African American Heritage Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PRESERVE, EXHIBIT, AND TEACH THE AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE OF IOWA.
- Income
- $930,796
- Spending
- $831,499
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 6.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 12
- Volunteers
- 30
- Highest pay
- $67,880, deputy direc
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: 71 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 11% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 61% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 12 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 2516 of 16 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 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 (1)
- $535,682 spent. TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION, THE ORGANIZATION RUNS A MUSEUM THAT PRODUCES EXHIBITS, ON-SITE PROGRAMS, OFF-SITE PROGRAMS, VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, AND HOUSES A COLLECTION. EXHIBITS: THE MUSEUM'S FACILITY FEATURES TWO EXHIBIT GALLERIES. THE PERMANENT EXHIBIT, "ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES", EXPLORES OVER 200 YEARS OF IOWA'S AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. THE CHANGING EXHIBIT GALLERY HOSTS A NEW EXHIBIT EACH YEAR ON A DIFFERENT THEME. SEVERAL TRAVELING EXHIBITS ARE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE TO ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, LIBRARIES, AND OTHER MUSEUMS FOR A SMALL FEE. THE MUSEUM BUILDING WAS CLOSED FROM LATE 2022 THROUGH MAY 11, 2024 DUE TO A MAJOR RENOVATION. DURING THIS TIME, OFF-SITE EXHIBITS WERE HELD AT THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY AND CEDAR RAPIDS MUSEUM OF ART. TRAVELING EXHIBITS WERE RENTED 41 TIMES IN 13 DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN 2024 WITH AN ESTIMATED VIEWERSHIP OF 16,800 PEOPLE. THE MUSEUM CONDUCTS NUMEROUS PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS, BOTH ON-SITE AT THE MUSEUM AND OFF-SITE AT LOCATIONS AROUND THE STATE. THIS INCLUDES HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, AND PERFORMANCES. 64 PROGRAMS AT THE MUSEUM AND AROUND IOWA REACHED 2022 PEOPLE IN 15 IOWA COMMUNITIES. THE MUSEUM MAINTAINS A COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 3,000 OBJECTS, OVER 100 LINEAR FEET OF ARCHIVAL MATERIAL, AND DOZENS OF ORAL HISTORIES. IN ADDITION TO PRESERVING THESE ITEMS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, THEY ARE UTILIZED IN EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMS. MOST OF THE COLLECTION DATABASE AND A SELECTION OF ORAL HISTORIES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE. FROM FALL 2022 MAY 2024, THE MUSEUM CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR A MAJOR RENOVATION PROJECT THAT TRANSFORMED THE BUILDINGS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR. DURING THE RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM MAINTAINED ITS MISSION FULFILLMENT THROUGH OFF-SITE PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS. FROM MAY DECEMBER 2024, 2473 PEOPLE VISITED THE MUSEUMS ON- SITE EXHIBITS. TO ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION, THE ORGANIZATION RUNS A MUSEUM THAT PRODUCES EXHIBITS, ON-SITE PROGRAMS, OFF-SITE PROGRAMS, VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, AND HOUSES A COLLECTION. EXHIBITS: THE MUSEUM'S FACILITY FEATURES TWO EXHIBIT GALLERIES. THE PERMANENT EXHIBIT, "ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES", EXPLORES OVER 200 YEARS OF IOWA'S AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. THE CHANGING EXHIBIT GALLERY HOSTS A NEW EXHIBIT EACH YEAR ON A DIFFERENT THEME. SEVERAL TRAVELING EXHIBITS ARE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE TO ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, LIBRARIES, AND OTHER MUSEUMS FOR A SMALL FEE. THE MUSEUM BUILDING WAS CLOSED FROM LATE 2022 THROUGH MAY 11, 2024 DUE TO A MAJOR RENOVATION. DURING THIS TIME, OFF-SITE EXHIBITS WERE HELD AT THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY AND CEDAR RAPIDS MUSEUM OF ART. TRAVELING EXHIBITS WERE RENTED 41 TIMES IN 13 DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES IN 2024 WITH AN ESTIMATED VIEWERSHIP OF 16,800 PEOPLE. THE MUSEUM CONDUCTS NUMEROUS PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ADULTS, BOTH ON-SITE AT THE MUSEUM AND OFF-SITE AT LOCATIONS AROUND THE STATE. THIS INCLUDES HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS, LECTURES, AND PERFORMANCES. 64 PROGRAMS AT THE MUSEUM AND AROUND IOWA REACHED 2022 PEOPLE IN 15 IOWA COMMUNITIES. THE MUSEUM MAINTAINS A COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 3,000 OBJECTS, OVER 100 LINEAR FEET OF ARCHIVAL MATERIAL, AND DOZENS OF ORAL HISTORIES. IN ADDITION TO PRESERVING THESE ITEMS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, THEY ARE UTILIZED IN EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMS. MOST OF THE COLLECTION DATABASE AND A SELECTION OF ORAL HISTORIES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE. FROM FALL 2022 MAY 2024, THE MUSEUM CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC FOR A MAJOR RENOVATION PROJECT THAT TRANSFORMED THE BUILDINGS INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR. DURING THE RENOVATION, THE MUSEUM MAINTAINED ITS MISSION FULFILLMENT THROUGH OFF-SITE PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS. FROM MAY DECEMBER 2024, 2473 PEOPLE VISITED THE MUSEUMS ON- SITE EXHIBITS.
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1994.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Heritage Foundation (Washington, DC), EIN 23-7327730. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.