The Free History Project Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Produce & distribute educational media.
- Income
- $626,466
- Spending
- $671,750
- Spent on programs
- 86%
- Reserves
- 0.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 69%
- Employees
- 0
- Highest pay
- $55,189, treasurer
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
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 26% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1586% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Weak: 36 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
5 of 252 of 6 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
0 of 15Reports no 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.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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)
- $577,493 spent. In 2024, The Free History Project, Inc. (FHP) consulted on production with independent documentary filmmakers including Michael Almereyda, Matt Wolf, Sandi Dubowski, Maya Hawke, Michael Coleman, Gabriel Lester, Chris Wilcha, Sandi Roney, Annie Roney, Catalina Kulczar, Francisco Bello, Lisa Rovner, Adam Neuhaus and others. Consultations focused on documentary filmmaking in general as well as feedback on particular projects, career advice, archival projects, film editing, and more. Additionally, FHP visited colleges and universities to speak with students about documentary filmmaking, sound and live cinema. These presentations were at schools including Harvard University, Pratt Institute, Dartmouth College, New York University, Haverford College, Bryn Mawr and Bard College. In 2024, FHP presented both the live and theatrical versions of the feature documentary 32 Sounds around the world, including shows in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany and Canada. 32 Sounds played throughout the United States with over 40 screenings in 14 states including New York, North Carolina, Kentucky, California, Illinois, Iowa, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maine, Washington and Georgia. After years of very limited in person screenings it was a thrill to bring audiences together to experience the live documentary. FHP also presented A Thousand Thoughts, a live documentary about the Kronos Quartet that explores the quartet?s groundbreaking, continent-spanning, multi-decade career in Amsterdam, Seattle, Houston, La Jolla and Aliso Viejo, CA. A Thousand Thoughts had its final performance at SFJAZZ in San Francisco, CA in June 2024. This final performance was filmed live for the creation of a theatrical and streaming version of the project in the future. A Thousand Thoughts originally premiered in 2018 at the Sundance Film Festival. FHP also presented ?The Ephemeral Cinema of Sam Green,? a retrospective at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The organization also continued filming and editing The Oldest Person in the World, a feature film weaving together portraits of the people who hold the Guinness World Record for being the oldest person alive. In addition to filming additional footage we began to edit the film, and look forward to bringing it to audiences in 2026. FHP also continued development on Untitled Tree Project, a live cinema performance work that will combine documentary film, live music, and text to create a celebration of trees and all they can teach us about being human. The Free History Project also continued developing V. Vale: All American Boy, a short documentary portrait of V. Vale, a little-known, but hugely influential cultural anthropologist in San Francisco. Due to the development and production work we?ve done this year the film continues to move forward and we hope to bring it to audiences soon. This past year FHP continued its long-running outreach efforts with the feature film, The Weather Underground, including through domestic, international, home and educational distribution. FHP also continued to distribute The Universal Language, a 30-minute, educational documentary on the history of the invented language Esperanto. FHP continued to focus on distributing the film through direct downloads from a website created for the film, as well as educational collections and university libraries. Finally, FHP has supported other critical documentary & educational work through fiscal sponsorship of urgent documentary projects including 32 Sounds, The Oldest Person in the World, V. Vale: All-American Boy, A Thousand Thoughts and The Returning, a film about ?a returning generation of young Black Farmers? who ?reconnect to the land to grow food, build community, and reclaim power.? Per usual, the Free History Project?s 990 was circulated to the board in advance of its filing for feedback and questions, and was unanimously approved via email.
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 February 2003.
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.