Trigg-C M Russell Foundation Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Only 23% of its spending went to programs.
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 60 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 MISSION OF THE TRIGG-C.M. RUSSELL FOUNDATION, INC. (D.B.A. THE C.M. RUSSELL MUSEUM) IS TO COLLECT, PRESERVE, RESEARCH, INTERPRET AND EDUCATE ON THE ART AND LIFE OF CHARLES M. RUSSELL; THE ART AND LIFE OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES; AND THE ART OF PRECEDING AND ENSUING GENERATIONS THAT DEPICTS AND FOCUSES ON THE CULTURE, LIFE AND COUNTRY OF RUSSELL'S WEST.
- Income
- $6.9 million
- Spending
- $3.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 23%
- Reserves
- 69.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 39%
- Employees
- 34
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $111,728, senior director of operations and hr
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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 68% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 69.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 46% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 105% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1523% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 60 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2526 of 26 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 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 (3)
- $513,805 spent. COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS:IN 2025, THE C.M. RUSSELL MUSEUM WELCOMED 30,584 VISITORS IN PERSON AND VIRTUALLY. THE MUSEUM CONTINUED TO DISPLAY THE WORKS OF CHARLES M. RUSSELL THEMATICALLY, SUPPORTED BY PERMANENT GALLERIES SUCH AS A COLLECTOR'S VISION: C.M. RUSSELL WORK FROM COLLECTOR TOM PETRIE, TALES FROM THE SADDLE: COME RIDE ALONG, SELECTIONS FROM THE COLLECTION, AND INVENTING THE WEST & MANUFACTURING THE WORLD.THE MUSEUM PRESENTED TWELVE MAJOR ROTATING EXHIBITIONS, INCLUDING DISCOVERING RUSSELL: THE MCKAY COLLECTION; MODEST YET MASTERFUL: SMALL SCALE MASTERWORKS BY CHARLES M. RUSSELL; CAPTURING THE WEST: JOSEPH HENRY SHARP & EDWARD S. CURTIS; EXPEDITION WEST: A JOURNEY ON THE UPPER MISSOURI, 18321834; IS IT A REAL RUSSELL?; BEFORE THE COWBOY ARTIST: THE EARLY WORKS OF CHARLES M. RUSSELL; INNER LIGHT: THE ART OF TOM GILLEON; CORWIN "CORKY" CLAIRMONT: A RETROSPECTIVE OF ACTIVISM AND ART; THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF ROBERT OSBORN; GREETINGS FROM CHARLIE; SPEECHLESS: THE ART OF BLACKFEET ARTIST JOHN LOUIS CLARKE; AND THE RUSSELL EXHIBITION AND SALE.THE MUSEUM HOSTED FREE EVENING EXHIBIT OPENINGS FOR MEMBERS AND, TO ENSURE AFFORDABLE ACCESS FOR THE COMMUNITY, OFFERED ONE FREE SATURDAY ADMISSION PER MONTH FROM OCTOBER THROUGH APRIL, WHICH SERVED 671 ATTENDEES DURING THE WINTER SEASON. IN ADDITION, 1,613 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN VIRTUAL TOURS, AND 855 MEMBERS VISITED THROUGH FREE ADMISSION BENEFITS, EXPANDING BOTH DIGITAL AND MEMBER ENGAGEMENT. OUTREACH GREW THROUGH DIGITAL AND PRINT ADVERTISING AS WELL AS SOCIAL MEDIA, INCREASING AWARENESS AND PARTICIPATION. STAFF SAFEGUARDED BOTH PERMANENT AND LOANED WORKS BY IMPROVING COLLECTION CARE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS. IN 2025, THE MUSEUM ALSO RECEIVED DONATED ART AND ARTIFACTS VALUED AT $23,600, FURTHER STRENGTHENING THE COLLECTION AND ADVANCING THE MUSEUM'S MISSION.
- $262,764 spent. MUSEUM SERVICES:THE TRIGG-RUSSELL FOUNDATION, INC. OPERATES AND MAINTAINS THE C.M. RUSSELL MUSEUM IN ALIGNMENT WITH ITS MISSION. OPERATIONS STAFF ENSURED SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR VISITORS, STAFF, VOLUNTEERS, AND COLLECTIONS DURING ALL OPEN HOURS. MAINTENANCE STAFF SUPPORTED THE FACILITY AND GROUNDS, WHILE GUEST RELATIONS WELCOMED AND SERVED MUSEUM VISITORS.MUSEUM SERVICES INCLUDED EVENT COORDINATION, MEMBERSHIP, VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT, AND THE MUSEUM STORE, WHICH PROMOTES THE MUSEUM'S IMAGE THROUGH MERCHANDISE CONNECTED TO CHARLES M. RUSSELL AND WESTERN ART. THE MUSEUM ALSO OFFERED FREE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS SUCH AS LECTURES, SADDLES & SPURS, AND THE ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM, HELPING SUSTAIN VISITATION, MEMBERSHIP, AND VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION WHILE REINFORCING THE MUSEUM'S ROLE AS A CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE.
- $87,237 spent. EDUCATION/PUBLIC PROGRAMS:TO SUPPORT ITS MISSION, THE MUSEUM OFFERED FREE ADMISSION DURING WESTERN ART WEEK, WHICH SERVED 715 COMMUNITY MEMBERS. THE MUSEUM ALSO HOSTED A PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM FEATURING SCHOLARS IN WESTERN ART AND HISTORY. DURING 2025, 820 FOURTH- AND FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS TOURED THE MUSEUM AS PREPARATION FOR THE 55TH ANNUAL FIFTH-GRADE ESSAY CONTEST, IN WHICH STUDENTS WROTE ON THE THEME "WHY CHARLIE RUSSELL IS IMPORTANT." WINNING ESSAYS WERE RECOGNIZED AT A PUBLIC PROCLAMATION CEREMONY.OTHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS REACHED BROAD AUDIENCES: 966 ATTENDEES PARTICIPATED IN SADDLES & SPURS, A FAMILY-ORIENTED ARTS-AND-CRAFTS EVENT; 90 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ATTENDED SUNDAY SAMPLER, A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH THE GREAT FALLS MUSEUMS CONSORTIUM; AND 294 ATTENDEES JOINED LECTURES AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, MANY OFFERED VIRTUALLY TO EXTEND ACCESS BEYOND GREAT FALLS. EDUCATION STAFF CONTINUED TO ADAPT OFFERINGS TO ENSURE SAFE IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITIES WHILE BROADENING VIRTUAL REACH.
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
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 September 2025.
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 September 1954.
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.