GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Discover Your Heritage

aka GFO | Portland, OR | https://gfo.org/

GuideStar Charity Check

EIN: 93-6026015

Contributions tax deductible
as of August 2024

IRS BMF 509(a)(2)
as of August 12, 2024

View summary

Charity Check report

Mission

The Genealogical Forum of Oregon's mission is to inspire and empower every person to discover and engage with their family history. GFO promotes genealogy, educates those interested in family history, and provides abundant resources for researchers from around the world. The GFO operates the largest genealogy library in the Pacific Northwest and has expanded to online access which grows weekly. An all-volunteer organization, the GFO provides many educational opportunities throughout the year, maintains a 6,000 square foot research library with 60,000 holdings to preserve and share records of genealogical importance.

Ruling year info

1970

President

Geoff Smith

Vice President

Geri Auerbach

Main address

2505 SE 11th Ave Ste B18

Portland, OR 97202 USA

Show more contact info

Formerly known as

Genealogical Forum of Portland Oregon

EIN

93-6026015

Subject area info

Libraries

Historical activities

Education

Population served info

Adults

NTEE code info

Historical Societies & Historic Preservation (A82)

Libraries, Library Science (B70)

Historical Societies and Related Activities (A80)

IRS subsection

501(c)(3) Public Charity

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Tax forms

Show Forms 990

Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

We serve as both a repository of priceless history and as an educational center where people learn how to find and use the resources we collect. These resources serve to fulfill our users need to know and understand their ancestral past.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Genealogy Education

The GFO offers a dozen classes each month based on genealogical areas of interest including DNA, Irish ancestry, African American ancestry, British ancesty, French Canada ancestry, Italian ancestry, Virginia research, Great Lakes Area research, as well as classes in Family Tree Maker software. Each year, we hold an Open House that include a week or more of free genealogy classes (23 sessions in 2022). We also host eight GenTalks a year. All of these educational offerings are open to the public and are free for anyone to attend.

Population(s) Served

Adults

Research Library

Administration of a 5,000 square foot genealogical/historical research library with more than 55,000 holdings covering all of the United States, Canada, most European countries, and a few countries outside of Europe. In recent years, we have focused on adding material for underrepresented ethnicities as material becomes available, primarily those for African American and Mexican research.

Population(s) Served

Adults

Where we work

Awards

Genealogical Forum of Oregon Day, Jan. 22 2021

Oregon Governor Kate Brown

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

The GFO aims to help people discover their heritage by preserving historical documents and records and offering abundant educational opportunities for people to learn how to trace their roots. We strive to make everything in our collection available to a diverse public.

The GFO wishes to reach those who do not know we exist, particularly individuals of color, as non-European ethnic groups have traditionally been underserved by the genealogical community.

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

We have dedicated substantial portion of our acquisition budget to buying books directly relevant to underserved communities including African American, Mexican American, and Native American ancestral research.

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

We have a long track record of staging successful seminars with nationally-known speakers. Our board and our president are in the midst of direct outreach to communities of color.

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

Through careful, consistent acquisitions we have become the largest genealogy library in the Pacific Northwest. We will continue to increase our historic holdings as they fit our budget and the library’s core purpose.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

We shared information about our current feedback practices.

How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback

Financials

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Fiscal year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

NET GAIN/LOSS: in

Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Liquidity in 2022

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

0.00

Average of 0.00 over 6 years

Months of cash in 2022

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

31.9

Average of 9.4 over 6 years

Fringe rate in 2022

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

0%

Average of 0% over 6 years

Funding sources

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Revenue
Contributions	$46,260
Program Services	$25,073
Investments	$29,863
Special Events	$0
Sales	$8,530
Other	$28,792
Total Revenue	$138,498

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$1,101
Occupancy	$55,921
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$10,771
Other Expenses	$38,036
Total Expenses	$105,829
Net Gain/Loss	$32,669

Revenue
Contributions	$48,855
Program Services	$27,043
Investments	$25,627
Special Events	$0
Sales	$5,358
Other	$31,127
Total Revenue	$138,010

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$0
Occupancy	$49,449
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$8,187
Other Expenses	$38,936
Total Expenses	$96,599
Net Gain/Loss	$42,353

Revenue
Contributions	$89,838
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$27,533
Investments	$7,319
Special Events	$4
Sales	$6,683
Other	$0
Total Revenue	$131,377

Expenses
Program Services	$29,361
Administration	$72,187
Fundraising	$0
Total Expenses	$101,548
Net Gain/Loss	$29,829

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$0
Advertising & Promotion	$1,156
Information Technology Expenses	$4,020
Insurance Expenses	$461
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$0
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$59,799
Program Services	$19,112
Investments	$8,072
Special Events	$0
Sales	$205
Other	$35,970
Total Revenue	$123,158

Expenses
Grants	$0
Salaries & Employee Benefits	$0
Professional Fees	$0
Occupancy	$51,987
Printing, Publications, Postage, etc.	$2,673
Other Expenses	$32,774
Total Expenses	$87,434
Net Gain/Loss	$35,724

Revenue
Contributions	$162,566
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$15,829
Investments	$7,903
Special Events	$0
Sales	$177
Other	$2,827
Total Revenue	$189,302

Expenses
Program Services	$84,392
Administration	$8,370
Fundraising	$2,599
Total Expenses	$95,361
Net Gain/Loss	$93,941

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$0
Advertising & Promotion	$2,239
Information Technology Expenses	$3,782
Insurance Expenses	$3,747
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$0
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

Revenue
Contributions	$244,581
Government Grants	$0
Program Services	$5,034
Investments	($54,178)
Special Events	$0
Sales	$622
Other	$2,317
Total Revenue	$198,376

Expenses
Program Services	$81,894
Administration	$12,328
Fundraising	$2,992
Total Expenses	$97,214
Net Gain/Loss	$101,162

Functional expenses
Accounting Fees	$0
Advertising & Promotion	$2,389
Information Technology Expenses	$4,008
Insurance Expenses	$2,318
Interest Expenses	$0
Investment Management Fees	$0
Legal Fees	$0
Pension Plan Contributions	$0
Professional Fundraising Expenses	$0

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: Download Data

Assets	Jul 01, 2016	Jun 30, 2017	Change
Contributions	$46,260
Cash & Equivalents	$308,052	$337,979	$29,927
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$103,864	$87,853	($16,011)
Total Assets	$411,916	$425,832	$13,916

Liabilities	Jul 01, 2016	Jun 30, 2017	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jul 01, 2016	Jun 30, 2017	Change
Net Assets	$411,916	$425,832	$13,916

Assets	Jul 01, 2017	Jun 30, 2018	Change
Contributions	$48,855
Cash & Equivalents	$337,979	$380,070	$42,091
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$87,853	$87,171	($682)
Total Assets	$425,832	$467,241	$41,409

Liabilities	Jul 01, 2017	Jun 30, 2018	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jul 01, 2017	Jun 30, 2018	Change
Net Assets	$425,832	$467,241	$41,409

Assets	Jul 01, 2018	Jun 30, 2019	Change
Contributions	$89,838
Cash & Equivalents	$69,002	$104,232	$35,230
Accounts Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Securities	$308,648	$323,309	$14,661
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$204	$110	($94)
Other	$89,387	$85,287	($4,100)
Total Assets	$467,241	$512,938	$45,697

Liabilities	Jul 01, 2018	Jun 30, 2019	Change
Accounts Payable	$0	$0	$0
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$0	$0	$0
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jul 01, 2018	Jun 30, 2019	Change
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets	$0	$0	$0
Permanently Restricted Net Assets	$0	$0	$0
Total Restricted Net Assets	$0	$0	$0
Unrestricted Net Assets	$0	$0	$0
Net Assets	$467,241	$512,938	$45,697

Assets	Jul 01, 2019	Jun 30, 2020	Change
Contributions	$59,799
Cash & Equivalents	$427,541	$464,592	$37,051
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$85,397	$6,000	($79,397)
Total Assets	$512,938	$470,592	($42,346)

Liabilities	Jul 01, 2019	Jun 30, 2020	Change
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jul 01, 2019	Jun 30, 2020	Change
Net Assets	$512,938	$470,592	($42,346)

Assets	Jul 01, 2020	Jun 30, 2021	Change
Contributions	$162,566
Cash & Equivalents	$66,102	$94,844	$28,742
Accounts Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Securities	$398,332	$558,137	$159,805
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$6,135	$6,946	$811
Total Assets	$470,569	$659,927	$189,358

Liabilities	Jul 01, 2020	Jun 30, 2021	Change
Accounts Payable	$0	$0	$0
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$0	$0	$0
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jul 01, 2020	Jun 30, 2021	Change
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets	N/A	N/A	N/A
Permanently Restricted Net Assets	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total Restricted Net Assets	$0	$3,267	$3,267
Unrestricted Net Assets	$470,569	$656,660	$186,091
Net Assets	$470,569	$659,927	$189,358

Assets	Jul 01, 2021	Jun 30, 2022	Change
Contributions	$244,581
Cash & Equivalents	$94,844	$258,383	$163,539
Accounts Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Pledges & Grants Receivable	$0	$0	$0
Receivable, Other	$0	$0	$0
Inventories for Sale or Use	$0	$0	$0
Investment, Securities	$558,137	$492,758	($65,379)
Investment, Other	$0	$0	$0
Fixed Assets (LBE - Depreciation)	$0	$0	$0
Other	$6,946	$6,000	($946)
Total Assets	$659,927	$757,141	$97,214

Liabilities	Jul 01, 2021	Jun 30, 2022	Change
Accounts Payable	$0	$0	$0
Grants Payable	$0	$0	$0
Deferred Revenue	$0	$0	$0
Loans and Notes	$0	$0	$0
Tax-Exempt Bond Liabilities	$0	$0	$0
Other	$0	$0	$0
Total Liabilities	$0	$0	$0

Fund balance	Jul 01, 2021	Jun 30, 2022	Change
Temporarily Restricted Net Assets	N/A	N/A	N/A
Permanently Restricted Net Assets	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total Restricted Net Assets	$3,267	$452,381	$449,114
Unrestricted Net Assets	$656,660	$304,760	($351,900)
Net Assets	$659,927	$757,141	$97,214

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitions

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

This snapshot of GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.

Created in partnership with

Fiscal year: Jul 01 - Jun 30 View full report Download data

Business model indicators

Profitability	2019	2021	2022
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation	$45,697	$186,091	-$351,900
As % of expenses	45.0%	195.1%	-362.0%
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation	$45,697	$186,091	-$351,900
As % of expenses	45.0%	195.1%	-362.0%

Revenue composition
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted)	$131,377	$189,302	$198,376
Total revenue, % change over prior year	0.0%	0.0%	4.8%
Program services revenue	21.0%	8.4%	2.5%
Membership dues	32.4%	23.5%	22.9%
Investment income	5.6%	4.2%	-27.3%
Government grants	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
All other grants and contributions	35.9%	62.4%	100.4%
Other revenue	5.1%	1.6%	1.5%

Expense composition
Total expenses before depreciation	$101,548	$95,361	$97,214
Total expenses, % change over prior year	0.0%	0.0%	1.9%
Personnel	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Professional fees	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Occupancy	52.0%	55.5%	56.8%
Interest	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Pass-through	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
All other expenses	48.0%	44.5%	43.2%

Full cost components (estimated)	2019	2021	2022
Total expenses (after depreciation)	$101,548	$95,361	$97,214
One month of savings	$8,462	$7,947	$8,101
Debt principal payment	$0	$0	$0
Fixed asset additions	$0	$0	$0
Total full costs (estimated)	$110,010	$103,308	$105,315

Capital structure indicators

Liquidity	2019	2021	2022
Months of cash	12.3	11.9	31.9
Months of cash and investments	50.5	82.2	92.7
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets	60.6	82.6	37.6

Balance sheet composition	2019	2021	2022
Cash	$104,232	$94,844	$258,383
Investments	$323,309	$558,137	$492,758
Receivables	$0	$0	$0
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE)	$6,373	$0	$0
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE)	98.3%	0.0%	0.0%
Liabilities (as a % of assets)	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%
Unrestricted net assets	$0	$656,660	$304,760
Temporarily restricted net assets	$0	N/A	N/A
Permanently restricted net assets	$0	N/A	N/A
Total restricted net assets	$0	$3,267	$452,381
Total net assets	$512,938	$659,927	$757,141

Key data checks

Key data checks	2019	2021	2022
Material data errors	No	No	No

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

Documents

Letter of Determination

Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

President

Geoff Smith

Vice President

Geri Auerbach

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation

Other

Show data for fiscal year

Compensation data

Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Board of directors
as of 01/16/2024

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board of directors data

Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization

Board chair

Geoff Smith

Genealogical Forum of Oregon

Term: 2022 - 2024

Laurel Smith

Joyce Grant-Worley

Richard Crockett

Jane McGarvin

Ed Vandehey

Loretta Welsh

Alexa Waddle

Keri Logan

Geri Auerbach

Geoff Smith

Rebecca Tait

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 7/1/2023

Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity

White/Caucasian/European

Gender identity

Male

Disability status

Person without a disability

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Gender identity

Female

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

Transgender Identity

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 01/24/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data

We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.

Policies and processes

We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Discover Your Heritage

Mission

Is this your nonprofit?

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

Our programs

Genealogy Education

Research Library

Where we work

Awards

Our Sustainable Development Goals

Goals & Strategy

Charting impact

What is the organization aiming to accomplish?

What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?

What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?

What have they accomplished so far and what's next?

How we listen

Financials

Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown

Liquidity in 2022 info

0.00

Months of cash in 2022 info

31.9

Fringe rate in 2022 info

0%

Funding sources info

Assets & liabilities info

Financial data

Digitizing IRS form 990 data

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Business model indicators

Capital structure indicators

Key data checks

Operations

Documents

President

Geoff Smith

Vice President

Geri Auerbach

Number of employees

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Compensation data

GENEALOGICAL FORUM OF OREGON INC

Board of directors data

Geoff Smith

Board leadership practices

Board orientation and education

CEO oversight

Ethics and transparency

Board composition

Board performance

Organizational demographics

Leadership

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Equity strategies

Liquidity in 2022

Months of cash in 2022

Fringe rate in 2022

Funding sources

Assets & liabilities