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Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation Inc

EIN 84-6037753 · Golden, CO

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF THE COLORADO RAILROAD HISTORICAL FOUNDATION, INC. IS TO PRESERVE AND CONVEY THE RICH HISTORY OF RAILROADING IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION THROUGH ACQUISITION, RESEARCH, EXHIBITION, AND EDUCATION.

Income
$7.5 million
Spending
$4.1 million
Spent on programs
77%
Reserves
11.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 54%
Employees
28
Volunteers
239
Highest pay
$158,721, 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: 89 out of 100. Higher than 76% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 11.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 24% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 45% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 111% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    77% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 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 25

    10 of 10 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports 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)
  1. $2.1 million spent. THE MUSEUM EXISTS TO SHARE COLORADO'S RICH RAILROAD HERITAGE WITH THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE IN A HANDS-ON AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL FASHION BY PRESERVING AND MAKING ACCESSIBLE IMPORTANT HISTORIC ARTIFACTS, ARTWORK AND DOCUMENTS, AND BY OFFERING OUTSTANDING INTERPRETIVE AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO THE COMMUNITY. THE MUSEUM HAS SYSTEMATICALLY ACQUIRED A COLLECTION OF OVER 100 HISTORIC RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVES, PASSENGER AND FREIGHT CARS DATING FROM 1879 TO THE PRESENT, AND ALSO MANAGES ONE OF THE LARGEST ARCHIVES OF RAILROAD PRINT, PHOTOGRAPHIC AND RESEARCH MATERIALS IN THE UNITED STATES. IT IS DEDICATED TO SHARING COLORADO'S RICH RAILROAD HISTORY THROUGH THE USE OF BOTH SMALL AND LARGE ARTIFACTS, ALONG WITH ARCHIVAL MATERIALS ASSOCIATED WITH RAILROADING IN COLORADO AND THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. THE MUSEUM'S RESEARCH LIBRARY IS THE SECOND LARGEST OF ITS KIND, AND LIBRARY VOLUNTEERS ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF WESTERN RAILROADS AND THEIR LINES. AUTHORS OF ALL GENRES MAY BE FOUND RESEARCHING TIMETABLES, PAYROLL RECORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THEIR PROJECTS. THE MUSEUM LIBRARY IS ALSO HOME TO AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF RAILROAD RELATED ART, SOME OF IT PAINTED BY WORLD-FAMOUS ARTISTS, AND DONATED TO THE MUSEUM BY DEDICATED COLLECTORS. THIS COLLECTION IS SOMETIMES LOANED TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS. SINCE 1961 THE MUSEUM HAS PUBLISHED OVER 50 SCHOLARLY BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS ON THE RAILROADS OF COLORADO AND THE WEST THAT ARE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BY HISTORIANS. THE COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM HAS BEEN RANKED AMONG THE TOP 25 DENVER AREA ATTRACTIONS BY DENVER BUSINESS JOURNAL AND AS ONE OF THE TOP 10 PAID ATTRACTIONS BY VISIT DENVER.THE COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF ITS FULL-SIZE RAIL VEHICLE COLLECTION. THE IMPORTANCE OF RESTORATION AND MAINTENANCE OF HISTORIC ROLLING STOCK CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. BY ENSURING THAT VISITORS ARE ABLE TO VIEW AND SOMETIMES RIDE PAINSTAKINGLY RESTORED RAILROAD ARTIFACTS, WE ARE ABLE TO BRING HISTORY TO LIFE AND TO INSPIRE OUR GUESTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW RAILROADS HAVE TRANSFORMED OUR STATE, THE NATION, AND THE ENTIRE WORLD. TOUR HOSTS ADDRESS THE WAYS IN WHICH RAILROADS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DYNAMIC ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, AND AGRICULTURAL CHANGES IN THE AMERICAN WEST, AND HELPED CREATE MODERN-DAY COLORADO.
  2. $1.1 million spent. STARTING IN NOVEMBER OF 2014 AND RUNNING FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS EACH WINTER HOLIDAY SEASON, THE STORY OF "THE POLAR EXPRESS" IS RE-CREATED. THIS THEATRICAL PRODUCTION BLENDS TOGETHER ACTORS, STAGE PRODUCTIONS, DRAMATIC ENTRANCES, AND QUIET MOMENTS OF REFLECTION AS GUESTS ARE IMMERSED IN THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND INTRIGUE OF THIS CLASSIC CHILDREN'S TALE. AND OF COURSE, THE ENTIRE PRODUCTION IS THEMED AROUND A MAGICAL TRAIN RIDE, HELPING TO CONNECT COLORADO'S RICH RAILROAD HERITAGE WITH THE BROADER INFLUENCES OF AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since October 1964.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.