CENTER FOR RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART INC Charity Report

Public IRS 990 nonprofit record

CENTER FOR RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART INC

EIN 39-1917972 · Museums (A50)

What they do

to INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY and ART THROUGH EDUCATION, RESEARCH, PUBLICATIONS, and EXHIBITIONS, and to SERVE AS A FORUM for THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY of RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHERS and ARTISTS.

Before you give

Should I give to this charity?

Easy charity check

Look at where the money went

Of every $100 spent, about $73.60 was reported for mission work. Use the spending picture below and ask what results that work produced.

Plain answer: A tax form cannot prove that a charity is doing good. It can show how the charity says it spent its money—and point out questions you should ask.

Basic facts we verified

IRS warning checkNo IRS revocation warning appears in this data.

Money report from 2024The charity has a recent tax report to read.

They explain their jobThe charity tells us what it is trying to do.

They name their leaders15 people are listed in the latest report.

You can reach themThey list contact information, so you can ask questions.

Money made simple

76.05%of revenue went to mission work73.6% of expenses · Program services

13.94%of revenue went to fundraising13.5% of expenses

$103.33spent for every $100 of revenueSpending was higher than revenue this year.

13.34%of revenue went to management and office costs12.9% of expenses

$0.51in assets for every $1 spent this yearSome assets cannot be spent right away.

92.6%of its money came from giftsOther money may come from services or investments.

Ask these three easy questions

Who did you help? Ask for a recent story or report that shows real results.
What will my money do? Ask exactly what your gift will pay for.
Is this really the charity? Give only through its official website or confirmed phone number.

Worth asking: Expenses exceeded revenue by $31,100 this year. Ask whether that was planned or caused by a one-time event.

Pay context: The highest compensation shown in this filing is $90,000 for SCOTT LOTHES (EXEC. DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT). Compare pay with organizations of similar size and complexity.

Bottom line: Do not decide from a name, mission statement, or tax status alone. Look at where the money went, then ask what changed, who was helped, and what your gift will do. YouCanGiveBack does not endorse or grade organizations.

Money

Financial picture

Tax year 2024

A plain-language look at the latest Form 990 figures available. These numbers help you ask better questions; they do not, by themselves, rate whether a charity is good or bad.

$100revenue

How each $100 of revenue was used

The large number compares each expense with revenue. The smaller number shows its share of total expenses.

Total reported revenue$933,249

Mission workProgram services$709,72776.05% of revenue73.6% of expenses

ManagementOffice and general costs$124,49913.34% of revenue12.9% of expenses

FundraisingAsking for donations$130,12313.94% of revenue13.5% of expenses

Total expenses$964,349103.33% of revenue

Expenses were greater than revenue, so the colored ring fills the available $100 and the total above 100% is shown below.

Has the pattern changed?

Colored bars = expense mix: how each year’s expenses were divided. Total expenses vs. revenue shows whether the charity spent less or more than it received. The current filing is first.

YearExpense mixDetails

2024CurrentExpense mix: 73.6% mission · 12.9% management · 13.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 103.33% of revenue

2023Expense mix: 74.0% mission · 14.5% management · 11.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 106.48% of revenue

2022Expense mix: 75.9% mission · 12.2% management · 11.9% fundraisingTotal expenses: 108.79% of revenue

2021Expense mix: 74.1% mission · 12.7% management · 13.2% fundraisingTotal expenses: 107.51% of revenue

2020Expense mix: 65.0% mission · 17.0% management · 18.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 93.55% of revenue

2019Expense mix: 71.1% mission · 15.4% management · 13.5% fundraisingTotal expenses: 68.21% of revenue

2018Expense mix: 65.4% mission · 16.6% management · 18.0% fundraisingTotal expenses: 89.07% of revenue

2017Expense mix: 57.6% mission · 22.7% management · 19.7% fundraisingTotal expenses: 93.59% of revenue

Money in and money out

Revenue$933,249

Expenses$964,349

Annual shortfall $31,100 Expenses were higher than revenue for this filing year.

Reported spending amounts

Mission work means the Form 990 category called program services. These are reported accounting categories—not an independent measurement of results.

Mission work (program services)$709,727 · 73.6% of expenses

Management and office costs$124,499 · 12.9% of expenses

Fundraising$130,123 · 13.5% of expenses

See all reported dollar amounts

Revenue$933,249

Expenses$964,349

Assets$491,539

Income$945,863

Contributions$864,548

Mission work (program services)$709,727

Fundraising$130,123

Management and general$124,499

Accounting fees$71,919

People

Leadership and board

Tax year 2024

Names, titles, time, and compensation below are reported by the organization on its Form 990.

People reported as paid

Person and titleCompensation

SCOTT LOTHESEXEC. DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT · 50 hrs/week $90,000

JUSTIN FRANZDIRECTOR · 5 hrs/week $3,883

Compensation alone does not tell whether pay is reasonable. Consider the charity’s size, work, location, and results.

See everyone listed on the board or leadership roster (15)

SCOTT LOTHESEXEC. DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT

JUSTIN FRANZDIRECTOR

ALBERT O LOUERDIRECTOR

BETSY FAHLMANDIRECTOR

DAVID KAHLERVICE-CHAIR

JEFF BROUWSDIRECTOR

KEVIN P KEEFEDIRECTOR

MICHAEL SCHMIDTSECRETARY

NONA HILLTREASURER

NORMAN CARLSONDIRECTOR

PETER JC MOSSEDIRECTOR

RICHARD TOWERDIRECTOR

RONALD BATORYDIRECTOR

T BONDURANT FRENCHCHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

TODD HAMALKADIRECTOR

About this charity

Recognized since: January 1998
Location: 1930 MONROE STREET, MADISON, WI 53711-2059
County: Dane
In care of: % SCOTT LOTHES
Primary officer: SCOTT LOTHES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & PRESIDENT

How to reach them

WebsiteVisit the charity’s website Emailinfo@railphoto-art.org Phone(608) 251-5785

Filing and classification

Latest tax year: 2024
Tax period began: January 1, 2024
Return type: 990
Tax preparer: SVA CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCTS SC
NTEE classification: Museums (A50)
IRS tax category: Museums