Watkins Mill Association Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Founded in 1958, the Watkins Mill Association is true to its Mission: Proactively support the preservation and living history of Watkins Woolen Mill Historic Site.
- Income
- $40,711
- Spending
- $162,756
- Spent on programs
- 72%
- Reserves
- 32.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 78%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 72
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: 85 out of 100.
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 32.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 300% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1572% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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.
Independent board
25 of 2529 of 29 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.
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)
- $116,648 spent. Watkins Mill Association (WMA) proactively supports the preservation and living history of Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site. Watkins Mill is the last textile mill in the United States with its original machinery still intact. The Association promoted the Mill to be recognized by the United States Department of Interior as a National Historical Landmark (1966, 2024), the National Register of Historic Places (1966), a Clay County Historic Landmark (1976), and a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark (1980). WMA turned the Historic Site into a destination, restoring Watkins' Home, Mill, Chapel, one-room Schoolhouse and farm buildings. It worked. Watkins Mill is now the region's premier historic attraction. WMA is still emerging from COVID-19's effects, which clearly presented challenges. Watkins Mill was one of four State Parks completely closed in 2020. Volunteers, the basis for successful operations, were deprived of the work they love, as Park and Historic Site access and events were necessarily cancelled. The Association met these challenges head-on, have resumed popular group activities, and are now rebuilding our base of Volunteer Tour Guides: Financially, we fought a good fight, maintaining strong relationships with Foundations and individual donors. Board Members universally contribute to WMA; Leveraging Phase II funding for major Historic Site Restorations, which WMA secured, we partnered with Missouri Department of Natural Resources to complete Phase II of the ten-year plan; During 2024 Watkins Mill continued bouncing back from COVID-19, attracting 12,719 Historic Site Visitors and 325,621 total Park Visitors; We are pleased many Volunteers are returning, allowing us to successfully host the weekly Heirloom Garden visits, Spring on the Farm, Get Outdoors 6K Run, and Living History weekends. They are bringing Historic Site Tours and Living History activities back to life; Our biggest challenge is to recruit and train Volunteer Tour Guides to meet Student and growing Visitor demands. Volunteer Tour Guides, who aged out during COVID, are essential to replace Park Staff previously cut from State budgets. WMA is proceeding with determination to reestablish Watkins Mill as the region's premier historic attraction. In partnership with Missouri State Parks, the Association cultivates an 1870s non-traditional community venue which encourages historic, educational, cultural, and recreational programs. Visiting the Historic Site is like stepping into the 19th Century. Many of the buildings that Waltus Watkins built over half a century - including the family home and three-story woolen mill - are preserved to provide Visitors a sense of 1870s life. College professors and K-12 teachers often include Watkins Mill in curricula for its historical importance featuring entrepreneurs in frontier life, the Industrial Revolution and Civil War.
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 1960.
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.
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.