Founding Fathers Papers Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
See Schedule O.
- Income
- $72,681
- Spending
- $664,533
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- 22.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $415,600, chairman, trustee
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 70 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 22.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 814% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 25% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Weak: 35 out of 100.
Independent board
5 of 253 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (5)
- $207,500 spent. Washington Papers - the project was established to publish a comprehensive edition of Washington's correspondence, including letters written to Washington as well as letters and documents written by him. The complete edition will consist of approximately eighty-seven volumes. Today there are copies of over 140,000 Washington documents in the project's document room. This is one of the richest collections of American historical manuscripts extant. There is almost no facet of research on life and enterprise in the late colonial and early national periods that will not be enhanced by material from these documents. The publication of Washington's papers will make this source material available not only to scholars but to all Americans interested in the founding of their nation. (Expenses $ 49,250 including grants of $ 49,250) Jefferson Papers - preparing the authoritative and comprehensive edition of the correspondence and papers of our nation's third president. Jefferson's letters are the largest component of the more than 70,000 documents that have been assembled as photocopies from over 900 repositories and private collections worldwide. Careful research and collaborative scholarship produced the first volume, which set new standards for the organization and editorial presentation of historical documents. Forty-four volumes in the chronological series have been published to date. Today, through ongoing chronological and topical publication of the volumes as well as new digital access and multifaceted outreach efforts, this important correspondence in our nation's documentary heritage is made widely available. (Expenses $ 44,250 including grants of $ 44,250) Benjamin Franklin - The Project is a collaborative undertaking by a team of scholars at Yale University to collect, edit and publish the writings and papers of one of America's most remarkable founding fathers and indeed one of the most extraordinary people this nation has ever produced. His ever-curious and inventive mind explored nearly every aspect of his world, both pragmatic and theoretical, and he corresponded with an astonishing range of men and women of all classes and nearly all professions in America, Great Britain, and Europe. In a life spanning from 1706-1790, his collected papers present a panoramic view of the eighteenth century.
- $202,500 spent. Adams Papers - the project was founded to prepare a comprehensive published edition of the manuscripts written and received by the family of John Adams of Quincy, Massachusetts. The Adams Family Papers manuscript collection at the Massachusetts Historical Society forms the nucleus of the project. In addition, the editors have gathered over 27,000 copies of Adams items from hundreds of libraries, institutions, and individuals in the United States and abroad. The project's cutoff date is 1889, the year Abigail Brooks Adams died. The editors do not edit the Adams's words; rather they continue the search for Adams documents, select the material to be included in the edition, provide a faithful transcription of the manuscripts, and supply annotation. To date, 46 volumes have been published by Harvard University Press.
- $159,000 spent. James Madison - The project was established to publish annotated volumes of the correspondence and writings of James Madison, the Virginia statesman most often remembered for his public service as "Father of the Constitution as fourth president of the United States. The published volumes provide accurate texts of Madison's incoming and outgoing correspondence, informative notes on textual and subject matters, and comprehensive indexes. They are incomparably rich sources for students of Madison's life and valuable research tools for those interested in the general history of the period in which Madison lived (1751-1836). (Expenses $ 49,250 including grants of $ 49,250) Jefferson Papers - preparing the authoritative and comprehensive edition of the correspondence and papers of our nation's third president. Jefferson's letters are the largest component of the more than 70,000 documents that have been assembled as photocopies from over 900 repositories and private collections worldwide. Careful research and collaborative scholarship produced the first volume, which set new standards for the organization and editorial presentation of historical documents. Forty-four volumes in the chronological series have been published to date. Today, through ongoing chronological and topical publication of the volumes as well as new digital access and multifaceted outreach efforts, this important correspondence in our nation's documentary heritage is made widely available. (Expenses $ 44,250 including grants of $ 44,250) Benjamin Franklin - The Project is a collaborative undertaking by a team of scholars at Yale University to collect, edit and publish the writings and papers of one of America's most remarkable founding fathers and indeed one of the most extraordinary people this nation has ever produced. His ever-curious and inventive mind explored nearly every aspect of his world, both pragmatic and theoretical, and he corresponded with an astonishing range of men and women of all classes and nearly all professions in America, Great Britain, and Europe. In a life spanning from 1706-1790, his collected papers present a panoramic view of the eighteenth century.
- $49,250 spent. Jefferson Papers - preparing the authoritative and comprehensive edition of the correspondence and papers of our nation's third president. Jefferson's letters are the largest component of the more than 70,000 documents that have been assembled as photocopies from over 900 repositories and private collections worldwide. Careful research and collaborative scholarship produced the first volume, which set new standards for the organization and editorial presentation of historical documents. Forty-four volumes in the chronological series have been published to date. Today, through ongoing chronological and topical publication of the volumes as well as new digital access and multifaceted outreach efforts, this important correspondence in our nation's documentary heritage is made widely available.
- $44,250 spent. Benjamin Franklin - The Project is a collaborative undertaking by a team of scholars at Yale University to collect, edit and publish the writings and papers of one of America's most remarkable founding fathers and indeed one of the most extraordinary people this nation has ever produced. His ever-curious and inventive mind explored nearly every aspect of his world, both pragmatic and theoretical, and he corresponded with an astonishing range of men and women of all classes and nearly all professions in America, Great Britain, and Europe. In a life spanning from 1706-1790, his collected papers present a panoramic view of the eighteenth century.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1981.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.