Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

American Battlefield Tr

EIN 54-1426643 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair65 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

See Schedule O

Income
$57.9 million
Spending
$40.2 million
Spent on programs
90%
Reserves
-56.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 49%
Employees
76
Volunteers
135
Highest pay
$424,905, president

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

Financial health

Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 36% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 6% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 30% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 85% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    90% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, 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 25

    29 of 31 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 March 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 (3)
  1. $28.4 million spent. Land Preservation: Through acquisitions and grants, the American Battlefield Trust completed 37 individual transactions, protecting a total of 983.4 acres at 27 battlefields in 9 states during the fiscal year. This includes Antietam, MD; Bentonville, NC; Brandy Station, VA; Breakthrough, VA; Champion Hill, MS; Chattanooga, TN; Chickasaw Bayou, MS; Cold Harbor, VA; Corinth, MS; Deep Bottom II, VA; Fort Blakely, AL; Franklin, TN; Fredericksburg, VA; Gettysburg, PA; Glendale, VA; Goldsborough Bridge, NC; Nashville/Fort Negley, TN; Kernstown, VA; Malvern Hill, VA; Manassas, VA; Munfordville, KY; New Market, VA; New Market Heights, VA; Shiloh, TN; Stones River, TN; Newtown, NY; and Sackets Harbor, NY.
  2. $4.5 million spent. Membership: The American Battlefield Trust is a membership-based organization with approximately 46,500 active members from all 50 states, and more than a dozen territories and other nations. Each quarter, every member receives our 48-page magazine, Hallowed Ground, as a free educational membership benefit. The magazine highlights how their direct support helps preserve endangered Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefield land, advances the cause of education about this key period in our Nation's history, and educates them directly on historical elements of importance about the Nation's first 100 years, and land preservation. The Trust relies on its members and supporters to help fulfill its battlefield preservation and education missions each year through their contributions, as well as additional charitable gifts. The Trust also has a major donor society, as a subset of its overall membership, called the Color Bearers, comprised of those members who make membership payments of $1,000 or more annually. Total membership in this group was approximately 1,700 members at the end of the fiscal year. The Trust also recognizes those nearly 1,700 members who have also made a planned gift to preservation in a special group called the Honor Guard. Further, the Trust enjoys the support of more than 484,000 followers on Facebook, 461,000 on YouTube, 49,000 on X (formerly Twitter), 41,100 on Instagram, and 7,800 on LinkedIn, and more than 40,000 on other social networks, opening new pools of potential future supporters.
  3. $3.4 million spent. Education: This fiscal year, the Education Department held its 24th Annual National Teacher Institute and fifth annual Virtual Teacher Institute and registered some 1,240 educators from more than 45 states for these professional development experiences, offered free of charge. The Education Department expanded its many video offerings with more than 180 new videos, including our award-winning Step Into History and Animated Maps series. Our Field Trip Fund serviced more than 12,000 students and chaperones, while our Civil War and Revolutionary War Traveling Trunks engaged with more than 29,000 students across the United States. Department staff and contractors also installed new battlefield signage, produced more than 200 new web articles and launched new lessons for teachers.

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

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since January 1988.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.