Goldbelt Heritage Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PRESERVE THE CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND CUSTOMS OF THE NATIVE PEOPLE OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA
- Income
- $3.9 million
- Spending
- $3.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- 1.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 67%
- Employees
- 48
- Volunteers
- 11
- Highest pay
- $75,045, executive di
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: 71 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.4 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 30% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 19% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 40% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 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 (1)
- $2.8 million spent. THE PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS BELOW DESCRIBE THOSE ACTIVITIES FUNDED IN PART BY FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AWARDED TO THE FOUNDATION IN THE FORM OF MULTI-YEAR GRANTS. THESE GRANTS COMMENCED IN 2022 AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 2028. THE CURRENT ACTIVE RESTRICTED AWARDS AND GRANTS, WHICH THERE WERE TEN (10), IN 2024 PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR THE FOUR PROGRAMMING AREAS OUTSIDE OF OPERATIONS FOR GHF: LINGT LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, YOUTH DEPARTMENT, AND CULTURE & ARTS DEPARTMENT. THE LINGT LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT'S FOCUS OF ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING ACHIEVING THE APPROVED GOALS OF THE RESTRICTED AWARDS AND GRANTS, IS DOCUMENTATION, PRESERVATION, AND REVITALIZATION OF THE LINGT LANGUAGE. INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PRODUCING NEW LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS, ADVANCED REFERENCE MATERIALS, LANGUAGE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, RECORDING ORAL HISTORIES AND INTERVIEWS, AND SUPPORT SPACES FOR LANGUAGE USE. GHF ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN REGULAR MEETINGS FOR LEADERS IN LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION, FACILITATED BY THE ALASKA ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS. THESE MEETINGS HAVE FOSTERED A COALITION DEDICATED TO LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION (SEE ATTACHED LANGUAGE DECLARATION), UNITED BY A SHARED COMMITMENT TO REVITALIZING LANGUAGE AND KNOWLEDGE. THE COALITION IMPLEMENTS A UNIFIED APPROACH TO DEVELOPING FLUENT SPEAKERS AND COLLABORATES TO CREATE RESOURCES FOR LANGUAGE TEACHERS AND LEARNERS. THE LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT PROGRAMS ARE KXDE YAA NAS.X HAA YOO X'ATNGI (OUR LANGUAGE IS ECHOING BACK), FOCUSING ON PRESERVATION AND DOCUMENTATION WITH BIRTH SPEAKERS, INCLUDING DRAFTING A NEW LINGT LANGUAGE DICTIONARIES THROUGH FUNDING PROVIDED BY SEALASKA; KOO AT LATOOWUX GUXSATEE HAA YATX'I (OUR CHILDREN WILL BECOME TEACHERS) PROVIDING LANGUAGE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WITH THE DREAM NAVIGATORS CURRICULUM FUNDED THROUGH THE OFFICE OF INDIAN EDUCATION; AND HAS DU JEED GAXTOOTE, HAA DACHXNX SITEEYI AA (WE WILL HAND IT TO THOSE WHO ARE OUR GRANDCHILDREN) RUNNING LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR EMERGING AND FUTURE TEACHERS, ALONG WITH CULTURALLY-RELEVANT CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION DEVELOPED BY GHF. THE GHF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PRIMARILY DEVELOPS, PUBLISHES, AND IMPLEMENTS NEW CURRICULA THAT SUPPORT THE LINGT LANGUAGE, ARTS, AND SCIENCES ACTIVITIES OF THE ORGANIZATION, AND LIAISES WITH THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY. THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OVERSEEN BY THE GHF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ARE YEE YEEX? KAWDLIYAS' (A LAP WAS MADE FOR YOU ALL), WHICH PROVIDES PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE JUNEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT TEACHERS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH ARTFUL TEACHING INITIATIVE SERVING OVER 200 TEACHERS ANNUALLY, AND POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT WITH SUPPORTING JUNEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT AFTER- SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, SUCH AS THE NATIVE YOUTH COUNCIL AND THE GHF YOUTH GROUP FUNDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION; HAA SHUK TUNDATANI (OUR ANCESTORS' WAYS OF THINKING, LEARNING, AND KNOWING) FOCUSES ON PUBLISHING NEW AND UPDATED CULTURALLY-RELEVANT PLACE-BASED CURRICULA WITH A TOTAL OF 45 UNITS IN 2024, AND PUBLISHING TO-DATE 5 OF 9 LINGT LANGUAGE BOOKS FOR CHILDREN; AND THE DEPARTMENT DEVELOPS THE CURRICULA ACROSS ALL GHF DEPARTMENTS AS ALL OF OUR FEDERAL GRANTS HAVE A GOALS OF PUBLISHING NEW CURRICULUM RELATED TO THE GRANTS' OBJECTIVES. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO PARTICIPATES IN QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH THE JUNEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND IS THE LIAISON FOR GHF FOR ALL SCHOOL DISTRICT AND UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS. THE GHF YOUTH DEPARTMENTS CONDUCT IN-SCHOOL AND AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES FROM PRE-KINDERGARTEN THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, WITH THE BOARD'S AIM OF PROMOTING POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, WELLNESS, SCHOOL READINESS, AND SUICIDE PREVENTION. THIS DEPARTMENT OVERSEES THE GHF YOUTH PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH EVENTS, SUCH AS THE BIENNIAL GHF YOUTH CANOE JOURNEY, WHICH TAKES PLACE AS PART OF THE SEALASKA CELEBRATION HELD IN EVEN YEARS, AND THE UNITY GROUP COMMUNITY FAIRS. THE PROGRAMS UNDER THIS DEPARTMENT ARE THE AFOREMENTIONED GHF YOUTH GROUP, FUNDED BY MULTIPLE FEDERAL GRANTS AND PRIVATE DONATIONS; AND HL DAA S A YANX X'ADUDLITSEEN HAA YTX'I (NOTHING IS MORE CHERISHED THAN OUR CHILDREN), FOCUSING ON COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH SUICIDE PREVENTION ACTIVITIES FOR JUNEAU AGES 7-24, INCLUDING COMPLETING A COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND COMMUNITY READINESS REPORT COMPLETED IN 2024, ANNUALLY SIGNS OF SUICIDE TRAINING FOR ADULTS AND TEACHERS, AND WELLNESS INITIATIVES SUCH AS THE BIENNIAL GHF YOUTH CANOE JOURNEY, FUNDED BY A SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES GRANT. FINALLY, THE CULTURE & ARTS DEPARTMENT IS PRIMARILY FUNDED THROUGH RESTRICTED FUNDING FROM GOLDBELT INCORPORATED (GBI) TO PROVIDE CULTURAL CLASSES AND ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT PUBLIC EVENTS FOR GBI SHAREHOLDERS, AS WELL AS TWO FEDERAL GRANTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE DEPARTMENT OVERSEES THE CULTURAL ARTIFACTS OWNED BY THE ORGANIZATION, I.E., THE TRADITIONAL LINGT DUGOUT CANOES AND CHILKAT ROBE, AND PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS ENGAGING IN LINGT ARTS, FOODS, AND HARVESTING. OUTSIDE OF THE GBI SHAREHOLDER CULTURAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM, THIS DEPARTMENT ALSO MANAGES THE DAAK YAYLATSAAK (PUSH THE CANOE OUT) PROGRAM RESPONSIBLE FOR DOCUMENTING AND PERPETUATING THE KNOWLEDGE OF TRADITIONAL LINGT DUGOUT CANOE MAKING THROUGH MAKING A CANOE - STARTED IN 2024 (ANTICIPATED COMPLETION IS SPRING 2025), OFFERING APPRENTICESHIPS, AND CREATING CURRICULUM; AND HAA AT.OOW HAA KUSTEEYIX SITEE (OUR AT.OOW IS OUR LIFE) WHICH IS A NEW PROGRAM THAT STARTED IN JULY 2024 RESPONSIBLE FOR INTEGRATING AND TEACHING ENDANGERED LINGT ARTS IN THE JUNEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THE PROGRAM'S FOCUS FOR 2024 WAS PARTNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BEGIN SCHOOL INTEGRATION FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2025-2026. THE PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS BELOW DESCRIBE THOSE ACTIVITIES FUNDED IN PART BY FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AWARDED TO THE FOUNDATION IN THE FORM OF MULTI-YEAR GRANTS. THESE GRANTS COMMENCED IN 2022 AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 2028. TH
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 December 2004.
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.