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Dallas County Historical Foundation

EIN 75-1914314 · Dallas, TX

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair64 out of 100GovernanceStrong90 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

Points to look into

  • Raising each dollar of donations cost 99 cents.

These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.

What it says it does

THE SIXTH FLOOR MUSEUM AT DEALEY PLAZA CHRONICLES THE ASSASSINATION AND LEGACY OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY; INTERPRETS THE DEALEY PLAZA NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT AND THE JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL PLAZA; AND PRESENTS CONTEMPORARY CULTURE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY.

Income
$6.9 million
Spending
$7.0 million
Spent on programs
50%
Reserves
28.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 75%
Employees
46
Volunteers
13
Highest pay
$261,153, chief executive officer

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 64 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 28.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 18% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    0 of 15

    50% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 99 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 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

    0 of 10

    Did not give 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 September 30, 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 (1)
  1. $3.5 million spent. THE MUSEUM OPENED IN 1989 FEATURING THE CORE EXHIBITION, JOHN F. KENNEDY AND THE MEMORY OF A NATION. LOCATED ON THE SIXTH FLOOR OF THE FORMER TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY BUILDING, CRITICAL EVIDENCE WAS FOUND LINKED TO THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY ON NOVEMBER 22, 1963. THE EXHIBITION FEATURES KEY HISTORICAL SECTIONS PROVIDING CONTEXTUAL OVERLAYS FOLLOWING THE PATH OF JOHN F. KENNEDY'S LIFE, POLITICAL CAREER, 1960 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, ELECTION AND INAUGURAL ADDRESS: HIS YOUNG FAMILY AND LIFE IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND KEY ADMINISTRATIVE CRISES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THE INITIAL REASONS LEADING TO KENNEDY'S NOVEMBER 1963 VISIT TO TEXAS ARE ADDRESSED; RECEPTION IN DALLAS; MOTORCADE IN DOWNTOWN DALLAS; DETAILS OF THE ASSASSINATION AND ITS AFTERMATH; MEDIA COVERAGE; MULTIPLE INVESTIGATIONS SURROUNDING THE CASE; EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIALS AND EVIDENCE CAPTURED ON STILL AND HOME MOVIE CAMERA; FORENSIC AND BALLISTIC EVIDENCE; ONGOING QUESTIONS TODAY AND IMPACT OF HIS PRESIDENTIAL LEGACY. IN ADDITION TO ITS CORE EXHIBITION, THE MUSEUM PRESENTS ROTATING SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS DRAWN FROM ITS COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVAL HOLDINGS THAT EXPLORE RELATED HISTORICAL THEMES, DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EVENTS OF NOVEMBER 22, 1963, AND EXAMINE THEIR CONTINUING SIGNIFICANCE.COLLECTIONSTHE SIXTH FLOOR MUSEUM AT DEALEY PLAZA'S COLLECTION HOLDS MORE THAN 90,000 HISTORICAL OBJECTS AND MATERIALS RELATED TO THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY, THE LOCAL AND GLOBAL AFTERMATH OF HIS TRAGIC DEATH AND THE LEGACY OF HIS PRESIDENCY, WITH ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOCUSED ON THE SOCIAL HISTORY OF THE MID-20TH CENTURY DALLAS BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE ASSASSINATION, THE CULTURAL HISTORY OF THE ASSASSINATION AND THE HISTORY OF DEALEY PLAZA, THE TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK DEPOSITORY BUILDING AND THE JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL. THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS INCLUDE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS, MANUSCRIPTS, PHOTOGRAPHS, NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES, THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS, ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS AND AUDIO-VISUAL RECORDINGS INCLUDING EARLY 1960S TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTS, AMATEUR HOME MOVIES AND OVER 2,700 ORAL HISTORIES. THE MUSEUM COLLECTION STRENGTHS RELATE DIRECTLY TO THE SUBJECT OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY'S LIFE, DEATH AND LEGACY, AND THE MUSEUM STRIVES TO ACQUIRE MATERIALS THAT ARE UNIQUE, ENDANGERED AND/OR PERTINENT TO THOSE SUBJECTS. IN KEEPING WITH THE MUSEUM'S MISSION AND VISION, THE COLLECTION PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES MATERIALS RELATED TO KENNEDY'S LEGACY, SUCH AS CIVIL RIGHTS AND THE SPACE RACE, AS WELL AS LOCAL DALLAS HISTORY. THE ONGOING ORAL HISTORY PROJECT ACTIVELY COLLECTS INTERVIEWS THAT OFFER PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES ON A VARIETY OF RELATED TOPICS. THE MUSEUM PROVIDES MUTI-PRONGED POINTS OF ACCESS TO ITS COLLECTIONS, THROUGH EXHIBITIONS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, PUBLIC PROGRAMS, ONSITE RESEARCH IN THE READING ROOM AND INTERNET-BASED ACCESS THROUGH THE MUSEUM'S SEARCHABLE ONLINE COLLECTIONS DATABASE. COLLECTION ITEMS ARE ALSO REGULARLY FEATURED ON THE MUSEUM'S SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. THE MUSEUM'S WEBSITE PROVIDES AN ONLINE COLLECTION DATABASE, A DIGITAL RESOURCE WITH ACCESS TO FILMS, NEWSPAPERS, OBJECTS AND OTHER PERMANENT COLLECTIONS ITEMS OR VIA DIRECT CONTACT WITH MUSEUM STAFF. EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMSCREATIVE AND ENGAGING EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING ARE INTRINSIC TO THE MUSEUM'S MISSION TO SERVE A DIVERSE PUBLIC AND FULFILL A RESPONSIBILITY TO EMPOWER STUDENTS, TEACHERS, ADULTS, YOUTH AND FAMILY AUDIENCES TO UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY THE PAST IS ALWAYS RELEVANT TODAY. LECTURES, PANEL CONVERSATIONS, LIVE ORAL HISTORY PRESENTATIONS, AUTHOR EVENTS, FAMILY PROGRAMS, HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES, STUDENT TOURS, TEACHER TRAININGS AND INTERACTIVE VIDEOCONFERENCES HELP ENGAGE AUDIENCES THROUGHOUT TEXAS, THE UNITED STATES AND BEYOND. THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS ALLOW AUDIENCES TO EXPLORE SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE HISTORY OF THE KENNEDY PRESIDENCY, ASSASSINATION AND LEGACY. IN FY2025, 98 STUDENT GROUPS PARTICIPATED IN SELF-GUIDED TOURS, WHICH SERVED 4,972 STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND CHAPERONES. ADDITIONALLY, 35 STUDENT GROUPS PARTICIPATED IN SELF-GUIDED TOURS WITH A WORKSHOP, WHICH SERVED 1,535 STUDENTS, TEACHES AND CHAPERONES. THERE WERE 11 VIRTUAL DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS WHICH SERVED 1,267 PEOPLE DURING FY2025.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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 November 6, 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 September 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 1984.

    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 November 4, 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.