National Trust for Historic Preservation
“To save the places that matter in America.”
The origin
How they started
The National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America’s historic buildings, neighborhoods, and cultural sites, some of which sit on or border public land. Congress chartered it in 1949, and President Truman signed it into existence that October. Since 1988 it has published an annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, and it owns and operates a portfolio of historic sites that began with Woodlawn Plantation in Virginia. It’s headquartered in Washington, DC.
Every year they sign one sentence and file it with the federal government: “THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THE UNITED STATES PROTECTS SIGNIFICANT PLACES REPRESENTING OUR DIVERSE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES BY TAKING DIRECT ACTION AND INSPIRING BROAD PUBLIC SUPPORT.”
Where the money went, FY2025
The work, and what it cost
Bringing people into the fight
$34.9MHISTORIC PRESERVATION & CONSERVATION: PRESERVATION SERVICES INCLUDES: 1) WORK TO SAVE THREATENED HISTORIC PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY; 2) RESEARCH, INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ORGANI...
Including $21,412,607 granted onward, most of it $1,700,000 to Nt Green Fund Inc.
Read it as they filed it
HISTORIC PRESERVATION & CONSERVATION: PRESERVATION SERVICES INCLUDES: 1) WORK TO SAVE THREATENED HISTORIC PLACES ACROSS THE COUNTRY; 2) RESEARCH, INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO MEMBERS, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS, AND GOVERNMENT BODIES WITH RESPECT TO CONTEMPORARY PRESERVATION ISSUES AND REHABILITATION PROJECTS RELATED TO IMPORTANT HISTORIC BUILDINGS, LANDSCAPES, AND LANDMARKS; 3) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE/GRANTS AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT THROUGH PROGRAMS INCLUDING THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE ACTION FUND, THE BACKING HISTORIC SMALL RESTAURANTS, AND THE NATIONAL FUND FOR SACRED PLACES GRANT PROGRAMS; THESE PROGRAMS SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS, LANDSCAPES, AND COLLECTIONS; PUBLIC INTERPRETATION OF HISTORIC PLACES; CAPACITY-BUILDING; PRESERVATION EDUCATION PROGRAMS, CONFERENCES, AND RETENTION OF PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS; 4) PARTNERSHIPS WITH STATE AND LOCAL PRIVATE NONPROFIT PRESERVATION GROUPS TO DEVELOP RESOURCES TO PROMOTE PRESERVATION AS A SOLUTION TO IMPORTANT NATIONAL ISSUES, SUPPORT THE FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY OF SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC SITES, AND ADVANCE BEST PRACTICES IN PRESERVATION.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Boots on the ground
$34.0MTHE NATIONAL TRUST AND ITS PARTNERS ARE THE STEWARDS OF 27 NATIONAL TRUST HISTORIC SITES WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
Including $462,561 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
HISTORIC SITES - THE NATIONAL TRUST AND ITS PARTNERS ARE THE STEWARDS OF 27 NATIONAL TRUST HISTORIC SITES WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THEY ARE A NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF HISTORIC PLACES THAT INCLUDE A WIDE VARIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES, STRUCTURES, LANDSCAPES, AND OBJECT COLLECTIONS THAT BRING DIVERSE STORIES OF AMERICAN HISTORY TO LIFE. IN 2024/2025, THE NATIONAL TRUST OWNED AND MANAGED 10 OF THESE SITES; OWNED 11 SITES (ONE THROUGH A LONG-TERM LEASE) THAT ARE MANAGED BY INDEPENDENT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS; AND PROVIDED LIMITED SUPPORT TO SIX OTHER SITES THAT ARE OWNED AND MANAGED BY OTHER ENTITIES. THESE HISTORIC SITES WELCOMED OVER 1,282,000 VISITORS IN 2024/2025. THE HISTORY, STORIES, PEOPLE, COLLECTIONS, ARCHITECTURE, AND LANDSCAPES OF THESE SITES ARE INTERPRETED TO ON-SITE VISITORS, AND THROUGH DIGITAL PROGRAMS, SOCIAL MEDIA, WEBSITES, AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION TO MILLIONS MORE. THE SITES SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES BY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, EVENTS, AND UNIQUE GATHERING PLACES FOR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS. THE NATIONAL TRUST AND ITS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS MAINTAIN THE SITES AS GOOD MODELS FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT, INTERPRETATION, AND COMPREHENSIVE STEWARDSHIP.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Bringing people into the fight
$8.4MHISTORIC PRESERVATION & CONSERVATION: EDUCATION - COMMUNICATES THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THREATS TO HISTORIC PLACES, AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN SAVING HISTORIC PLACES TO MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC.
Including $35,600 granted onward.
Read it as they filed it
HISTORIC PRESERVATION & CONSERVATION: EDUCATION - COMMUNICATES THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THREATS TO HISTORIC PLACES, AND ACHIEVEMENTS IN SAVING HISTORIC PLACES TO MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC. PRODUCES AN ANNUAL CONFERENCE, WEBINARS, AND IN-PERSON TRAININGS, QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL, AUDIENCE NEWSLETTERS, AND WEBSITES TO HIGHLIGHT IMPORTANT PRESERVATION ISSUES, COMMUNICATE PRESERVATION SUCCESSES, AND STIMULATE NEW INTEREST IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION. TO INSPIRE ACTION BY THE PUBLIC, STAGES MEDIA CAMPAIGNS SUCH AS THE 11 MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES LIST. PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE LEGAL AND POLICY ASPECTS OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION. HISTORIC PRESERVATION & CONSERVATION: MEMBERSHIP OUTREACH - EDUCATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THE IMPORTANCE OF AND TECHNIQUES FOR PRESERVING THE NATION'S ARCHITECTURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE. HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION: PUBLICATIONS INCLUDE: 1) "PRESERVATION," THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE CHRONICLING INDIVIDUALS AND PROGRAMS WORKING TO SAVE HISTORIC PLACES; 2) "FORUM JOURNAL," A SCHOLARLY JOURNAL SERVING A NETWORK OF PRESERVATION PROFESSIONALS, STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS; 3) WWW.SAVINGPLACES.ORG AND WWW.SAVINGPLACES.ORG/PRESERVATION-LEADERSHIP-FORUM (PRESERVATION LEADERSHIP FORUM) OFFER ONLINE CONTENT AND EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS THAT INSPIRE AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND PRESERVATIONISTS AT ALL LEVELS.
IRS Form 990 Part III, fiscal year 2025, signed under penalty of perjury.
Follow the dollar
85 cents of every dollar goes to the work
That ratio is a good sign, not a scorecard. Plenty of great groups run leaner and lumpier. What matters is the extremes, and NTHP is nowhere near one.
$77,290,024 programs, $6,343,152 management, $7,631,106 fundraising. Form 990, FY2025.
The people
Who does the work
Honesty note: leadership comes from each year’s federal filing, so it can run a year behind. Orgs that claim their page can update it same-day. Work at NTHP? Claim this page.
Those 704 volunteers are people who decided this ground was theirs to defend. If NTHP is fighting for your place too, the matchmaker will find your way in.
Make it 705The record
The court record
14 years of filings
Total revenue by fiscal year, as filed. Point at the line for any year.
| Year | Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $58,821,158 |
| 2012 | $17,132,030 |
| 2013 | $81,173,575 |
| 2014 | $50,315,872 |
| 2015 | $47,802,657 |
| 2016 | $51,831,170 |
| 2017 | $44,959,214 |
| 2018 | $80,513,654 |
| 2019 | $63,957,784 |
| 2020 | $67,909,234 |
| 2021 | $75,204,166 |
| 2022 | $94,041,688 |
| 2023 | $83,640,008 |
| 2025 | $104,875,831 |
From $58.8M in 2011 to $104.9M in FY25, across 14 public filings.
Fights alongside The Wilderness Society (2 shared cases), Defenders of Wildlife (1 shared case), Earthjustice (1 shared case), Grand Canyon Trust (1 shared case) and Great Old Broads for Wilderness (1 shared case) and 9 more. Same case, same side, on the federal docket.
The record
On the Hill
NTHP files its own federal lobbying reports: 31 filings from 2019 to 2026, naming 57 bills. The filings, at the Senate.
Most filed on budget/appropriations, government issues and civil rights/civil liberties.
National Trust for Historic Preservation files 2 related organizations on its return: National Main Street Center INC (501(c)(3)) and Nt Green Fund INC (501(c)(3)). A related organization shares people or purpose; it does not share the books.
Ways in
How to help
85 cents of your dollar goes straight to the work above.
Give on their site ↗Show upVolunteer with themFind their volunteer door on their own site.
Find it on their site ↗SpeakComment and callOpen comment windows and call scripts for fights like these, ready to send.
Public Lands Action NetworkFollowWatch the mapEvery threatened place in the country, tracked, with who stands for each.
Threatened Lands MapStand with NTHP
77 years on the ground, 704 volunteers, 1 live lawsuit, 85 cents of every dollar on the line. That is who is holding it. There is room for one more.