Portland Chinatown History Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
PORTLAND CHINATOWN HISTORY FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO HONOR, PRESERVE, AND INTERPRET THE HISTORY AND RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE OF PORTLAND'S HISTORIC CHINATOWNS.
- Income
- $225,250
- Spending
- $403,714
- Spent on programs
- 51%
- Reserves
- -60.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 86%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $31,500, executive director
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
Weak: 13 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 72% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 79% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1551% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 25 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 82% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, under $250k).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 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
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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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)
- $207,063 spent. THE MUSEUM EXPANDED ITS ARTISTIC PROGRAMS AND ADVANCED ITS ROLE AS A CULTURAL LEADER. IN 2024, THE PORTLAND CHINATOWN MUSEUM PRESENTED FOUR MAJOR EXHIBITIONS AND INITIATIVES THAT BROADENED ITS REACH AND REDEFINED ITS ROLE AS A SPACE FOR ART, HISTORY, AND COMMUNITY DIALOGUE.IN RE:GENERATION - MANIFESTING AT THE PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING BROUGHT TOGETHER ARTISTS LARK PIEN, JOSH SIN, AND YUYANG ZHANG, WHOSE WORKS WOVE PERSONAL NARRATIVES OF MIGRATION AND BELONGING WITH CENTURIES OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY AND FABLE. DRAWING ON THE ALLEGORY OF THE PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING, THE EXHIBITION REFLECTED ON UTOPIA, DISPLACEMENT, AND IMAGINATION-REVEALING THE NUANCED REALITIES OF BEING ETHNIC CHINESE IN AMERICA TODAY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)BONG WAI CHEN: REFRAMING TRADITION HONORED ONE OF PORTLAND CHINATOWN'S PIONEERING ARTISTS, TRACING HIS JOURNEY FROM CLASSICAL CHINESE TRAINING TO MID-CENTURY PORTLAND MODERNISM. THE RETROSPECTIVE-ORGANIZED BY CURATOR ROBERTA WONG-CELEBRATED CHEN'S INFLUENCE AS A TEACHER, CALLIGRAPHER, AND CULTURAL BRIDGE BETWEEN GENERATIONS.IN FALL, PCM LAUNCHED ITS FIRST MAJOR MUSIC HISTORY EXHIBITION, WHAT'S WORTH THE FIGHT: THE HISTORY OF THE SLANTS, CHRONICLING THE RISE OF THE ALL-ASIAN AMERICAN DANCE-ROCK BAND AND THEIR LANDMARK SUPREME COURT CASE. THIS EXHIBITION ALSO INTRODUCED THE SLANTS FOUNDATION STUDIO IN THE MUSEUM, A NEW SPACE FOR COMMUNITY-BASED PODCASTING, VIDEO, AND CULTURAL STORYTELLING.FINALLY, THE AWARD-WINNING XRCHIVE: (HI)STORIES AND VISIONS OF BLOCK 14 AT LONE FIR CEMETERY CONTINUED AS AN ONGOING AUGMENTED STORYTELLING PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH CETI LAB, INVITING VISITORS TO ENGAGE WITH IMMERSIVE HISTORIES OF PORTLAND'S EARLY CHINESE COMMUNITY.THROUGH THESE PROJECTS, PCM CONTINUED TO AMPLIFY ASIAN AMERICAN VOICES, SUPPORT NEW CREATION, AND BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN ART, HISTORY, AND TECHNOLOGY-FULFILLING ITS MISSION TO PRESERVE, CELEBRATE, AND REIMAGINE THE LEGACIES OF PORTLAND'S CHINATOWN.
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 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 2024.
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 August 2014.
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.