Spring Hills Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission is to preserve working family farms as educational venues for sustainable land use and as a source of inspiration for artists of all disciplines who, through their works and experience, will educate and inspire community involvement with the working landscape.
- Income
- $233,983
- Spending
- $194,868
- Spent on programs
- 94%
- Reserves
- 0.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 89%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 16
- Highest pay
- $6,000, liasion
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 64 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 17% of income.
Spending floor
15 of 1594% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
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
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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.
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, 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 (9)
- $5,665 spent. The Art and Nature Retreat workshop series has been offered once a year starting in 2022. Participants come to Spring Hills Farm and experience immersion in the farm's natural surroundings while completing art in the medium of their choice in their own outdoor art studio. These four day retreats are funded in part by grants from the Lackawanna County Arts Alliance, by individual donations, and through participants tuition payments. The Board of Directors allocates less than 1% of time commitment to this retreat by applying for grants and providing administrative support. This workshop accounted for approximately 2% of the Foundation expenses in 2025 This program directly furthers our mission, as it provides art education inspired by the natural and working landscape at the Farm.
- $3,472 spent. All About Theatre is a week-long camp for both kids and separately, adults with disabilities. Facilitator Michaela Moore, M.F.A. and owner/operator of the All About Theatre Performing Arts School, conducts this workshop, with 2 assistants. (Michaela is also on the Foundation's Board of Directors.) Since 2021 this one-week camp has been held at Spring Hills Farm. Participants meet daily for 2 hours per day. The first day includes a tour of the farm, which provides inspiration for the remainder of the week. The participants write and act in a short theater production, which is performed on the last day of camp. This camp is funded in part from a grant provided by the Eureka Foundation, and from tuition payments made by participants based on a suggested amount. No participant is turned away for lack of payment. The Board of Directors and Programs Sub-Committee spent less than 5% of annual time on this program in 2025. This program is fully sustainable using grants from the Eureka Foundation and tuition payments. This program directly furthers our mission, by providing arts education to our community, inspired by the natural and working landscape.
- $5,700 spent. The Nature Journaling Workshop was established in 2025, this two day workshop held at the Spring Hills Farm, invites participants ages 14 and up to explore the Farm's stunning landscapes while engaging in a variety of hands-on activities designed to inspire greater creativity, promote personal and mental physical wellness, and foster a more profound connection with nature. The workshop is led by Tim Butler, an accomplished nature photographer, artist and educator. For the 2025 offering, additional instructors included Megan Wolfe, a certified forest bathing guide and retired science teacher, Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH and M. Eva Weicker, MD, MBA, specialists in wellness activities. The workshop emphasizes the art and science of nature journaling, providing a unique opportunity to learn the basics of observing, recording, and reflecting on your experiences in nature and incorporatingthis rewarding practice into everyday life. Activities include nature walks to explore diverse ecosystems, wellness activities designed to use nature immersion to improve well-being, sketching and painting sessions to capture the essence of nature through art, identification of common flora and fauna, wildlife observation, and practical tips and techniques for capturing stunning images of the natural world. In 2025 the workshop was supported through a grant from the Spitz Foundation and fees based on a suggested tuition amount. In 2025 the Board of Directors spent less than 1% of their time to support this workshop, and expenses were approximately 3% of total Foundation expenses. This program directly furthers our mission, as it provides education and hands-on experiences in connection with the Farm's natural and working landscape, and the arts.
- $2,663 spent. The United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) is focused on meeting the needs of local families facing financial challenges, seniors, youth, and new immigrants while also empowering them to attain self-sufficiency. In 2025 the Spring Hills Foundation started a collaboration with UNC, to provide a week-long day camp for children ages 8 through 12 at the Spring Hills Farm. The camp combines hands-on sustainable learning with inspiring artistic activities, helping kids connect with the wild in meaningful ways. The program is facilitated by Megan Wolfe, a certified Forest Bathing Guide and retired elementary science teacher who has applied the hands-on methods of Maria Montessori and Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences for over 35 years, and Leanna Yatcilla, B.A. in Art with a minor in theatrical design. In the mornings, the children are led on science explorations in different environs on the Farm. These emphasize the importance of regeneration, with activities to explore farm and forest habitats, and how plants, animals, and people can work together to sustain life. Campers are encouraged to use their creativity to solve challenges, from designing nature-inspired art to tracing energy and nutrients in the ecosystem. Afternoons are devoted to artistic projects that bring the campers' discoveries to life. Campers explore the wonders of nature through leaf rubbings and prints, using leaves they collect to create artwork that celebrates the intricate designs of the natural world. They also craft sun cyanotype prints and leaf rubbings-all while learning about sustainability and how to care for the earth. The camp concludes with an inspiring showcase of the children's creations. Families are invited to see the eco-artwork, nature-inspired sculptures, and group projects that reflect everything the campers have learned. In 2025 the camp was supported by the Foundation through funding from the Spitz Foundation and individual donations. In coming years we plan to apply for grant support in collaboration with UNC. Development of the camp, including collaboration with UNC, took about 5% of the Board of Directors time, and expenses were approximately 4% of total expenses. (2025 is not complete, so the percentage is an estimate.) This program directly furthers our mission, as it provides environmental and arts education and hands-on experiences in connection with the Farm's natural and working landscape.
- $6,280 spent. Francine Shore, a prominent painter and art instructor based in Philadelphia, has led adult artist workshops at the Spring Hills Farm for several years. Starting in 2025, this workshop is officially sponsored by the Spring Hills Foundation. Participants in the workshop are mainly from the Philadelphia area. As with the other adult artist workshops supported by the Foundation, artists experience an immersion into nature and the working landscape at the Farm which provides inspiration for their art. They typically paint in outdoor, open-air painting studios. In 2025 the Foundation helped with advertising and administrative support. Going forward we expect to be able to provide scholarships for some workshop participants. In 2025 the Board of Directors spent less than 1% of their time to support this workshop, and expenses were under 1% of total Foundation expenses. * This program directly furthers our mission, as it provides art education inspired by the natural and working landscape at the Farm. (2025 is not complete, so the percentage is an estimate.)
- $225 spent. The Greenhouse Project is a non-profit based in Scranton, PA, focused on educating children and adults about horticulture, holistic health and disease prevention. Starting in 2022, the Project has collaborated with the Spring Hills Foundation to host Nature Walks at the Spring Hills Farm. These Walks, geared towards older adults, typically occur in the Fall. They include a guided walk through various environs at the Farm that emphasizes environmental stewardship and sustainable farming practices, followed by a crafts session in which participants create decorative art from materials found on the Farm (e.g., colorful leaves, pine branches, pine cones). This program directly furthers our mission, as it provides education inspired by the natural and working landscape.
- $4,250 spent. For more than 2 decades the Norristown ARTS Building (NAB) has hosted multi-day workshops for adult artists each year at the Spring Hills Farm. Participants in the workshops are mainly from the Scranton and Philadelphia areas, but some come from other parts of the US and from abroad. Several of the participants are high-school teachers, who take some of their learnings back to their classrooms. During the workshops the artists experience an immersion into nature and the working landscape at the Farm, which provides inspiration for their art, and helps them in the process of creating art through a connection with their inner voices. The Foundation has been providing scholarship money for artists attending the NAB workshop since 2023, funded through grants provided by the Maslow Family Foundation and through individual donations.
- $153,946 spent. Spring Hills Farm Barn Building : The foundation sponsored the build of a new barn building. As an long term infrastructure project, the foundation is creating a physical education center at Spring Hills Farm to house the future programs. Spring Hills Farm is moving from thier current barn space into the new barn space, and an education center
- $300 spent. Spring Hills Farm Bee Habitat
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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? Worth knowing.
Status was revoked on May 15, 2025 for not filing returns for three years. The IRS now lists it as tax-exempt again.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Worth knowing.
Recognized by the IRS in October 2025. It is too new to have a track record.
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 October 21, 2026.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: Seven Hills Foundation Inc (Worcester, MA), EIN 91-1969322. 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.