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Tulsa Foundation for Architecture

EIN 73-1475355 · Tulsa, OK

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood81 out of 100GovernanceGood70 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

Tulsa Foundation for Architecture champions the art of good design and celebrates Oklahoma's architectural heritage through education, advocacy and archives.

Income
$409,240
Spending
$353,071
Spent on programs
73%
Reserves
5.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 53%
Employees
2
Volunteers
129
Highest pay
$98,914, 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

Good: 81 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 21% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 14% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 4% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    73% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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: 70 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    19 of 19 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

    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 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)
  1. $258,104 spent. The first leg of TFA's mission is education. TFA public programs generated $75,777 in gross revenue. TFA tours served 4090 guests in 2024. Gross revenue from tours was $81,742. Tour and Program participant survey results indicate that we met or exceeded all of our desired programmatic outcomes. These outcomes include increasing participants' knowledge of Tulsa's architectural history, architectural styles, Tulsa's history, and increasing participants' civic pride. TFA volunteers spent 2303 hours supporting TFA programs and tours in 2024. TFA also greatly increased the number of youth we serve through a new partnership with Any Given Child Tulsa. Through this partnership we served nearly 3000 TPS 6th grade students through a hands-on Design Thinking field trip. The Second leg of TFA's mission is archives. TFA's archives contain over 60,000 architectural drawings, renderings, tracings, photographs/slides, bound periodicals, sets of specifications, and books that document the history of Art Deco and other styles of architecture in The City of Tulsa and in the state of Oklahoma. TFA secured $47,000 in funding to support The George R. Kravis II Architectural Archives - $25,000 from the Raymond and Bessie Kravis Foundation, $20,000 from The Oklahoma Historical Society, and $2000 in required matching funds from W Design. Using grant funds, much needed archival software and equipment was upgraded.TFA put systems in place to ensure our archival processes are in line with AAM best practices.TFA archive volunteers spent 604 hours supporting our archives in 2024. The third leg of TFA's mission is advocacy. In 1995 a group of Architects and preservationists formed a nonprofit to provide a credible voice and expertise in the area of historic preservation. Today, our advocacy work includes partnerships with The National Trust for Historic Preservation, The Oklahoma Preservation Commission, and The Tulsa Preservation Office. We stay up to date on historic preservation initiatives and historic tax credits and regularly share our knowledge with the public through speaking engagements, tours and social media. In 2024, TFA's Executive Director also served as a voice for historic preservation on various committees, such as The Tulsa Route 66 Commission and The Center of the Universe Stakeholder Committee. TFA also included information about the importance of historic preservation in our tours and programs, as appropriate.

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

  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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. 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.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since July 1995.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.