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Video Game History Foundation Inc

The organization is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games.

Arts & Culture Emeryville, CA EIN: 811737317 (IRS) Reg: 81-1737317 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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70
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
70/100 · methodology

About Video Game History Foundation Inc

Digital preservation of objects related to the history of video games. This includes travel and equipment for a major off-site project, as well as equipment. Labor was entirely volunteer. Object acquisition and expenses related to the operation of a publicly accessible historical archive. Miscellaneous expenses include off-site storage, facility rent, web hosting, and online vendors.

Founded
Headquarters
Emeryville, CA
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
A40
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
small

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 2016

Mission

The organization is dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and teaching the history of video games.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Cause tags

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar arts & culture in United States
Program spending This charity: 100%
Peer average: 76%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 19.61%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 70
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· 1 red flag
High Executive Pay
Top executive compensation is 20.4% of total expenses ($63,600 of $312,205).

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.99
Program$0.99
100% to programs beats the peer average (76%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Video Game History Foundation Inc has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.

  • It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
  • It has more complete governance disclosure than nearly all comparable organizations, because GiveRadar has verified leadership, executive compensation, a mission statement and a founding date. See national comparisons
  • GiveRadar holds a more complete profile for this organization than for 71% of the 133,127 arts & culture charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Video Game History Foundation Inc is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in Emeryville, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2016 and has been operating for 10 years. Its EIN is 811737317. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 70/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $324K in annual revenue. 27 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.

Video Game History Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 811737317. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Video Game History Foundation Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 70/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 70 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 100% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 90/100.

Video Game History Foundation Inc is located in Emeryville, CA, United States. The organization was established in 2016 and has been active for 10 years.

Based on official tax filings, Video Game History Foundation Inc has $324K in annual revenue. It allocates 100% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 76% for arts & culture charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Video Game History Foundation Inc is classified as an Arts & Culture organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a small organization. It has $324K in annual revenue. The organization has 27 disclosed officers and directors.

GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for Video Game History Foundation Inc. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.

According to GiveRadar's records, Video Game History Foundation Inc holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 100% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 76%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Digital preservation of objects related to the history of video games. This includes travel and equipment for a major off-site project, as well as equipment. Labor was entirely volunteer. Object acquisition and expenses related to the operation of a publicly accessible historical archive. Miscellaneous expenses include off-site storage, facility rent, web hosting, and online vendors. Video Game History Foundation Inc is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2016.

Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: It allocates 100% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 76%. Its annual revenue of $324K is below the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Video Game History Foundation Inc are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Video Game History Foundation Inc is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 811737317, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
100% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
2

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

FR
Frank C••••••
Executive Director

Officers & trustees (7)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

7 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Legendary video game composer Bobby Prince dies at 81 - Kursiv Media
Jun 2026
kz.kursiv.media
The two best years in video game history were both in the 2010s - Reader's Feature - Metro.co.uk
Jun 2026
metro.co.uk
The 20 Best Video Game Characters of All Time, Ranked - Collider
Jun 2026
collider.com
10 Greatest Video Game Franchises of All Time, Ranked - Collider
Jun 2026
collider.com
Zagreb’s Video Game History Museum turns 1 – free tours, gifts and Don Daglow visit - Croatia Week
May 2026
www.croatiaweek.com
GameStop CEO Appears To Be Auctioning Off Video Game History - Techdirt.
May 2026
www.techdirt.com
This 1995 Nintendo Character Was Ranked the Most Annoying in Video Game History, and It's Still Infuriating - Men's Jour
Apr 2026
www.mensjournal.com
The Top 25 Most Iconic Video Game Weapons of All-Time - Mobalytics
Apr 2026
mobalytics.gg
"They F**ked With Us": Video Game History Foundation Saves A Game From Copyright Trolls - GameSpot
Mar 2026
www.gamespot.com
Key Moments in the History of Videogames (and No, ‘Pong’ Wasn’t First) - WSJ
Feb 2026
www.wsj.com
Form filed
$0.3M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.4M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.4M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.3M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.1M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture this charity 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 27 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 6, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 27 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 2016
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Video Game History Foundation Inc

What is Video Game History Foundation Inc?
Video Game History Foundation Inc is a arts & culture publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Emeryville, United States. Digital preservation of objects related to the history of video games. This includes travel and equipment for a major off-site project, as well as equipment. Labor was entirely volunteer. Object acquisition and expenses related to the operation of a publicly accessible historical archive. Miscellaneous expenses include off-site storage, facility rent, web hosting, and online vendors.
When was Video Game History Foundation Inc founded?
Video Game History Foundation Inc was founded in 2016.
Who leads Video Game History Foundation Inc?
Frank Cifaldi serves as Executive Director.
Where is Video Game History Foundation Inc located?
Headquartered in Emeryville, CA, United States.
What is Video Game History Foundation Inc's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $100K-$1M. 100% of expenses go to program services.
Is Video Game History Foundation Inc trustworthy?
Video Game History Foundation Inc has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 70 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Video Game History Foundation Inc's registration number?
IRS EIN: 811737317. Registration: 81-1737317 (United States).
What is Video Game History Foundation Inc's website?
http://www.gamehistory.org