Witnessing History Education Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
- Only 9% of its spending went to programs.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
TO EDUCATE AND INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH DOCUMENTARY FILM PRODUCTION, TOURS, LECTURES, SEMINARS, ARTICLES AND OTHER MEDIA.
- Income
- $367,789
- Spending
- $286,272
- Spent on programs
- 10%
- Reserves
- -1.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $218,611, 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
Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 4% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 131% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 22% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 31% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 159% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 76 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (3)
- WITNESSING HISTORY'S LATEST FILM, "THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD;" THE COMING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. AFTER BEING REPEATEDLY BROADCAST ON KENTUCKY EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION (KET), IT WAS RECOMMENDED BY KET TO THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION (NETA):HTTPS://WWW.NETAONLINE.ORG/EPISODE/SHOT-HEARD-ROUND-WORLD-COMING-AMERICAN-REVOLUTIONNETA, AN ARM OF PBS, SUBSEQUENTLY PROVIDED THE FILM TO ALL 355 PBS AFFILIATES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THE FILM WAS WIDELY BROADCAST THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WITNESSING HISTORY EDUCATION FOUNDATION RECEIVED TELEPHONE CALLS WHERE CALLERS PRONOUNCED THE FILM THE BEST THEY HAD EVER SEEN ON THE COMING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.AN INDIVIDUAL WHO LOVED THE FILM AND WHEF'S EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE ASKED IF THE FOUNDATION WOULD CONSIDER PRODUCING A FILM ON THE LIFE OF ANDREW JOHNSON, THE 17TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. AFTER FINDING THE NECESSARY FUNDS TO PRODUCE SUCH A FILM, WITNESSING HISTORY BEGAN THE PROCESS OF FILM PRODUCTION IN AUGUST OF 2024 WITH THE RESEARCH AND WRITING OF A 78 PAGE SCRIPT. AFTER OBTAINING ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF ANDREW JOHNSON , AND ALL THOSE WHO PLAYED IMPORTANT ROLES IN HIS LIFE, WITNESSING HISTORY BEGAN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING THE FILM. THE FILM WILL BE COMPLETED IN THE FALL OF 2025.IN ADDITION TO THE FILM ON THE LIFE OF ANDREW JOHNSON, WITNESSING HISTORY HAS ALSO COMMITTED TO PRODUCING A FILM ENTITLED "1776, THE CRITICAL YEAR OF OUR NATION'S INDEPENDENCE." WITNESSING HISTORY IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF RESEARCHING AND PRODUCING THAT FILM.
- $22,875 spent. WITNESSING HISTORY'S KENT MASTERSON BROWN MADE TWO TRIPS TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION INSTITUTE AT ANDERSON HOUSE IN WASHINGTON, DC, TO PERFORM RESEARCH FOR THE UPCOMING PROJECT, "1776, THE CRITICAL YEAR OF OUR NATION'S INDEPENDENCE."WHEF MADE AVAILABLE TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION INSTITUTE IN WASHINGTON, DC, AT NO CHARGE, ITS FILM ON THE COMING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, SO THAT IT IS NOW SHOWN ALSO ON THAT YOUTUBE CHANNEL. THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION INSTITUTE EARNS INCOME FOR ITS CHARITABLE PURPOSES AS A RESULT OF WHEF'S DONATION.THE WASHINGTON POLITICAL FILM FOUNDATION ALSO REQUESTED, AND RECEIVED, AT NO CHARGE, LICENSE TO USE SEGMENTS OF "THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD;" THE COMING OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION IN A RECENT FILM IT PRODUCED ON THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY. THAT FILM WAS SHOWN AT SEVERAL PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
- $4,258 spent. WITNESSING HISTORY EDUCATION FOUNDATION CO-PRODUCED A TOUR OF THE LEXINGTON CEMETERY WITH THE KENTUCKY CIVIL WAR ROUNDTABLE, IN MAY, 2024. KENT MASTERSON BROWN MADE MANY PUBLIC APPEARANCES FOR THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, THE SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO REQUESTED TO VIEW THE FILM AND HEAR ABOUT THE WORK OF WITNESSING HISTORY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AS PART OF ONGOING OUTREACH EFFORTS.IN ADDITION TO FILM PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR 2025, WITNESSING HISTORY IS CONTRACTING WITH BLUEGRASS INTERNET SERVICES TO OVERHAUL ITS WEBSITE AND IMPROVE ITS ONLINE PRESENCE.THE WITNESSING HISTORY NEWSLETTER BEGAN PRODUCING A SERIES ON THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, WHICH SERIES WILL BE PUBLISHED IN A BOOK FORTHCOMING. THE RESEARCH ALSO PROVIDES AN UNDERPINNING TO THE RESEARCH FOR 1776, THE CRUCIAL YEAR.
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 November 6, 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 November 2016.
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 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.