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Center for Railroad Photography and Art Inc

EIN 39-1917972 · Madison, WI

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood74 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO PRESERVE AND PRESENT SIGNIFICANT IMAGES OF RAILROADING, INTERPRETING THEM IN PRINT, EXHIBITIONS, AND ON THE INTERNET.

Income
$933,249
Spending
$964,349
Spent on programs
74%
Reserves
4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 93%
Employees
11
Volunteers
60
Highest pay
$90,000, exec. director/president

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: 74 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 26% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 4% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    74% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 15 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 95% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 14 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 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 (4)
  1. $435,560 spent. COLLECTIONTHE CENTER MAINTAINS AN ARCHIVE OF MORE THAN 600,000 PHOTOGRAPHS, PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, AND PRINTS; ITS STAFF MEMBERS PERFORM ARCHIVAL PROCESSING OF THIS COLLECTION INTO ARCHIVAL-SAFE STORAGE MATERIALS. ANTICIPATED ADDITIONS IN 2025 AND BEYOND WILL PUSH THE TOTAL NUMBER OF IMAGES CLOSE TO 1,100,000. THE CENTER DIGITIZES MANY OF THE IMAGES AS WELL AS THEIR ASSOCIATED METADATA, SHARING THEM THROUGH ITS WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, AND PUBLICATIONS, WHILE MAKING THEM AVAILABLE TO RESEARCHERS, AUTHORS, AND OTHER USERS. GROWTH OF THE COLLECTION HAS LED TO A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN IMAGE USAGE REQUESTS, AND IMAGES FROM THE CENTER'S ARCHIVE NOW APPEAR FREQUENTLY IN BOOKS AND MAGAZINES BY OTHER PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS. ONE EXAMPLE IS THE "ARCHIVES TREASURE" FEATURE THAT APPEARS IN EACH ISSUE OF CLASSIC TRAINS MAGAZINE AND SPOTLIGHTS A PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE CENTER'S ARCHIVE. THE CENTER'S COLLECTION IS NOT RECORDED ON THE ORGANIZATION'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.COLLECTION PRIORITIES IN 2024 WERE THE ONGOING PROCESSING OF SEVERAL LARGE AND SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIONS, INCLUDING THOSE OF STAN KISTLER, HENRY POSNER III, JIM SHAUGHNESSY, RICHARD STEINHEIMER, AND KARL ZIMMERMANN. THE CENTER ALSO MADE A SIGNIFICANT ADDITION TO ITS ART HOLDINGS WITH THE KALMBACH ART COLLECTION. IT CONTAINS 53 ORIGINAL PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS, DONATED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF KALMBACH PUBLISHING CO. PRIOR TO THE SALE OF THE COMPANY'S RAILROAD MAGAZINE TITLES TO FIRECROWN MEDIA. THE CENTER PAUSED NEW ADDITIONS OF LARGE PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTIONS FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR WHILE ITS COLLECTIONS & ACQUISITIONS COMMITTEE REVIEWED AND UPDATED ITS ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA IN 2024 TO HELP THE CENTER MANAGE BOTH THE GREAT VOLUME AND DIVERSITY OF POTENTIAL MATERIAL. ACCESSIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTIONS RESUMED IN LATE 2024, WHILE ACCESSIONS OF ADDITIONAL PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, AND ART PRINTS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
  2. $107,910 spent. PUBLICATIONSTHE CENTER PUBLISHES A QUARTERLY JOURNAL, RAILROAD HERITAGE, THAT USES PHOTOGRAPHS AND ART TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE RAILROAD'S INFLUENCE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, POPULAR CULTURE, AND THE LIVES OF THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO BUILT, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN RAILROADS IN NORTH AMERICA AND BEYOND. BOOKS ADD TO THIS MESSAGE, AND THE CENTER CONTINUES TO PUBLISH ONE EACH YEAR. THE TITLE FOR 2024 IS BURLINGTON'S SPECTACULAR STEAM PROGRAM. IT DRAWS FROM THE PEOPLE-FOCUSED PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE CENTER'S JOHN E. GRUBER COLLECTION AND THE EXPERT WRITING OF TWO CENTER BOARD MEMBERS TO SHOW THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF THE BURLINGTON STEAM EXCURSIONS OF THE 1950S AND 1960S.
  3. $91,169 spent. CONFERENCESTHE CENTER HOSTS AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEAR CHICAGO AND SOMETIMES ANOTHER REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN A DIFFERENT CITY FEATURING PRESENTATIONS ABOUT RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART. THE EVENTS GIVE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND RESEARCHERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK AND EXCHANGE IDEAS THROUGH PROGRAMMING AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES. ATTENDEES COME FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND SEVERAL OTHER COUNTRIES. THE 2023 CONFERENCE SOLD OUT WITH 170 ATTENDEES IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS; A MOVE TO A LARGER AUDITORIUM FOR THE 2024 CONFERENCE EXPANDED CAPACITY TO 192 AND THE EVENT WAS SOLD OUT. THE CENTER HOSTED ITS FIRST ONLINE PROGRAM IN 2020 AND NOW MANAGES A MONTHLY SERIES OF ONLINE PRESENTATIONS THAT APPEAR LIVE VIA ZOOM AND ARE THEN RECORDED AND POSTED TO YOUTUBE FOR LATER VIEWING. ATTENDANCE ON ZOOM RANGES FROM 100 TO 400, WHILE SEVERAL OF THE YOUTUBE RECORDS HAVE RECEIVED THOUSANDS OF VIEWS.
  4. $75,088 spent. EXHIBITS AND AWARDSTHE CENTER PREPARES AND MANAGES SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS THAT TRAVEL TO MUSEUMS AND OTHER VENUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. WITH THE 2024 ACCESSION OF THE KALMBACH ART COLLECTION, THE CENTER PREPARED AN EXHIBITION ABOUT IT THAT DEBUTED IN 2025 AT THE GROHMANN MUSEUM IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN. OTHER EXHIBITIONS CURRENTLY OR RECENTLY IN CIRCULATION INCLUDE AFTER PROMONTORY: 150 YEARS OF TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROADING; BEEBE & CLEGG: THEIR ENDURING PHOTOGRAPHIC LEGACY; MILWAUKEE'S BEER LINE; REQUIEM FOR STEAM: THE RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHS OF DAVID PLOWDEN; AND WALLACE W. ABBEY: A LIFE IN RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY. AFTER PROMONTORY'S WINTER 2024-2025 EXHIBITION AT THE EITELJORG MUSEUM OF AMERICAN INDIANS AND WESTERN ART IN INDIANAPOLIS LED TO A JOINT EVENT BETWEEN THE MUSEUM AND THE CENTER. THE CENTER'S ANNUAL CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS PROGRAM RECOGNIZES CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY AND PROVIDES AN IMPORTANT POINT OF ENTRY FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHERS AND NEW AUDIENCES. NAMED FOR PRINCIPAL FOUNDER JOHN E. GRUBER, THE PROGRAM SEEKS TO RECOGNIZE AND ENCOURAGE EXCELLENCE IN RAILROAD IMAGERY. THE VOLUNTEER PANEL OF THREE JUDGES IS CHAIRED BY A BOARD MEMBER AND TYPICALLY SPLITS THE PROGRAM INTO TWO CATEGORIES, ONE FOR COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS AND ONE FOR BLACK-AND-WHITE, BOTH AROUND A DIFFERENT THEME EACH YEAR. THE WINNING IMAGES ARE PUBLISHED IN THE CENTER'S JOURNAL AND IN RAILFAN & RAILROAD MAGAZINE, AND THEY ARE DISPLAYED AT THE COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM.

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

  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 October 13, 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 December 2024.

    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 February 1998.

    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 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.