASL AND AUDIO DESCRIPTOR TOUR. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, AUDIO TOURS WERE AVAILABLE TO THE APPROXIMATELY 3.6 MILLION VISITORS TO LIBERTY AND ELLIS ISLANDS.
  3. $753,194 spent. THE AMERICAN FAMILY IMMIGRATION HISTORY CENTER (AFIHC) AT ELLIS ISLAND WELCOMES TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS ANNUALLY. FOUNDATION STAFF OPERATE THE FAMILY HISTORY CENTER, WELCOMING VISITORS TO SEARCH FOR THEIR FAMILY'S RECORDS. THE FOUNDATION'S 65-MILLION-RECORD ELECTRONIC DATABASE CONTAINS THE ARRIVAL RECORDS OF IMMIGRANTS, PASSENGERS, AND CREW MEMBERS WHO ENTERED THE UNITED STATES THROUGH THE PORT OF NEW YORK/ELLIS ISLAND BETWEEN 1820-1957. THE DATABASE, WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE FOUNDATION, IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR FREE AT WWW.LIBERTYELLISFOUNDATION.ORG. REVENUES ARE GENERATED BY RESERVATION FEES FOR TERMINALS AT THE CENTER, AS WELL AS SALES FROM HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND OTHER MISSION-RELATED PRODUCTS ON THE WEB AND AT THE CENTER.
  4. $509,006 spent. PUBLIC AWARENESS, EDUCATION, AND PROGRAMMING: THE FOUNDATION SEEKS TO INFORM EXTERNAL AUDIENCES ABOUT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, ELLIS ISLAND, AND THE FOUNDATION'S MISSION AND INITIATIVES. THE FOUNDATION WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ON MEDIA RELATIONS AND IS ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE, X, INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, AND LINKEDIN. THE FOUNDATION CURATES AND DEVELOPS VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES THAT ENSURE OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE CULTIVATING NEW AUDIENCES WHILE ALSO PROVIDING FREE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO BENEFIT TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. MATERIALS INCLUDE INFORMATIVE VIDEOS ABOUT THE ELLIS ISLAND IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE, FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH TOOLS, TIPS FOR CAPTURING ORAL HISTORIES, AR AND VR EXPERIENCES, AND MORE. ENLISTING SUBJECT-AREA EXPERTS FROM OUR OWN STAFF, HISTORY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, THE FOUNDATION HOSTS EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS (IN PERSON AND VIRTUAL) RELEVANT TO THE MONUMENTS' HISTORIES AND IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCES. THE FOUNDATION PARTNERS FOR SELECT PROGRAMMING, SUCH AS WITH EARTHCAM TO PROVIDE VIEWS OF LADY LIBERTY AND LIBERTY ISLAND.
  5. $250,741 spent. LIBERTY MUSEUM CARE: TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, FOUNDATION STAFF MANAGE INTERACTIVE MUSEUM EXHIBITS AND TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING THE IMMERSIVE THEATER WITH THREE ENORMOUS SCREENS, THE POPULAR INTERACTIVE BECOMING LIBERTY EXHIBIT, AND THE LIBERTY STAR VIDEO TERMINALS.
  6. $81,477 spent. ELLIS EXHIBIT CARE: TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, FOUNDATION STAFF MANAGE INTERACTIVE MUSEUM EXHIBITS AND TECHNOLOGY TO ENRICH THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE AT THE ELLIS ISLAND MUSEUM, INCLUDING INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, A/V, AND TOUCHSCREENS.
  7. ELLIS WALL OF HONOR EXPANSION: FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, THE AMERICAN IMMIGRANT WALL OF HONOR HAS BEEN A UNIQUE AND LASTING MONUMENT CELEBRATING COUNTLESS IMMIGRANT STORIES. VIRTUALLY EVERY NATIONALITY FROM EVERY INHABITED CONTINENT CAN BE FOUND ON THE WALL OF HONOR, ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO ENDURED FORCED MIGRATION FROM SLAVERY AND OUR LAND'S EARLIEST SETTLERS. IN RESPONSE TO CONTINUED INTEREST IN THE WALL OF HONOR, THE FOUNDATION EXPANDED THE MONUMENT TO ADD SPACE FOR MANY MORE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES TO COMMEMORATE THEIR FAMILY'S IMMIGRANT HISTORY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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 November 6, 2026.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1982.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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 November 4, 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.