Wisconsin History Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL FOUNDATION EXISTS TO ADVANCE THE MISSION OF THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY: TO HELP PEOPLE CONNECT TO THE PAST BY COLLECTING, PRESERVING AND SHARING STORIES.
- Income
- $35.0 million
- Spending
- $14.7 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 4.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 86%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 23
- Highest pay
- $188,681, executive director
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: 85 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 58% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 79% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 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 2523 of 23 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 (7)
- $5.9 million spent. HISTORY CENTER CAMPAIGN: TO RAISE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW HISTORY CENTER.
- $1.9 million spent. MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES: THE DIVISION OF MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES COLLECTS AND PRESERVES THE MATERIAL CULTURE OF WISCONSIN AND INTERPRETS THE STATE'S HISTORY AND PREHISTORY FOR THE PUBLIC. THE DIVISION FULFILLS ITS EDUCATIONAL ROLE THROUGH EXHIBITIONS, TOURS AND A VARIETY OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS CONDUCTED AT THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL MUSEUM IN MADISON, AND AT HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER VENUES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
- $1.2 million spent. WHF SUPPORT FOR SOCIETY: WHF MANAGES FUNDS THAT SUPPORT THE SOCIETY'S OPERATIONS. THESE FUNDS INCLUDE ENDOWMENTS, SPEND-DOWN FUNDS, FUNDS WITHOUT DONOR RESTRICTIONS, AND A BOARD DESIGNATED QUASI-ENDOWMENT. EXPENDITURES FROM ENDOWMENTS AND SPEND-DOWN FUNDS RESTRICTED TO THE SOCIETY'S PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS ARE MANAGED THROUGH THE SOCIETY'S ANNUAL BUDGET PLANNING PROCESS. WHF INFORMS THE SOCIETY OF AVAILABLE FUND BALANCES, AND THE SOCIETY'S LEADERSHIP DETERMINES FUNDS TO BE TRANSFERRED. DEPENDING ON THE FUND TYPE, WHF CHARGES FEES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF FUNDS. THESE FEES HELP OFFSET WHF OPERATING COST.
- $586,190 spent. LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES: THE DIVISION OF LIBRARY, ARCHIVES AND MUSEUM COLLECTIONS ACQUIRES, PRESERVES AND PROVIDES ACCESS TO DOCUMENTARY AND ARTIFACTUAL EVIDENCE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WISCONSIN, THE UNITED STATES, AND CANADA. WITH OVER 4 MILLION ITEMS, ITS GENEALOGY AND HISTORY COLLECTIONS ARE AMONG THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN THE WORLD DOCUMENTING NORTH AMERICAN HISTORY. THE SOCIETY'S LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES IS ALSO THE AMERICAN HISTORY LIBRARY FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, AN OFFICIAL DEPOSITORY FOR LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS, AND THE STATE ARCHIVES WHICH PRESERVES STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT RECORDS OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE. THE AREA RESEARCH CENTER NETWORK, A UNIQUE ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND THE FOUR-YEAR CAMPUSES OF THE UW SYSTEM, MAKES MOST OF THE ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE WITHIN EASY DRIVING DISTANCE OF ALL STATE RESIDENTS.
- $447,448 spent. WHF OPERATIONS: WHF WAS FOUNDED IN 1954 AND ITS OPERATIONS ARE FOCUSED ON THE SUPPORT OF THE SOCIETY'S MISSION BY PROVIDING PHILANTHROPIC, FINANCIAL, AND OPERATIONAL SERVICES TO THE SOCIETY. AS A SUPPORTING FOUNDATION, WHF MUST SUPPORT FINANCIALLY ITS OWN OPERATIONS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME FULFILL ITS MISSION TO SUPPORT THE SOCIETY. LIKE OTHER SUPPORTING FOUNDATIONS, WHF UTILIZES A NUMBER OF REVENUE STREAMS TO SUPPORT OPERATING COSTS, INCLUDING CONTRIBUTIONS, FEES ON THE FUNDS IT HOLDS, ENDOWMENT DISTRIBUTIONS, AND SERVICE REVENUE. WHF OPERATIONS GENERATE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE SOCIETY INITIATIVES AND OPERATIONS AND PROVIDES OTHER SUPPORT TO THE SOCIETY.
- $161,552 spent. OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT: THE OFFICE OF PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH HELPS PEOPLE CONNECT WITH THEIR PAST BY PUBLISHING BOOKS AND MAGAZINES, PROVIDING EXPERT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE TO LOCAL HISTORIANS, AND SUPPORTING K-12 STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. IT ALSO OFFERS TRAVELLING EXHIBITS AND SPEAKERS TO COMMUNITY CENTERS, LIBRARIES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE STATE, VISITING HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITIES EACH YEAR.
- $105,601 spent. HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND PUBLIC HISTORY: THE SOCIETY IS THE FEDERALLY-DESIGNATED STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE (SHPO). IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMUNITIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS, THE SHPO WORKS TO IDENTIFY, INTERPRET AND PRESERVE HISTORIC PLACES FOR THE BENEFIT OF PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
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 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 June 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 May 1956.
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.