Western North Carolina Historical Association Incorporation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of Western North Carlina Historical Association is to preserve and promote the history and legacy of Western North Carolina through interpretation, education, collection, and collaboration.
- Income
- $220,436
- Spending
- $211,403
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- -73.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 67%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 40
- Highest pay
- $53,031, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 4% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 25% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 32 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 94 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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
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 April 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)
- $165,881 spent. In fiscal year 2024-2025, the Western North Carolina Historical Association continued the process of transforming the historic Smith-McDowell House, built circa 1840, into a regional history museum, the Asheville Museum of History. While 2024-2025 fiscal year proved difficult with Helene and the recovery efforts that followed the storm, the Asheville Museum of History continued to host successful programming.
- New Featured Exhibition & Community Days With the permanent exhibition in place, supported by private donations and a grant from North Carolina Humanities, the Asheville Museum of History opened its first featured exhibition, The Photography of Andrea Clark: Remembering Ashevilles East End Community. The exhibition ran from September 2024 through May 2025 and occurred in two parts with a different set of photographs for each part. Part I ran from September 2024 to January 2025, and Part II ran from February 2025 to May 2025.The exhibit consisted of photographs on loan from Buncombe County Special Collections, Pack Memorial Public Library and photographs printed specifically for this exhibit along with artifacts, graphics, and text panels illustrating the history of urban renewal and life of Andrea Clark. In addition, a section of the exhibit highlighted the work and life of James Vester Miller, local Black brickmason and grandfather of Andrea Clark, through the use of graphics and text panels. For the opening weekends of Part I and Part II of the exhibition, the Asheville Museum of History held free Community Days. Programming for the two Community Days consisted of lectures on urban renewal and Black history in western North Carolina, childrens programming, live music, and a panel discussion of residents on the East End/Valley Street neighborhood. The Community Days served on average 75 people for each Community Day. The exhibit and Community Days were supported by a grant from ArtsAVL and private donations.
- Educational Programming Ongoing educational programming at the Asheville Museum of History in fiscal year 2024-2025 was packed full of a variety of interesting program offerings both in person and online as virtual programs. Programming included eleven History Hour Series lectures with guest historians and lecturers that served an average of 35 audience members each lecture. These lectures were ticketed events hosted online through Zoom and included a low or no cost ticket option through the museums Community Fund. Four of the programs were offered as hybrid events in person and online through a collaborative program with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville. Camblos-Colwell Award Due to Helene, the Asheville Museum of History postponed its two major awards programs: the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award and the Outanding Achievement Award. Named for the famed Asheville-born novelist, the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award has been presented annually by the Western North Carolina Historical Association since 1955 to honor outstanding literature by regional authors or works that take place in Western North Carolina. The museum also presents an annual Outstanding Achievement Award to organizations or individuals who have undertaken special and exceptional efforts in preserving or promoting local and regional history in the Western North Carolina community. However, in fiscal year 2024-2025, the Asheville Museum of History Board of Trustees did present the first Camblos-Colwell award in December 2024 to Daniel Huger and Stuart Camblos. Established in 2023, the award is named for Ruth Rudy Camblos, a passionate and persistent advocate for preserving the Smith-McDowell House, and Virginia McDowell Colwell, whose bequest in 2019 enabled major repairs and renovations and will ensure the maintenance of the house. Daniel Huger served on the board of the Western North Carolina Historical Association for many years, including as board president and treasurer. He also served as a former executive director. Stuart Camblos has been a driving force in the Western North Carolina Historical Association for much of her life, serving as a trustee and a volunteeer. She was an early proponent of turning the former house museum into a regional history museum with permanent and changing exhibits.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending April 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 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 April 2025.
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 January 1974.
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.