How we are accountable.
Public trust is earned through structure, transparency, and discipline — not assumed because of mission. The pages that follow set out, for prospective donors, applicant institutions, auditors, and regulators, exactly how the Foundation is organized, what policies govern its conduct, and where the documents that prove it can be found.
A charity that cannot be examined in detail is a charity that has not yet earned the trust it asks for.
The basics, on the record.
501(c)(3) Public Charity
Recognized by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
EIN 88-0932884
Federal Employer Identification Number assigned by the IRS, used in all official filings and on every donor acknowledgment.
IRC § 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)
Classified as a public charity by reason of the public-support test, not a private foundation. Contributions are deductible up to the higher 60-percent-of-AGI limit available to public charities.
State of Utah
Domestic nonprofit corporation in good standing with the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code, registered with the Utah Division of Consumer Protection for charitable solicitation.
IRS Form 1023 & Determination Letter
The Foundation's application for tax-exempt status (Form 1023) and the IRS determination letter recognizing 501(c)(3) status are public documents and available on request.
Calendar Fiscal Year
The Foundation operates on a calendar fiscal year (January 1 through December 31). Annual filings reflect that period.
Why the Foundation exists.
The Collectible Home Foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, and cultural-preservation purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its mission is to receive, preserve, document, and ultimately place culturally significant works of art, books, manuscripts, documents, and artifacts with qualifying public institutions for the benefit of researchers, students, and the general public.
Every activity the Foundation undertakes is in furtherance of that purpose and that purpose alone.
No Private Inurement. No part of the Foundation's net earnings inures to the benefit of any officer, director, trustee, or private individual. All directors and officers serve without compensation.
No Political Activity. The Foundation does not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. Lobbying, if any, is held strictly within the limits permitted to public charities.
Charitable-Class Beneficiaries. The benefits of the Foundation's work flow to the public through accredited museums, libraries, universities, and historical societies — never to individuals.
Dissolution. Upon dissolution, all remaining assets are distributed to one or more 501(c)(3) organizations consistent with the Foundation's mission, as set out in its Articles of Incorporation.
Who runs the Foundation, and how.
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors that meets at minimum quarterly, and operates under written bylaws and Articles of Incorporation filed with the State of Utah.
Composition
The Board is composed of four Directors and one non-voting advisor. Directors serve staggered terms to ensure continuity. Names and biographies of all current directors are published on the Leadership page.
Independence
A majority of voting Directors are independent — meaning they receive no compensation from the Foundation, are not related to one another by family or business interest beyond what is fully disclosed, and have no material transaction with the Foundation outside their role.
Officers
The Board elects officers including, at minimum, a Director (Chair), Treasurer, and Secretary. Officer responsibilities are defined in the bylaws and reviewed annually.
Meetings & Minutes
The Board meets at minimum four times per calendar year, with additional special meetings called as required. Written minutes are kept of every meeting and retained as permanent records of the Foundation.
Quorum & Voting
A majority of voting Directors constitutes a quorum. Material decisions — acceptance of significant gifts, placement of pieces, amendment of policies — require an affirmative vote recorded in the minutes.
Recusal
Any Director with a real or apparent conflict of interest in a pending decision recuses from discussion and from the vote, and the recusal is recorded in the minutes.
The written rules of conduct.
The Foundation maintains, and reviews annually, the full slate of governance policies expected of a well-run public charity. Each policy is set out in writing, approved by the Board, and acknowledged in writing by every Director and officer on entry and annually thereafter.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Directors, officers, and key employees disclose, in writing and at least annually, any financial interest or relationship that could reasonably create a conflict between personal interest and the interests of the Foundation. Conflicts trigger recusal procedures and, where required, independent review of the underlying transaction.
Whistleblower Policy
Any Director, officer, employee, volunteer, donor, or partner institution may report, in confidence and without fear of retaliation, any suspected violation of law, policy, or ethical standard. Reports are received by the Board chair (or, if the report concerns the chair, the Treasurer) and investigated promptly.
Document Retention & Destruction Policy
The Foundation retains tax records, financial statements, board minutes, contracts, deeds of gift, appraisals, and significant correspondence in accordance with IRS and state-law minimums, with permanent retention of foundational corporate documents and provenance records.
Code of Ethics
Directors, officers, and key personnel commit in writing to act in good faith, with the care of an ordinarily prudent person, and in the best interests of the Foundation — placing the Foundation's mission ahead of personal advantage in every official act.
Gift Acceptance Policy
The Foundation reserves the right to accept or decline any proposed gift. Acceptance considerations include mission fit, condition, provenance, restrictions imposed by the donor, the cost of conservation and storage, and the likelihood of suitable institutional placement.
Investment Policy
Cash assets are held in conservative, low-risk instruments consistent with the Foundation's near-term operating needs and the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA). Speculative investment is prohibited.
Compensation Policy
The Foundation pays no compensation to its Directors. Any future compensation of officers or staff would be set by an independent committee and benchmarked against comparable charitable organizations, with the analysis documented in the minutes.
Records & Data Privacy Policy
Donor and applicant information is treated as confidential and used only for purposes of operating the Foundation. The Foundation does not sell, rent, or trade donor lists. Records are stored on secure cloud archive with redundant encrypted backups.
The books are open.
Annual IRS Form 990
The Foundation files an annual return with the IRS. The Foundation's 2024 fiscal-year Form 990-N (e-postcard) was filed in 2025 and is publicly accessible through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. As gross receipts grow, the return will graduate to Form 990-EZ and ultimately Form 990. Filed returns are always available on request.
Independent Financial Review
The Foundation's financial statements are subject to annual independent review by an outside CPA. As the Foundation grows toward audit thresholds — under federal Single Audit rules or Utah state thresholds — the review will be upgraded to a full independent audit.
Internal Controls
Bank accounts are reconciled monthly. Disbursements above an internally documented threshold require dual authorization. The Treasurer reports financial activity to the full Board at every regular meeting.
Donor Substantiation
Every donor receives a written acknowledgment for contributions of $250 or more, in the form required by IRS § 170(f)(8). Quid-pro-quo contributions exceeding $75 are accompanied by a good-faith estimate of the value of any goods or services received in exchange.
Restricted vs. Unrestricted Funds
Donor-restricted gifts are tracked separately from general operating funds and are spent only in furtherance of the donor's stated restriction.
Public Listing
The Foundation will, as filings become available, be listed on Candid (formerly GuideStar) and IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search, with full Form 990 history available to the public at no cost.
How in-kind gifts are documented.
Because the Foundation primarily receives gifts of art, books, and historical artifacts rather than cash, the documentation around in-kind gifts is treated with particular care. Every gift follows a formal acceptance and acknowledgment workflow designed to protect the donor's deduction, the Foundation's compliance posture, and the integrity of the public record.
Qualified Appraisal. For any in-kind gift with a claimed fair-market value greater than $5,000, the donor is required to obtain a qualified appraisal from a qualified appraiser, prepared in accordance with IRS Publication 561 and the rules of IRC § 170(f)(11). For a comprehensive guide to the qualified-appraiser standard, the recognized professional appraiser organizations, USPAP, and direct links to the IRS rules, see the Foundation's dedicated Qualified Appraisals & the IRS reference page. For the full menu of conditions a donor may attach to an in-kind gift and the IRS implications of each, see Donation Conditions.
IRS Form 8283. The Foundation signs Section B (donee acknowledgment) of IRS Form 8283 for every qualifying gift. Signature acknowledges receipt; it is not an endorsement of the donor's claimed valuation.
IRS Form 8282. Should the Foundation sell, exchange, or otherwise dispose of a gifted item within three years of receipt, IRS Form 8282 is filed within 125 days, with a copy provided to the donor.
Right to Decline. The Foundation reserves the right to decline any gift that does not align with mission, condition standards, provenance standards, or institutional-placement realities. No proposed gift is acknowledged as accepted until the Board has reviewed and approved it in writing.
Restricted Gifts. Donor-imposed restrictions are documented in a written deed of gift and honored permanently. Where a restriction has become impossible or impractical, the Foundation follows the cy-près doctrine and applicable Utah charitable-trust law before any modification.
How accepted pieces are cared for and placed.
A foundation that accepts cultural property assumes a duty of stewardship that is, in many ways, the central test of its integrity. Every piece in the Foundation's care is treated as a public asset held in trust for an institutional home that has not yet been chosen, but will be.
Provenance & Authenticity
Provenance is researched and documented for every piece prior to acceptance. Where authenticity is at issue, expert opinion or scientific analysis (X-ray imaging, ultraviolet inspection, materials testing) is sought from qualified independent specialists.
Conservation & Storage
Pieces are held in environmentally controlled conditions, handled in accordance with museum-grade practice, and conserved by qualified conservators when intervention is appropriate. The Foundation does not perform restoration in-house on works of significant value.
Documentation
Every piece is photographed, catalogued, and assigned a unique accession number. Records — provenance, condition reports, conservation history, photography, deeds of gift — are maintained indefinitely on a secure cloud archive with redundant backups.
Placement Agreements
Pieces are placed with qualifying institutions only by written deed of gift or long-term loan agreement, executed between the Foundation and the receiving 501(c)(3) institution. Placements are reviewed and approved by the Board.
Annual Stewardship Reports
Recipient institutions submit an annual report describing each placed piece's use, exhibition history, condition, and any conservation activity during the year. Failure to file the report is grounds for review of the placement.
Deaccessioning
If, in unusual circumstances, the Foundation deaccessions a piece, proceeds are reinvested exclusively in the Foundation's mission — never used to cover ordinary operating expenses — and the rationale is documented in the Board minutes.
Public Trust
The Foundation accepts that any failure of stewardship is a breach of trust with both the donor and the public. That obligation is treated, in every internal decision, as the highest standard the Foundation must meet.
What you can see, and how to ask.
Federal law requires every 501(c)(3) public charity to make certain governance and tax documents available to the public. The Foundation meets that requirement in full and goes beyond it. Anything legitimately useful to a prospective donor, applicant institution, or auditor evaluating the Foundation's standing is available on request — typically within five business days, often sooner.
Available Without Request Annual IRS Form 990 returns (last three years) and IRS Determination Letter — published on Candid (formerly GuideStar) and the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.
Available on Written Request IRS Form 1023 application; Articles of Incorporation; Bylaws; Conflict of Interest Policy; Whistleblower Policy; Document Retention Policy; Gift Acceptance Policy; Investment Policy; Code of Ethics; redacted Board meeting minutes; independently reviewed financial statements; and the deed of gift or placement agreement for any specific work in the Foundation's collection.
How to Request Email contact@collectiblehomefoundation.org with the document(s) requested and a brief identification of the requesting party. There is no charge for electronic delivery; reasonable copying and postage costs may apply for hard copies.
Who else is watching.
Beyond its own internal controls, the Foundation operates under the oversight of multiple independent regulators and reviewers. Each adds an additional check on the integrity of the work.
Internal Revenue Service
Annual filing of Form 990; ongoing eligibility review for 501(c)(3) status; possible field examination at the Service's discretion.
Utah Division of Consumer Protection
Charitable Solicitation Permit renewal; oversight of the Foundation's solicitation practices in the State of Utah.
Utah Attorney General
Statutory oversight of charitable assets and charitable trusts within the state; the Attorney General is empowered to investigate and act on alleged misuse of charitable property.
Independent CPA
Annual review (or audit, as appropriate to scale) by an independent Certified Public Accountant who is not affiliated with the Foundation, the Board, or the donor base.
Recipient Institutions
Each museum, library, university, or historical society receiving a placed piece is itself a 501(c)(3) public charity subject to its own governance, audit, and accreditation regime — adding a further layer of independent stewardship.
The Public
The most important reviewer. Every document on this page exists so that any thoughtful donor, scholar, journalist, or watchdog can examine the Foundation's work in detail.
Examine us in detail.
Auditors, regulators, donors, recipient institutions, and members of the press are invited to write directly with any question about the Foundation's governance, finances, or operations.
contact@collectiblehomefoundation.org
(847) 609-1566
The Collectible Home Foundation · 57 N 1380 W · Orem, Utah 84057
EIN 88-0932884 · IRC § 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) · 501(c)(3) Public Charity