Upstate Preservation Trust

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
852706026
IRS 990-EZ coverage
2023–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2025, Form 990-N 2022
Location
Greenville, SC, USA
Rating
93
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies & Historic Preservation

Reported finances

Revenue
$10,534
Expenses
$23,995
Assets
$436,471
Liabilities
$200,000

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

5 people listed

People named in this filing

  • Samuel Hayes (Chair)
  • Lilah Westmoreland (Vice Chair)
  • Maria Halatcheva (Treasurer)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990-EZ. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The mission of the Upstate Preservation Trust is to preserve and protect the historic fabric of the Upstate of South Carolina. The organization was developed out of an urgent need to help protect the large quantity of buildings that are being demolished due to intense development pressure in our region of South Carolina. As an organization we have identified education community engagement and stewardship as three key areas that we believe are important to accomplishing our mission of preserving the historic spaces of the Upstate.

What it reported doing in 2025

In 2025 UPT acquired grant funding from the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust and the South Carolina Conservation Bank n the amount of 1,205,000 for the purchase of Oakland Plantation in Simpsonville SC. Ownership of the land and buildings was then immediately same day transferred to the County of Greenville. UPT is engaged with renovating the buildings on the property especially the main house back to its original sate from the 19th century. A conditions report was prformed and a management fee was paid.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 100% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Expenses are high relative to revenue and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 97
  • Transparency & Controls: 100
  • Sustainability: 38
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 91.1%; rating input score 91

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -127.8%; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 18.19; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.46; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 56; 56th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 74.5% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -8.6% per year; rating input score 0; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 66.2% per year; rating input score 100; 96th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 91.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: Filed governance answers
  • Accomplishments: 1 filed program accomplishment · $22K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 5 people listed
  • Consistency: 7 of 7 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 2 filing years from 2023 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 6/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 8/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 56/100.