Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $2.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 29.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 43%
- Employees
- 27
- Volunteers
- 60
- Highest pay
- $149,350, 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 29.8 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 32 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
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 54% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2520 of 20 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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 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 (5)
- $210,820 spent. EL PRESIDIO DE SANTA BARBARA STATE HISTORIC PARK - LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES ARE PROVIDED ANNUALLY IN THE PARK, INCLUDING HOSTING MORE THAN 6,000 GUESTS FOR A LOW-COST SELF-GUIDED TOUR OF THE PARK; DEVELOPING EXHIBITIONS THAT ENHANCE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE; AND OPERATING A RESEARCH CENTER THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC BY APPOINTMENT. SBTHP HAS CONDUCTED EXTENSIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE SITE OF THE PRESIDIO, THE SPANISH FORT FOUNDED IN 1782, WHICH IS THE FOUNDING SITE OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA. THE RESULTING COLLECTIONS HAVE BEEN CATALOGED AND STORED ON SITE AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH. SEVERAL PORTIONS OF THE FORT HAVE BEEN RECONSTRUCTED AND PRESERVATION WORK HAS BEEN CONDUCTED ON KEY SURVIVING PORTIONS. MOST RECENTLY WE HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING REPAIR WORK AND RESTORATION PLANNING ON SEVERAL HISTORIC RESOURCES IN THE PARK FROM THE LATE 19TH TO THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY. ALL WORK IS CONDUCTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR STANDARDS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES. A DISPLAY WAS RECENTLY COMPLETED ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CHINESE AMERICAN FAMILY THAT OPERATED JIMMY'S ORIENTAL GARDENS (1947), A CITY STRUCTURE OF MERIT.
- $95,730 spent. SANTA INES MISSION MILLS - SBTHP OPERATES THIS THIRTY-EIGHT ACRE STATE PROPERTY THROUGH A LEASEBACK ARRANGEMENT WITH CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, ALONG WITH AN ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNED BY SBTHP AND ANOTHER LEASED FROM THE CITY OF SOLVANG. TOGETHER, THE THREE PROPERTIES MAKE UP A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC LANDMARK DISTRICT. THE SITE CONTAINS SENSITIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES RELATED TO MISSION SANTA INES ALONG WITH TWO EARLY 19TH CENTURY INTACT STONE MILL BUILDINGS AND TWO CONNECTED STONE RESERVOIRS. THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS ONGOING PRESERVATION AND REPAIR WORK ON THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES, ALONG WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON THE SURROUNDING AGRICULTURAL LAND. IN 2008 SBTHP PLANTED OLIVE TREES ON THE PROPERTY TO HELP INTERPRET THE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY OF THE SITE. THE ORGANIZATION HARVESTS THE OLIVES ANNUALLY WITH ASSISTANCE FROM COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, AND PRESSES THE OLIVES INTO OIL WHICH IT OFFERS FOR SALE TO SUPPORT AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE PROPERTY. THE ORGANIZATION IS NEARING THE END OF AN INTERIM USE GUIDELINES PLANNING PROCESS WITH CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, WHICH WILL ENABLE PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE SITE.
- $1.1 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES - THE TRUST OWNS AND MAINTAINS A PROPERTY ADJACENT TO THE PRESIDIO PARK AND ADMINISTERS A FACADE EASEMENT OVER THE HISTORIC SANTA BARBARA EL PASEO SHOPS AND OFFICES. PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY RELATING TO OUR MISSION, INCLUDING THE PRESIDIO NEIGHBORHOOD, LECTURES, EXHIBITS, AND OTHER PROJECTS.
- $144,096 spent. CASA DE LA GUERRA - SEE SCHEDULE O
- CASA DE LA GUERRA - THE BUILDING IS A MUSEUM DEVOTED TO THE HISTORY OF THE DE LA GUERRA FAMILY AND ITS OCCUPATION OF THE SITE FOR THREE GENERATIONS AND IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR FOUR DAYS A WEEK FOR SELF-GUIDED TOURS OF FURNISHED ROOMS AND ROTATING EXHIBITS. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED AT THE SITE TO INTERPRET THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND UNA NOCHE DE LAS POSADAS. THIS ADOBE HAS BEEN RESTORED TO THE APPEARANCE OF WHEN IT WAS OCCUPIED BY ITS ORIGINAL OWNER, JOSE DE LA GUERRA, BETWEEN 1828 AND 1848. TO COMPLETE THE RESTORATION WORK, SBTHP CONDUCTED ABOVE-GROUND ARCHAEOLOGY. THE COLLECTIONS RELATED TO THE BUILDING HAVE BEEN CATALOGED AND ARE STORED IN SBTHP'S FACILITIES AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH.
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
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 June 2025.
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 January 1965.
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.