Passes our checks

Power of Preservation Foundation

EIN 45-5089596 · San Antonio, TX

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

What it says it does

Education on historic preservation and rehabilitation

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

Reserves
35 of 35
Spendable reserves would cover 14.6 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 36% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15
Income rose 88% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15
73% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Weak: 47 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

Independent board
25 of 25
8 of 8 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15
Reports no written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8
Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7
Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
0 of 5
Reports that it does not keep minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10
Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15
Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)

$500,000 spent. Preserving Legacies: Educating custodians of World Heritage sites through hands-on training workshops on adaptation strategies and building a community of practice to sustain these efforts. 50 site custodians received training.
$82,000 spent. On Houston Street: Highlighting historic Houston Street corridor through two large activations, Stars & Stripes on Houston and Holidays on Houston. Over 550,000 people attended these celebrations.
$530,000 spent. Mellon Foundation Grant: Implementing Humanities in Place grant with partner organizations including ICLEI, the Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda, and the Built Buildings Lab.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

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 December 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 September 2012.
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.