Maryhill Museum of Art
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Maryhill Museum of Art ignites a journey of educational enrichment in the Columbia River Gorge by preserving and interpreting art and historic collections.
- Income
- $1.9 million
- Spending
- $1.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- 2.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 66%
- Employees
- 19
- Volunteers
- 18
- Highest pay
- $151,372, executive dir.
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
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 5% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 13% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 19% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2518 of 18 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 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 (3)
- $637,494 spent. MUSEUM BUILDING - THE HISTORIC BEAUX-ARTS BUILDING (BUILT IN 1917 & LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES) AND THE MARY AND BRUCE STEVENSON WING (BUILT IN 2012 AND LEED CERTIFIED) HOUSE THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS, CHANGING EXHIBITIONS AND PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS AS WELL AS SPACE FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE MUSEUM MAINTAINS SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN EXHIBITION AND COLLECTION SPACES FOR THE THOUSANDS OF WORKS OF ART THAT THE MUSEUM CARES FOR, EXHIBITS AND PROVIDES ACCESS TO FOR PUBLIC ENRICHMENT. THE MUSEUM ALSO OWNS AND PRESERVES THE STONEHENGE MEMORIAL MONUMENT (BUILT IN 1918-1929 ANF LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES) AND THE MARYHILL LOOPS ROAD (FIRST MACADAM-PAVED ROAD IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON AND PROTYPE FOR OREGONS HISTORIC COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY), BOTH OF WHICH ARE 3 MILES EAST OF THE MUSEUM.IN 2025, THE MUSEUM FUNDRAISED FOR AND INSTALLED A NEW WALK-IN FREEZER INSIDE AN EXISTING BUILDING FACILITY FOR PROCESSING OF SPECIFIC MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. THE FACILITY ACCELERATES THE NUMBER OF OJECTS THAT CAN BE PROCESSED AT ONE TIME, PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT GIVEN THE MUSEUMS EMPHASIS ON COLLECTING AND PRESERVING OBJECTS SUCH AS TEXTILES AND BASKETRY. OTHER KEY BUILDING EXPENDITURES IN 2025 WERE HVAC AND ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE PROJECTS TO CONTINUE RETROFITTING NEWER AND AGING SYSTEMS.MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART IS IN THE PLANNING AND FUNDRAISING STAGES OF A WATER SYSTEM THAT WILL REPLACE THE MUSEUM'S SPRING-FED WATER SOURCE WITH WATER FROM THE MUSEUM'S WELL AND WATER RIGHT. IN 2025, THE MUSEUM RECEIVED PROJECT APPROVAL FROM WA DEPT OF ECOLOGY AND DEPT OF HEALTH TO PROCEED WITH THE PROJECT.
- $310,069 spent. EXHIBITIONS, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, AND PRESERVATION OF COLLECTIONS ARE THE VITAL SERVICES THAT FULFILL THE MUSEUM'S MISSION. MARYHILL IS THE ONLY FINE ART MUSEUM IN THE CENTRAL PACIFIC NORTHWEST. FOUNDED IN 1940, IT IS ACCREDITED BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS AND SERVES 549,495 PEOPLE ACROSS SEVEN RURAL COUNTIES IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON. THE MUSEUMS COLLECTION OF OVER 18,000 OBJECTS SPANS AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN FINE AND DECORATIVE ARTS, INDIGENOUS AMERICAN ART, AN EXCEPTIONAL SELECTION OF 80+ SCULPTURES AND WATERCOLORS BY AUGUSTE RODIN, FASHION, CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE, AND OTHER WORKS FROM AMERICA AND AROUND THE WORLD. OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GUIDES ADDITIONS AND UPDATES TO OUR PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS. THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION IS SHARED IN EXHIBITIONS AT THE MUSEUM, WITH RESEARCHERS, AND WITH OTHER MUSEUM INSTITUTIONS.EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE THE HEART OF OUR MISSION AND THE MUSEUM HOSTS FIELD TRIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR K-12 AND COLLEGE GROUPS. WE SUBSIDIZE FIELD TRIPS COSTS AS NEEDED TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO VISITING, PRIORITIZING TITLE I SCHOOLS IN THE REGION.MUSEUM EDUCATORS PROVIDE & UPDATE CLASSROOM CURRICULUM RESOURCES TO MEET STATE STANDARDS WITH A STEAM FOCUS AND OFFER AN ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. FORMAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE COMPLEMENTED BY PUBLIC PROGRAMS WHICH BRING PERFORMERS, ARTISTS, HISTORIANS, AND WRITERS TO INSPIRE AND EDUCATE ALL VISITORS.IN 2025, MARYHILL MUSEUM OF ART MADE UPDATES TO ADDITIONAL DISPLAY CASES IN THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA PERMANENT GALLERY AND CONSERVED SELECT OBECTS FROM THE COLLECTION FOR DISPLAY, AS WELL AS UPDATES TO THE SAM HILL ORIENTATION GALLERY, NOW CALLED THE FOUR FOUNDERS AND THEIR LEGACY. THE MUSEUM ACQUIRED SEVERAL OBJECTS WITHIN ITS EXPANDED COLLECTION FOCUS OF TRADITIONAL TEXTILES FROM ROMANIA AND MACEDONIA, AS WELL AS A VARIETY OF OTHER ACQUISITIONS TO THE MUSEUM COLLECTIONS. NEW PROGRAMS INCLUDED A FAMILY-FRIENDLY SOLSTICE EVENT AT THE STONEHENGE MEMORIAL MONUMENT.THE MUSEUM RECEIVED A MAJOR GIFT IN 2025 TO ESTABLISH A RESTRICTED ENDOWMENT FOR THE ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC NORTHWEST PAINTING AND STATUARY WORKS, AND TO NAME A MUSEUM GALLERY.
- $205,794 spent. GARDENS THE MUSEUM CAMPUS SPANS NEARLY 29 ACRES AND INCLUDES THE WILLIAM AND CATHERINE DICKSON SCULPTURE PARK, THE LEWIS AND CLARK OVERLOOK AND GARDEN, AND THE CANNON POWER PLAZA AND RIVER WALK. IN 2025, THE MUSEUM COMPLETED A RENOVATION OF THE SCULPTURE PARK WITH ADA-COMPLIANT WALKING PATHS THROUGH THE PARK THAT CONNECT THE EAST AND WEST CAMPUS, NEW SEATING, AND PUBLIC ART.THE GARDENS ARE USED FOR DIVERSE PROGRAMS INCLUDING ANNUAL PUBLIC CULTURAL EVENTS, FIELD TRIPS, FACILITY RENTALS, AND OTHER SPECIAL PROGRAMS.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since October 1926.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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