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Americas River Roots Experience

EIN 92-1828855 · Cincinnati, OH

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong93 out of 100GovernanceGood70 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

AMERICA'S RIVER ROOTS' MISSION IS A QUEST TO FORGE DEEPER CONNECTIONS TO AMERICA'S INLAND RIVER WATERWAYS, AIMING TO HIGHLIGHT THE PIVOTAL ROLE THE OHIO RIVER PLAYED IN SHAPING OUR NATION. SPARKED BY AMERICA'S 250TH ANNIVERSARY, THIS SIGNATURE NATIONAL CELEBRATION SEEKS TO INCLUSIVELY ENGAGE WIDE AUDIENCES AND BOOST CULTURAL TOURISM WITH EXPERIENCES THAT BOTH EDUCATE AND ENTERTAIN THROUGH INTENTIONALLY CRAFTED AND ENRICHING MOMENTS THAT SHOWCASE THIS UNIQUE RIVER CULTURE, ITS CUISINE AND MUSIC.

Income
$3.3 million
Spending
$2.2 million
Spent on programs
87%
Reserves
8.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 64%
Employees
0
Volunteers
40
Highest pay
$118,385, executive director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 8.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 0% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 33% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 451% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    87% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 19% 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

    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

    0 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 June 30, 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 (4)
  1. $1.6 million spent. AMERICA'S RIVER ROOTS EXPERIENCE PLANS TO HOST A MULTI-DAY PUBLIC EVENT ALONG THE OHIO RIVER'S FRONTAGE ADJACENT TO DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY, WHICH CELEBRATE THE VIBRANT CULTURE OF AMERICA'S RIVER CITIES. THE FUSION OF HISTORIC RIVERBOATS, A WIDE VARIETY OF CUISINE, MUSICAL PERFORMANCES FROM A RANGE OF GENRES, AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS WILL AID IN CELEBRATING THE KICK OFF OF AMERICA'S 250TH BIRTHDAY.
  2. $136,624 spent. FREEDOM JOURNEY:THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT WILL SERVE AS AN EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL TOURISM HUB WITH A WIDE RANGE OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENTIAL CONTENT ON THE FREEDOM JOURNEY SITES IN CINCINNATI AND OHIO RIVER COMMUNITIES. THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE CONTENT FOR A SELF-GUIDED TOUR, TOUR OPERATOR GUIDE AND SCHOOLS. USERS WILL BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD A TOUR ON THEIR MOBILE DEVICE AND EXPERIENCE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR WITH VIDEO AND NARRATED STORIES AT EACH SITE. THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD MUSEUM WILL WORK WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICES TO IDENTIFY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT STOPS ON THE TRAIL. THE PLATFORM IS DESIGNED TO BE A PERMANENT LEGACY AND WILL BE PROMOTED AS AN ONGOING TOURISM ATTRACTION.
  3. $88,891 spent. RIVERWALK:A 4-MILE WALKING TOUR OF OUR REGION'S UNIQUE HISTORY CIRCLING THE RIVERFRONT OF CINCINNATI, COVINGTON AND NEWPORT. FROM THE DINOSAURS THAT ROAMED THIS VALLEY, TO ITS EARLY SETTLEMENT AND TREMENDOUS GROWTH, TO HISTORIC FIGURES THAT INFLUENCED THE NATION, THE RIVERWALK TELLS THE STORY OF OUR TIES WITH THE OHIO RIVER. CLEARLY MARKED BY COLORFUL TILE PAVEMENT INSERTS AND DIRECTIONAL SIGNAGE, THE TOUR IS ORGANIZED IN NINE ZONES FEATURING 46 STATIONS THAT CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OUR UNIQUE HERITAGE AND PLACE IN AMERICA. DRAMATIC VIEWS OF THE RIVER AND CITY, AND REFERENCE TO HISTORIC SITES AND EVENTS ARE HIGHLIGHTED ALONG THE ROUTE. THIS PROJECT WILL CREATE A DIGITAL PLATFORM THAT WILL SERVE AS AN EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL TOURISM RESOURCE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENTIAL CONTENT THAT WILL BRING THE RIVERWALK TO LIFE. VISITORS WILL BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD THE TOUR ON THEIR MOBILE DEVICE AND EXPERIENCE A SELF-GUIDED TOUR WITH VIDEO AND NARRATED STORIES AT EACH STATION. THE RIVERWALK TOUR WILL BE LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2025 WITH A PROMOTIONAL EVENT TARGETING FAMILIES WITH SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN AND VISITORS ATTENDING RIVER ROOTS. THE PLATFORM IS DESIGNED TO BE A PERMANENT LEGACY AND WILL BE PROMOTED AS AN ONGOING CULTURAL TOURISM ATTRACTION.
  4. $50,000 spent. ROBERT O'NEAL MULTICULTURAL ARTS CENTER 501(C)3 WILL DEVELOP THE CONTENT AND PRODUCE 30 SECOND VIGNETTES ON THE OHIOANS THAT INFLUENCED THE ORIGINS OF AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC. LEVERAGING THE PAST WORK OF THE BLACK MUSIC WALK OF FAME AND ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME, THIS PROJECT WILL ELEVATE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS ABOUT OHIO'S RICH MUSICAL HERITAGE. THE VIGNETTES WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED ON INSTAGRAM ONE YEAR BEFORE AMERICA'S RIVER ROOTS EVENT FOLLOWED BY SIX MONTHS OF ANNOUNCING THE NATIONAL ROOTS ARTISTS PERFORMING AT THE FESTIVAL.SOUNDS FROM THE RIVER, AN INTERACTIVE, IMMERSIVE CONCERT THAT TRACES THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT AND MIGRATION OF MUSICAL GENRES OF DIVERSE POPULATIONS THAT TRAVELED ALONG THE OHIO RIVER.AMERICA'S RIVER ROOTS FESTIVAL WILL DEBUT SOUNDS FROM THE RIVER, A GROUNDBREAKING EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTION CREATED BY KATHY WADE AND LEARNING THROUGH ART, INC. AS PART OF LTA'S THREE-TIME EMMY WINNING PERFORMING ARTS LITERACY PROGRAM, BOOKS ALIVE! FOR KIDS. THE PROGRAM BRINGS TO LIFE THE MUSIC AND STORIES BORN ALONG AMERICA'S GREAT WATERWAYS AND WILL PREMIERE AS PART OF THE FIVE-DAY FESTIVAL, OCT. 8-12, 2025, BEFORE BECOMING PART OF A NATIONAL CURRICULUM THAT WILL SHARE THE RIVER'S STORIES WITH STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.THIS IMMERSIVE STAGE EXPERIENCE WILL BE FILMED AT THE PRESTIGIOUS ARONOFF'S P&G THEATER, WITH AN AUDIENCE OF CINCINNATI PUBLIC SCHOOL SIXTH GRADERS KICKING OFF ARTSWAVE' S MORE ART, MORE KIDS FIELD TRIP PROGRAM. THE OUTDOOR CONCERT VERSION AT YEATMAN'S COVE CONTINUES TO HONOR THE OHIO RIVER AS BOTH A CULTURAL THREAD AND LIVING ECOSYSTEM, BLENDING ARTISTRY WITH HISTORY TO SHOWCASE HOW RIVERS SHAPED THE NATION'S MUSIC AND MIGRATION.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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 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 June 2025.

    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 August 2023.

    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.