Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Greenwood Rising Inc

EIN 85-3774435 · Tulsa, OK

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak35 out of 100GovernanceGood82 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

GREENWOOD RISING EDUCATES PEOPLE ABOUT TULSA'S HISTORIC GREENWOOD DISTRICT, THE BLACK WALL STREET MINDSET, AND AMERICA'S HARD RACIAL HISTORY TO INSPIRE THEM TOWARD SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL RECONCILIATION AT HOME AND BEYOND. THE HISTORY CENTER IS THE ICONIC DESTINATION TO EVOKE THOUGHT AND MOTIVATE CHANGE IN RACE RELATIONS FOR ALL GENERATIONS, BRINGING AN END TO RACIAL VIOLENCE AND CREATING GENERATIONAL WEALTH. GREENWOOD RISING INC. DBA GREENWOOD RISING IS THE LEGACY PROJECT OF THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE CENTENNIAL COMMISSION (THE "COMMISSION"). THE COMMISSION BEGAN IN 2015 UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF SENATOR KEVIN MATHEWS, DEDICATED TO A VISION OF A STRONGER AND MORE JUST TULSA. THE COMMISSION SET OUT TO RAISE A TOTAL OF 30 MILLION FOR ITS PROJECTS AND WAS STRUCTURED AS A COMPONENT FUND OF THE TULSA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ("TCF"), EIN 73- 1554474, A 501(C)(3) PUBLIC CHARITY. THE PRIVATE FUNDS RAISED BY THE COMMISSION WERE DEPOSITED BY TCF AND DISPERSED UNDER DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION AN

Income
$977,764
Spending
$1.8 million
Spent on programs
66%
Reserves
-76.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 50%
Employees
16
Highest pay
$125,000, executive di

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Weak: 35 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 89% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 95% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    66% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 82 out of 100. Higher than 66% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).

  • 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

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    12 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • 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, 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 (5)
  1. $952,807 spent. GREENWOOD RISING EXISTS TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE ABOUT TULSA'S HISTORIC GREENWOOD DISTRICT, THE BLACK WALL STREET MINDSET, AND AMERICA'S HARD RACIAL HISTORY TO INSPIRE THEM TO WORK TOWARD SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL RECONCILIATION AT HOME AND BEYOND. THIS MISSION IS ACCOMPLISHED FIRST AND FOREMOST BY ENGAGING VISITORS IN AN INTERACTIVE, THOUGHT PROVOKING, AND HISTORICALLY FACTUAL EXPERIENCE INVOLVING PICTURES, VIDEOS, ARTIFACTS, ETC. DOCENTS LEAD GUESTS ON TOURS THROUGH THE HISTORY CENTER AND GUESTS ARE PROVIDED WITH PAMPHLETS THAT ASK CHALLENGING QUESTIONS TO EVOKE THOUGHTFUL ACTIONS WHICH GUESTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMMUNICATE VIA THE COMMITMENT WALL. SINCE OPENING ITS DOORS ON AUGUST 4TH, 2021, GREENWOOD RISING HAS WELCOMED NEARLY 60,000 VISITORS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.
  2. $97,594 spent. GREENWOOD RISING MAINTAINS ITS DIGITAL GUIDE ON BLOOMBERG CONNECTS, THE FREE ARTS AND CULTURAL APP CREATED BY BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES. THE BLOOMBERG CONNECTS APP, AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD FROM GOOGLE PLAY OR THE APP STORE, MAKES GREENWOOD RISING ACCESSIBLE FOR EITHER ONSITE OR OFFSITE VISITS THROUGH PHOTO, AUDIO AND VIDEO FEATURES OFFERING INSIGHTS INTO THE HISTORY OF BLACK WALL STREET, THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE, AND THE CONTINUED ROAD TO RECONCILIATION. USERS OF THE APP ACCESS VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCES THAT SHOWCASE WHAT BLACK WALL STREET WAS LIKE BEFORE THE 1921 MASSACRE. USERS HAVE ACCESS TO GREENWOOD RISING EXHIBITS LIKE THE VIRTUAL BARBERSHOP AND MEET THE EARLY ENTREPRENEURS IN HISTORIC GREENWOOD THROUGH ORAL AND WRITTEN HISTORIES.
  3. $10,220 spent. GREENWOOD RISING HAS PARTNERED WITH TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS ("TPS") TO CURATE CURRICULUM FOR SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS AND BEGAN HOSTING TOURS FOR ALL TPS EIGHTH GRADERS DURING EACH SCHOOL YEAR. THIS COLLABORATION COVERS BOTH PEDAGOGY AND THE CURRICULUM TAUGHT IN CLASS BEFORE THE FIELD TRIPS, THE CURRICULUM BASED TOURS GIVEN TO STUDENTS DURING EACH VISIT, AS WELL AS LOGISTICS INCLUDING SCHEDULING, TRANSPORTATION, LUNCHES PROVIDED, ETC. ALTHOUGH THE CURRENT PROGRAM FOCUSES ON TPS EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS, GREENWOOD RISING LOOKS FORWARD TO WELCOMING OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM THE AREA IN THE COMING YEARS.
  4. $162,065 spent. GREENWOOD RISING PARTNERED WITH THE OKLAHOMA CENTER FOR COMMUNITY AND JUSTICE TO HOST LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION. THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO CREATE SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO TALK OPENLY AND HONESTLY ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO CREATE CHANGE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. THE PRIMARY SOCIAL IMPACT OF CREATING THIS SPACE IS INCREASED SELF AND SOCIAL AWARENESS OF THE PARTICIPANTS, CREATING GLOBAL CITIZENS. THE INNOVATION OF THIS PROGRAM EXISTS IN ITS APPROACH TO STUDENT SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING THROUGH THE LENS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. GREENWOOD RISING ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL & MUSEUM TO PROVIDE TULSA AND OKLAHOMA CITY-BASED NINTH GRADE STUDENTS WITH TRANSPORTATION AND ADMISSION TO VISIT BOTH MUSEUMS IN ONE DAY. STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE POWERFUL STORIES EACH PROVIDES, INCLUDING THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND THE SENSELESSNESS OF VIOLENCE, AND THEN VIRTUALLY COME TOGETHER TO DEBRIEF THEIR EXPERIENCES.
  5. GREENWOOD RISING PARTNERED WITH THE OKLAHOMA CENTER FOR COMMUNITY AND JUSTICE TO HOST LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP FORUM FOR COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION. THIS PROGRAM SEEKS TO CREATE SPACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO TALK OPENLY AND HONESTLY ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES AND WORK COLLABORATIVELY TO CREATE CHANGE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. THE PRIMARY SOCIAL IMPACT OF CREATING THIS SPACE IS INCREASED SELF AND SOCIAL AWARENESS OF THE PARTICIPANTS, CREATING GLOBAL CITIZENS. THE INNOVATION OF THIS PROGRAM EXISTS IN ITS APPROACH TO STUDENT SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING THROUGH THE LENS OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. GREENWOOD RISING ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE OKLAHOMA CITY NATIONAL MEMORIAL & MUSEUM TO PROVIDE TULSA AND OKLAHOMA CITY-BASED NINTH GRADE STUDENTS WITH TRANSPORTATION AND ADMISSION TO VISIT BOTH MUSEUMS IN ONE DAY. STUDENTS EXPERIENCE THE POWERFUL STORIES EACH PROVIDES, INCLUDING THE RESILIENCE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT AND THE SENSELESSNESS OF VIOLENCE, AND THEN VIRTUALLY COME TOGETHER TO DEBRIEF THEIR EXPERIENCES.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, 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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since July 2021.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.