Trigg - C M Russell Foundation Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
816003526
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Great Falls, MT, USA
Phone
4067278787
Rating
61
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Art Museums

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,939,994
Expenses
$3,760,391
Assets
$31,233,195
Liabilities
$683,397

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

30 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • DUANE BRAATEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • CHRIS WARDEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JESSICA NEBEL (SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND HR): $111,728 total reported compensation
  • DUANE BRAATEN (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $105,217 total reported compensation
  • KARI NICHOLS (SENIOR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE): $91,431 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the trigg-c.m. Russell foundation, inc. (d.b.a. The c.m. Russell museum) is to collect, preserve, research, interpret and educate on the art and life of charles m. Russell; the art and life of his contemporaries; and the art of preceding and ensuing generations that depicts and focuses on the culture, life and country of russell's west.

What it reported doing in 2024

Collections and exhibitions: in 2025, the c.m. Russell museum welcomed 30,584 visitors in person and virtually. The museum continued to display the works of charles m. Russell thematically, supported by permanent galleries such as a collector's vision: c.m. Russell work from collector tom petrie, tales from the saddle: come ride along, selections from the collection, and inventing the west & manufacturing the world.the museum presented twelve major rotating exhibitions, including discovering russell: the mckay collection; modest yet masterful: small scale masterworks by charles m. Russell; capturing the west: joseph henry sharp & edward s. Curtis; expedition west: a journey on the upper Missouri, 18321834; is it a real russell?; before the cowboy artist: the early works of charles m. Russell; inner light: the art of tom gilleon; corwin "corky" clairmont: a retrospective of activism and art; the photographs of robert osborn; greetings from charlie; speechless: the art of blackfeet artist john louis clarke; and the russell exhibition and sale.the museum hosted free evening exhibit openings for members and, to ensure affordable access for the community, offered one free saturday admission per month from october through april, which served 671 attendees during the winter season. In addition, 1,613 people participated in virtual tours, and 855 members visited through free admission benefits, expanding both digital and member engagement. Outreach grew through digital and print advertising as well as social media, increasing awareness and participation. Staff safeguarded both permanent and loaned works by improving collection care and environmental standards. In 2025, the museum also received donated art and artifacts valued at $23,600, further strengthening the collection and advancing the museum's mission.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 16
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 13.8%; rating input score 14
  • Program expense ratio: 23%; rating input score 23
  • Fundraising efficiency: $1.67 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 45.8%; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.31; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.1%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -8.6% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.4% per year; rating input score 100; 44th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 9.6% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 13.8% of revenue deployed · 23% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 26 of 26 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $864K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $112K · 30 people listed
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2011 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 14/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 23/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 4/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 30/100.