Houston Freedmens Town Conservancy Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To completely restore Houston Freedmen's Town as a heritage district that provides America with its only Freedmen's Town.
- Income
- $821,797
- Spending
- $390,687
- Spent on programs
- 51%
- Reserves
- 4.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 4
- Volunteers
- 14
- Highest pay
- $79,547, executive 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
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 4.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 52% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 30% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1550% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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: 91 out of 100. Higher than 75% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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
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 (1)
- $197,280 spent. The Conservancy's initiatives seek to address the following community priorities.Historic Preservation & Building a Resilient Community - This initiative works with community and civic partners to prevent the demolition of historic structures, advocates for policy changes and ordinances, and includes district-level planning efforts, capital improvements, historically respectful development, and the operations and maintenance of Houston's first Heritage District.See Schedule O.Heritage Engaging Experiences - This initiative organizes and implements programs, events, and activities that promote the Story of Freedom from the forthcoming community resource hub, the Freedmen's Town Visitors Center. Tours of the Heritage District are available, and planning is underway for historic markers, wayfinding, signage, and digital tools to engage both visitors and locals.Education & Citizen Empowerment - With this initiative, the Conservancy effectively empowers the community to participate in political/decision-making processes. Similarly, the Conservancy educates all external stakeholders on how to partner with the community to achieve equitable outcomes. The Conservancy's initiatives seek to address the following community priorities.Organizational Growth & Effectiveness - With this initiative, the Conservancy enhances its internal capacity, achieves operational sustainability, and becomes financially stable. Increased organizational capacity will enable the Conservancy to engage in educational and cultural programming, expand public outreach, and economically empower residents of Freedmen's Town. Sustainable funding requires a robust and sustainable operational partner within the Heritage District to ensure economic growth for Freedmen's Town.
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 March 2019.
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.