At Eagle Pond Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
At Eagle Pond, Inc. is established to preserve the farm in Wilmot, NH, where poets Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon shared a writing life and, there, to honor and examine what they wrote and its associations with the farm; open the house to the public; offer educational and literary programs and events; and eventually provide residencies where poets and others can take up their own work for a period of time so that the farm continues to nurture the work writers do and the contributions of literature to finding our bearings in the world.
- Income
- $274,966
- Spending
- $29,543
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- -65.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 12
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
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
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: 75 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 256 of 6 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.
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 (2)
- $28,635 spent. Stewardship: preserving the landmark farm at Eagle Pond, its history, and its witness to poetry and place and to what Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon wrote there. Program service accomplishments include acquisition of the farm, historical research and documentation, restoration of furnishings, curatorship, and nomination of the farm as a National Historic Landmark. See Schedule O. Form 990, Part III, Line 4a Stewardship and ownership of Eagle Pond Farm are central to carrying out the literary and educational purposes of the nonprofit. The work of Donald Hall (1928-2018) and Jane Kenyon (1947-1995)--who in their years at the farm became nationally and internationally recognized as major American poets--is infused with reference to the farmhouse and barn, the wrap of farm, and an attendant sense of place. This was not only the locus of their lives but also what daily inspired their poetry and other writing. Hours and expertise donated by board members, colleagues, and other supporters of the nonprofit's endeavor--who contribute their professional experience in historic preservation, museum education, curatorial practice, public programming, and from some the perspective of poets and writers--allow the organization, at this stage, to carry out its stewardship program with no paid staff, administrative expense, or consultant fees. Sole stewardship expenses in 2024 were those of ownership, maintenance, and associated costs (Part IX, Line 16 and Line 22). Curatorship At the time of the nonprofit's 2021 purchase of the property from buyers who acquired it in 2019, the farmhouse had been almost emptied by two auctions and an estate sale occurring when the farm was sold to those buyers. Restoring original furnishings to the house (along with furnishings similar to those) became, then, an important aspect of the nonprofit's stewardship, most of all to preserve the story the house tells but also to accommodate visitors. When Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon came to live at the farm, they discarded little from previous generations and filled the farmhouse still further with bookshelves, books, and art. Because the farm was the very ground of their lives and work, it has, more than anything besides their work, come to represent them, what they wrote, and their commitment to writing and to this place. Refurnishing has been, and continues to be, accomplished through purchase and donation (including items returned by buyers who acquired them at the auctions or estate sale) as well as discovery of items remaining at the farm after the estate sale. Together, these help to depict both the earlier life of the farm and the lives Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon brought there and lived there. This curatorial effort will continue as items become available, but the house interior now evokes for visitors an authentic sense of what Donald Hall's and Jane Kenyon's days at the farm looked like and felt like. The rooms and furnishings also allow visitors to more fully appreciate the poetry and prose that mention the house, its layers of memory, and its contents. The absence of 2024 expense for curatorial acquisitions and effort does not reflect the nonprofit's impressive progress in this area. Donated items and expertise have allowed this accomplishment without what would otherwise be the corresponding expense. Preservation of the farmhouse and barn The passage of time has compromised the condition of the 19th century house and barn, and deferred maintenance for some 20 years prior to the 2019 sale compounded wear and deterioration. Assessment of structural condition and history, underway in 2024 and expected to be complete in 2025, will be followed by determination of what repairs or alterations to, or updating of, the house or barn may be required to keep them stable--and also adequate to carry out the activities of the nonprofit--while preserving their historic appearance, integrity, significance, and detail. All work will be done in accordance with the standards for historic preservation set by the U.S. Department of the Interior. When sufficient funds are in hand, this work can proceed. Costs will be estimated after assessments are completed. In 2024, substantial progress on research and documentation regarding the history of the farm and its architectural, cultural, and literary significance has helped bring nomination as a National Historic Landmark nearer to completion. Contents of the nomination will be available to the public by request and at the organization's website. Number of people served The number of people served by these stewardship activities is hard to estimate. Besides those who visit the house or attend events at the farm or other venues, they may be people who just drive by on their way to work or errands but, in their routine, are mindful of the house and farm and its history. Current traffic counts show some 2200 vehicles pass the house and farm daily. A conservative estimate (though the actual number may be much higher) is that one-quarter to one-third of passersby give some thought, daily, to the house and farm, the memory and meaning it carries, and a sense of place it holds. Farther away are readers, poets, writers, enthusiasts of history, advocates of historic preservation, and an interested public who find meaning in knowing that the farm is being preserved. In addition are students, teachers, editors, publishers, booksellers, scholars, journalists, and other persons researching or interested by the lives and work of Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon--and the influence of the farm on their work--who benefit. Form 990, Part III, Line 4b Outreach activities, services, and events are conducted by members of the board, colleagues, and others. All donate their hours, expertise, and services. Sole cash expense for outreach in 2024 was for website processing (Part IX, Line 24b). Website and newsletter The intent of the website and newsletter (4 issues in 2024) is to convey a sense of the farm's long history co
- Outreach: educational and literary activities, services and events are an extension of the nonprofit's commitment to stewardship of Eagle Pond Farm, its history and literary significance, its importance in examining the work of Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon, and its resonance with poetry and place. Program service accomplishments include a website and acclaimed newsletter; house tours and the welcoming of public visitors; readings, lectures and similar public events; assistance provided to researchers; opportunities for poets and others to experience the place that inspired Donald Hall and Jane Kenyon and to take up their own work at the farm; educational exhibits at offsite locations; and collaborations with artists in other fields. See Schedule O.
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 January 2021.
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.