Filoli Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
FILOLI IS DEDICATED TO CONNECT OUR RICH HISTORY WITH A VIBRANT FUTURE THROUGH BEAUTY, NATURE AND SHARED STORIES. WE ENVISION A TIME WHEN ALL PEOPLE HONOR NATURE, VALUE UNIQUE EXPERIENCES, AND APPRECIATE BEAUTY IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
- Income
- $22.9 million
- Spending
- $21.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 73%
- Reserves
- 8.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 67%
- Employees
- 177
- Volunteers
- 714
- Highest pay
- $590,083, president & ceo
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 8.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 34% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 29 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
0 of 10Did not give 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, 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 (5)
- $3.0 million spent. PRESERVATION/GARDENS: PRESERVATION WORK ENCOMPASSES THE 54,000 SQ. FT. MODIFIED GEORGIAN ESTATE HOUSE, 16 ACRES OF FORMAL GARDENS, HISTORIC FULLY FUNCTIONAL GREENHOUSES, AND A NUMBER OF OUTBUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES.FILOLI IS OPERATED TODAY AS A PUBLIC GARDEN, CULTURAL CENTER, AND MUSEUM. SIXTEEN ACRES OF FORMAL GARDENS ARE DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF SEPARATE GARDEN ROOMS CONTAINING ANNUAL BEDS, LAWNS, HEDGES, AND SPECIMEN TREES AND SHRUBS. ANNUALS ARE GROWN IN FILOLI'S HISTORIC GREENHOUSES AND PLANTED IN THE GARDENS EACH YEAR. IRISH YEW, OLIVES AND OLD COAST LIVE OAKS ARE THE DOMINANT TREES. 22 HORTICULTURISTS MAINTAIN THE GARDENS.
- $3.4 million spent. VISITOR SERVICES/PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: FILOLI WELCOMES OVER 500,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY AND HAS 25,000 MEMBERS AS OF END OF 2024. VISITORS CAN EXPLORE ON A SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF THE ESTATE NATURAL AREAS, AND GARDENS AND LEARN THROUGH INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW FILOLI REPRESENTS MANY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CALIFORNIA HISTORY. FILOLI STRIVES TO BE INCLUSIVE AND WELCOMING TO A DIVERSE AUDIENCE FROM THE BAY AREA AND INTERNATIONALLY. IN 2024 FILOLI ADDED MULTIPLE TICKETED EVENTS, RESULTING IN FILOLI WELCOMING NEARLY 500,000 VISITORS, A NUMBER THAT HAS DOUBLED IN RECENT YEARS AND CONTINUES TO GROW.
- $1.5 million spent. CLOCK TOWER SHOP: FILOLI'S CLOCK TOWER SHOP OFFERS VISITORS ACCESS TO THE HISTORICAL CLOCK TOWER BUILDING, WHICH SERVED AS THE GARAGE AND SERVICE COURTYARD WHEN FILOLI WAS A PERSONAL RESIDENCE. THE CLOCK TOWER SHOP SELLS PRODUCTS THAT ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, MADE FROM FILOLI'S GARDEN AND ORCHARDS. THE SHOP ALSO SELLS MERCHANDISE FROM MUCKROSS IN IRELAND, WHICH HAS A HISTORIC TIE TO FILOLI'S FIRST FAMILY, THE BOURNS. VISITORS CAN ALSO PURCHASE PLANTS AND FLOWER BULBS THAT ARE GROWN IN FILOLI'S FORMAL GARDENS, WITH INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION ON HOW FILOLI CARES FOR THEM AVAILABLE FROM STAFF.
- $7.5 million spent. PUBLIC PROGRAMS: FILOLI PRESENTS A VARIETY OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS TO ENGAGE DIVERSE AUDIENCES AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT. IN 2024 FILOLI OFFERED PUBLIC PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING, NIGHTFALL, HOLIDAYS AT FILOLI, SUMMER NIGHTS, PRIDE, TEAS, ART WALKS, BALLROOM PERFORMANCES AND STORIES IN BLOOM.MEMBERSHIP: IN 2024 FILOLI WELCOMED A RECORD NUMBER OF MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS, WITH ALMOST 25,000 AT YEAR-END. FILOLI OFFERS MEMBERSHIPS FOR SENIORS OVER 65 YEARS AT A DISCOUNTED ANNUAL FEE, AND ALSO PROVIDES FREE HOUSEHOLD MEMBERSHIPS TO ALL FAMILIES WHO PARTICIPATE IN FILOLI'S YOUTH PROGRAMS. FILOLI MEMBERS ENJOY FREE GENERAL ADMISSION AND DISCOUNTS ON TICKETS TO EVENTS LIKE HOLIDAYS AT FILOLI.LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT: FILOLI OFFERS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A PRESCHOOL PROGRAM AND COLLEGE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. FILOLI OFFERS DAILY TALKS TO VISITORS ON A VARIETY OF TOPICS THAT CHANGE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING HORTICULTURE, COLLECTIONS, ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE. FILOLI ALSO SHARES LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH BLOGS AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
- PRESERVATION/HOUSE AND COLLECTION: THIS HISTORIC ESTATE WAS BUILT IN 1915-1917 AND REMAINS ONE OF THE ONLY CONTINUOUSLY OPERATING COUNTRY ESTATES IN CALIFORNIA.FILOLI MAINTAINS A FULL EXHIBIT OF PERIOD PIECES WHICH ARE DISPLAYED THROUGHOUT THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE 54,000 SQUARE FOOT MANSION, DEPICTING LIFE WITHIN A CALIFORNIA ESTATE AT THE TURN OF THE 20TH CENTURY. THE COLLECTION INCLUDES UPWARDS OF ABOUT 5,000 ARTIFACTS SOME OF WHICH ARE ON LOAN FROM THE NATIONAL TRUST OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION. TWO CURATORS MAINTAIN THE COLLECTION, BOTH IN TERMS OF PRESERVATION AND DISPLAY. FILOLI BECAME AN ACCREDITED MUSEUM BY THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS IN 2021 AND ADHERES TO THE COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT AND OTHER STANDARDS AS REQUIRED.
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 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 2024.
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 September 1976.
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.
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.