Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Forest History Society Inc

EIN 41-0762363 · Durham, NC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO PRESERVE AND HELP PEOPLE USE THE DOCUMENTS OF FOREST & CONSERVATION HISTORY. THE SOCIETY IDENTIFIES, COLLECTS, INTERPRETS, AND DISSEMINATES HISTORICAL INFORMATION ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF HUMANS AND FORESTS, CONTRIBUTING TO INFORMED NATURAL RESOURCE DECISION-MAKING.

Income
$1.6 million
Spending
$1.4 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
4.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 69%
Employees
11
Volunteers
26
Highest pay
$248,833, president & ceo

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 59% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 4.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 12% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 58% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 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 60% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    25 of 25 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 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 (3)
  1. $578,740 spent. LIBRARY & ARCHIVES - THE FHS MAINTAINS THE FOREMOST COLLECTION IN THE WORLD OF FOREST AND CONSERVATION HISTORY BOOKS, JOURNALS, AND OTHER MATERIALS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. IT HOUSES OVER 200,000 HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS, 12,000 BOOKS, MAPS, MOVING FOOTAGE, ARTWORK, AND OVER 350 ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS. IT PROVIDES FREE ONLINE DATABASES FOR REMOTE RESEARCHING FOR K-12 AND COLLEGE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, JOURNALISTS AND OTHER RESEARCHERS. OVER 5,000 SEARCHES ANNUALLY ARE CONDUCTED IN THE DATABASES AND OVER 100,000 USERS REACH FHS WEB PAGES FOR INFORMATION. THE ARCHIVES PRESERVE ALMOST ONE-MILE OF UNIQUE RECORDS FROM INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, COMPANIES, AND INSTITUTIONS AND HOSTS ON-SITE RESEARCHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. THE FHS SERVES AS THE FIRST STOP FOR GLOBAL INQUIRIES IN FOREST HISTORY.
  2. $312,227 spent. RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS - CONDUCT RESEARCH AND PROMOTE WRITING AND PUBLICATIONS THAT SYNTHESIZE THE SUBSTANTIAL HISTORICAL LITERATURE IN FOREST AND CONSERVATION HISTORY. THE SOCIETY'S IMPRESSIVE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS INCLUDES THE "FOREST HISTORY TODAY" MAGAZINE, AND "ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY", THE LEADING SCHOLARLY JOURNAL IN THE FIELD. ITS ISSUES SERIES BOOKS HAVE REACHED OVER 25,000 CLASSROOMS, HOUSEHOLDS, AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS AND ARE USED IN TEACHER EDUCATION ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. THE RECENT FILM, "AMERICA'S FIRST FOREST" WAS BROADCAST OVER 5,000 TIMES, ON 450 PBS STATIONS, IN 47 STATES, WITH OVER 5 MILLION VIEWERS. THE FHS HAS PUBLISHED DOZENS OF BOOK-LENGTH PUBLICATIONS AND IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A BOOK ABOUT PRIVATE FAMILY FORESTS.
  3. $257,119 spent. AWARDS & EDUCATION - THE FHS PROVIDES TRAVEL GRANTS TO RESEARCHERS IN NEED IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE FHS COLLECTIONS. TO ENCOURAGE SCHOLARLY WORK IN FOREST AND CONSERVATION HISTORY THE FHS OFFERS AWARDS FOR THE BEST WRTING IN JOURNALS, BOOKS, AND THE POPULAR PRESS. TWO ANNUAL FELLOWSHIPS SUPPORT GRADUATE STUDENTS STUDYING FOREST HISTORY. TO CONVEY AN UNDERSTANDING OF FOREST HISTORY TO A WIDE VARIETY OF PUBLICS, FHS PROVIDES THE FREE ONLINE "IF TREES COULD TALK" CURRICULUM FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT REACHES HUNDREDS OF TEACHERS AND THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS. A LIVE-STREAMED LECTURESHIP IN COLLABORATION WITH DUKE UNIVERSITY REACHES THOUSANDS ANNUALLY AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS SERVED BY A VARIETY OF SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS INCLUDING THE AWARD-WINNING BLOG "PEELING BACK THE BARK."

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

  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 June 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 August 1956.

    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.