Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $51.7 million
- Spending
- $41.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 74%
- Reserves
- 41.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 34%
- Employees
- 454
- Volunteers
- 97
- Highest pay
- $693,130, former president
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 86% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 41.3 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 21% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 48% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1574% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
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 (2)
- $26.0 million spent. THE THOMAS JEFFERSON FOUNDATION OPERATES MONTICELLO, THE HOME OF THE NATION'S THIRD PRESIDENT AND AUTHOR OF THE AMERICAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, AN AVERAGE OF 307,600 PEOPLE HAVE VISITED MONTICELLO ANNUALLY. ADMISSION INCLUDES AN INTERPRETIVE GUIDED TOUR OF HIS HOME, ONE OF OUR COUNTRY'S FOREMOST ARCHITECTURAL MASTERPIECES AND THE ONLY HOME IN AMERICA NAMED TO THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD HERITAGE LIST. IN ADDITION TO ADMISSION REVENUE, THE ABOVE TOTAL ALSO INCLUDES GIFTS AND GRANTS, AND SALES FROM THE RETAIL OPERATIONS OF THE MUSEUM SHOPS, CATALOG, AND ONLINE STORE. THE REVENUE CONTRIBUTES TO THE PRESERVATION OF MONTICELLO FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MISSIONS OF THE FOUNDATION. THE FOUNDATION'S RESTORATION DEPARTMENT IS DEDICATED TO THE ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD HERITAGE HOUSE WHILE THE CURATORIAL COLLECTIONS ARE UNDER THE CARE OF A FULL-TIME CURATORIAL DEPARTMENT.
- $4.3 million spent. THE THOMAS JEFFERSON FOUNDATION OPERATES THE ROBERT H. SMITH INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR JEFFERSON STUDIES, WHICH HOUSES THE THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY. THE CENTER IS ALSO DEVOTED TO EDUCATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS SCHOLARLY RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION, THROUGH THE JEFFERSON LIBRARY, ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION, AND OTHER ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS. THE ROBERT H. SMITH INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR JEFFERSON STUDIES ALSO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESEARCH AND PUBLICATION OF 24 VOLUMES OF RESEARCH, THE PAPERS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON, EMBRACING THE PERIOD FROM JEFFERSON'S RETIREMENT FROM THE PRESIDENCY IN MARCH 1809 UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1826, KNOWN AS THE "RETIREMENT SERIES".
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 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 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 April 1985.
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.
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.