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National Corvette Museum Foundation Inc

EIN 74-2519972 · Bowling Green, KY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF THE NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM FOUNDATION IS TO EDUCATE WORLDWIDE AUDIENCES ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE CORVETTE AMERICA'S SPORTS CAR THROUGH COLLECTION, PRESERVATION, AND CELEBRATION OF ITS LEGACY.

Income
$19.5 million
Spending
$17.0 million
Spent on programs
61%
Reserves
21.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 41%
Employees
259
Volunteers
465
Highest pay
$329,856, ceo/president (partial year)

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: 93 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 21.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 5% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 7% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    61% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 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 25

    18 of 18 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 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 (4)
  1. $9.1 million spent. TOURS AND EXHIBITS: THE NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM FOUNDATION PROVIDED EDUCATIONAL TOURS TO 217,000 GUESTS IN 2024, INCLUDING MORE THAN 5,200 STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN A SCHOOL OR EDUCATIONAL VISIT. TOUR HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE MCMICHAEL FAMILY EDUCATION GALLERY, WHICH PROVIDES HANDS-ON INSPIRATION FOR FUTURE DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS. THE DRIVEN BY DESIGN EXHIBITION INCLUDES ORAL HISTORIES ON THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF CORVETTE ALONGSIDE DESIGN PROTOTYPES THAT EDUCATE AND EXPLAIN THE DESIGN PROCESS, FROM SKETCH TO PRODUCTION CORVETTE.
  2. $371,006 spent. SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAMS: 6,437 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THE SPECIAL EVENTS PROGRAMS IN 2024. THIS INCLUDED EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS, PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND PRESENTATIONS FROM ENGINEERS, DESIGNERS AND OTHER EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS. THIS PROGRAM USES A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS ALSO TO ASSIST IN RUNNING THE ACTIVITIES AND SEMINARS.
  3. $954,859 spent. DELIVERY: THE DELIVERY PROGRAM BRINGS NEW CORVETTE OWNERS TO THE MUSEUM SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CORVETTE, AND LEARN ABOUT THE PROPER OPERATION OF THEIR VEHICLE. THEY ARE GIVEN A TOUR OF THE CORVETTE ASSEMBLY PLANT (WHEN AVAILABLE) TO EDUCATE THEM ON THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND ALSO GIVEN A HANDS-ON DEMONSTRATION OF THE FEATURES OF THE CORVETTE. THOSE INVOLVED IN THE DELIVERY PROGRAM INCLUDE THE STAFF WHO PREPARE THE CAR (PDI) AND THE STAFF WHO PROVIDE THE TOURS AND DEMONSTRATIONS.
  4. PLANT TOURS: HELPS FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE MUSEUM TO EDUCATE WORLD-WIDE AUDIENCES ABOUT THE CORVETTE AND HOW IT IS PRODUCED.DRIVEN BY DESIGN, THE MUSEUM'S DESIGN AND ENGINEERING EXHIBITION ILLUSTRATES HOW AUTOMOBILE DESIGN PROGRESSES FROM SKETCHES TO CLAY MODELS, WITH A SCALE CLAY MODEL CORVETTE ON DISPLAY AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE EARLY DESIGN PROCESS. ONE EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS THE FEMALE INTERIOR DESIGN TEAM OF THE LATE 1950S, NICKNAMED THE "DAMSELS OF DESIGN." SINCE OPENING IN 2016, THE SINKHOLE EXPERIENCE EXHIBITION HAS DOCUMENTED THE 2014 SINKHOLE COLLAPSE INSIDE THE MUSEUMWHY IT HAPPENED, HOW THE BURIED CARS WERE RECOVERED, HOW THE BUILDING WAS REPAIRED, AND WHAT KARST AND CAVE LANDFORMS ARE.STINGRAY GRILL/CORVETTE STORE: THE STINGRAY GRILL OFFERS LUNCH OPTIONS FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF MUSEUM GUESTS, AND CATERING OPTIONS FOR EVENTS AT THE MUSEUM, SCHOOL GROUP VISITS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. THE CORVETTE STORE OFFERS A WIDE SELECTION OF UNIQUE GIFTS AND APPAREL THAT TELL THE CORVETTE STORY, WHILE CORVETTE ACCESSORIES ALLOW VISITORS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR CORVETTE. MUSEUM MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION EFFORTS INCLUDE AMERICA'S SPORTS CAR MAGAZINE, A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION MAILED TO 25,000 HOUSEHOLDS, CLUBS AND BUSINESSES THAT EDUCATES READERS ON EVENTS AT THE NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM AND CORVETTE HISTORY, INCLUDING ARTICLES ON SPECIFIC EXHIBITS TO INFORM THOSE THAT CANNOT PHYSICALLY COME TO THE MUSEUM. MUSEUM CHANNELS ON FACEBOOK, X, LINKEDIN, TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM, AND YOUTUBE HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY OF THE CORVETTE WHILE ALSO BRINGING ATTENTION TO OUR MISSION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, ALONG WITH DIGITAL ADVERTISING AIMED AT REACHING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GUESTS. EMAIL MARKETING INCLUDES CORVETTE CAMPUS CONNECTION, A MONTHLY EMAIL DISTRIBUTED TO MORE THAN 120,000 SUBSCRIBERS, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS PROGRAMS AT THE MUSEUM FOR THOSE UNABLE TO VISIT IN PERSON. THE MUSEUM WEBSITE PROVIDES HISTORICAL INFORMATION AND DETAILED STORIES ABOUT THE CORVETTE AND THE PERSONALITIES WHO HAVE SHAPED ITS 72-YEAR HISTORY. LIBRARY & ARCHIVES RESOURCE CENTER: THE RESOURCE CENTER IS THE REPOSITORY FOR ALL MATERIALS DOCUMENTING THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF CORVETTE, CORVETTE ENTHUSIASTS AND THE CORVETTE MUSEUM. THE MATERIAL MANAGED AND PRESERVED INCLUDES AUDIO AND VISUAL MEDIA - BOTH DIGITAL (DVDS) AND MAGNETIC (VHS AND BETA TAPES), PERIODICALS, BOOKS, DRAWINGS, PAINTINGS, POSTERS, MEMORABILIA AND DOCUMENTS INCLUDING SOME IMPORTANT HISTORICAL MEMORABILIA PLUS BUILD SHEETS. MOST MATERIALS HAVE BEEN DONATED TO THE NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM FROM INDIVIDUAL ENTHUSIASTS, PUBLISHING COMPANIES, PRINT MEDIA, AFTERMARKET SUPPLIERS, CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS NCRS, AND FROM GM/CHEVROLET.OTHER NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL INSTRUCTION, SUCH AS MULTIPLE STEAM WORKSHOPS FOR STUDENTS, FIELD TRIPS, COMMUNITY SCHOOL OUTREACH AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING ALSO EXTENDS VIRTUALLY THROUGH CORVETTEMUSEUM.ORG, FEATURING HIGH-PROFILE STORYTELLING WITH NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM MEMBERS, INCLUSION IN THE MUSEUM'S QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, AMERICA'S SPORTS CAR, AND PARTICIPATION IN CAR SHOWS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.THE GATEWAY GALLERY TELLS THE STORY OF THE CORVETTE'S CREATION, EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF EUROPEAN SPORTS CARS IMPORTED BY WWII VETERANS, SMALL AMERICAN MANUFACTURERS BUILDING LOW-PRODUCTION SPORTS CARS, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CORVETTE NAME. THE EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS HARLEY EARL'S ROLE AT GENERAL MOTORS IN BRINGING THESE ELEMENTS TOGETHER TO CREATE THE CORVETTE, AMERICA'S SPORTS CAR.

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 May 1989.

    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.