Ohio · Nonprofit
OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM
OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM (Ohio) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $1,142 to it, the largest being BRASHARES FAMILY FOUNDATION ($1,000). 2 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $74k
- Funders on record
- 2
- Grants received
- $1k
- Net assets
- $428k
What Ohio Railway Museum does
Mission
Education is at the heart of everything we do. As custodians of a unique and historic rail collection, we hold a deep responsibility to both the past and the future to preserve the knowledge of this industry. Fueled by a passion for trains and their cultural significance, we diligently research, organize, display, and share the stories that convey the rich history of railroads and their impact on society. Preservation, our most resource-intensive objective, ensures that this history remains accessible and intact for generations to come. Countless hours are devoted to maintaining and expanding our collection, as well as the infrastructure that supports it. Our dedicated staff works tirelessly to keep the exhibits safe, operational, and enduring. None of this would be possible without the vital support of our visitors. Every ticket sold, piece of merchandise purchased, and donation given directly sustains our efforts to keep rail history alive and thriving.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990-EZ.
Programs
Beautification of the grounds to include a deck and stairs to the historic Cleveland RTA which will be used as a meeting room and area that can be rented for parties. Extended brick walkway and added flower boxes. Built a pollinator garden and added butterfly houses down the railroad mainline.
$3,050 spentof which $1,000 as grants20% of program spendingHeld several Cub Scout and Boy Scout events to include Railroad Merit Badge classes and Eagle Scout projects. Eagle Scout completed restoration on a historic baggage cart which is on display at the museum. 20 Cub Scouts obtained their merit badges
$200 spent1% of program spendingContinued restoration on Columbus Streetcar 703 which is the last existing Columbus streetcar of its series. Once completed guests will be able to enjoy rides on this piece of history.
$500 spent3% of program spendingBuilt a passenger loading/unloading platform/deck in the Silcott Yard section of the museum facility to allow for special events to be held in that area.
$500 spent3% of program spendingContinued maintenance, repair, and upgrade to the museum railroad mainline which is the former right-of-way of the Columbus, Delaware, and Marion Electric Railroad which went bankrupt in 1933
$750 spent5% of program spendingHeld multiple special events such as 2 Halloween events and a Christmas event which were well attended
$8,981 spent58% of program spendingContinued seat replacement in the Erie Doodlebug
$1,400 spent9% of program spending
The 7 programs described on its FY2025 Form 990-EZ. Program spending in total: $15,381.
Who funds it, year by year
2020 → 2023: the base held at 1 funder, grant income rose $18 → $37.
1 of 2 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 12% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM’s funders (the co-funder graph). Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM leans on a few funders — its largest provides 88% of grant income and the top three 100%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
Largest funder’s share by year: 2020 100% · 2021 92% · 2022 92% · 2023 100% — broadly stable.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Where its funders are
100% of OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM's grant income comes from Ohio funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $142 arriving through sponsors registered in 1 state is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM runs a healthier operating margin than half of the 10,242 arts & culture nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 10,242 arts & culture nonprofits under $100k, FY2025
Organizations like OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Ohio
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Public support
95%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM?
- OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM (Ohio) receives grants from 2 organizations whose IRS filings report $1,142 to it, the largest being BRASHARES FAMILY FOUNDATION ($1,000). 2 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM have?
- IRS filings report 2 organizations giving $1,142 in grants to OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM, 2 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM?
- BRASHARES FAMILY FOUNDATION is the largest funder on record, with $1,000 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like OHIO RAILWAY MUSEUM find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Ohio. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Ohio Railway Museum →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2025–2025), and the filings of 2 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 14, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing