Paradise Gardens Development - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica (2025)

FAQs

Who built Paradise Gardens? ›

The earliest Paradise Garden dates from 540 BC, built by Cyrus the Great, founder of the first Persian Empire. Cyrus' vision was of humans co-existing harmoniously in nature alongside peacocks and animals such as gazelles.

The 990 is a public document that you can search for on the websites for the Secretary of State or the Attorney General where the organization is incorporated. In addition, 990s are available from a variety of open source and subscription sources.

Howard Finster (1916 – 2001) was a Baptist minister from Georgia who claimed he had a message from God to spread the gospel through his art. In 1961, he purchased four acres of land and created Paradise Gardens.

The four gardens of paradise – garden of the soul, garden of the heart, garden of the spirit and garden of the essence – represent the journey of the soul in Islamic mysticism.

A 501(c) organization and a 501(c)3 organization are similar in designation, however they differ slightly in their tax benefits. Both types of organization are exempt from federal income tax, however a 501(c)3 may allow its donors to write off donations whereas a 501(c) does not.

Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax An organization must file Form 990, if it is: An organization with either: ► gross receipts of $200,000 or more, or ► total assets of $500,000 or more. A sponsoring organization of one or more donor-advised funds.

The IRS maintains an “Exempt Organizations Select Check Tool” (available at https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/exempt-organizations-select-check ), which enables a user to search for organizations to determine their eligibility to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions.

An exempt organization must make available for public inspection its annual information return (e.g., Form 990, Form 990-EZ). Returns must be available for a three-year period beginning with the due date of the return (including any extension of time for filing) or, if later, the date it is actually filed.

Do Churches File a 990 Form? All the organizations that obtained tax-exempt status from the IRS are required to file Form 990 every year to report their financial information, activities, and other details. However, Churches are exempt from this requirement and are not required to file Form 990 annually.

The Attorney General's office can tell you if a charity is registered and current in its reporting requirements.

Who built the Bahai gardens? ›

The architect was Fariborz Sahba from Iran, and the structural engineers were Karban and Co. from Haifa. The terraces are part of a complex of Baháʼí holy places in Haifa, Acre, and western Galilee that were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2008.

The origin story of the Paradise Garden has its roots in Persia (roughly modern-day Iran and surrounding territories). The phrase “paradise” stems down from the Persian word meaning “walled garden”.

The Miracle Garden was built by Akar Landscaping and Agriculture Company under the leadership of Abdel Naser Rahhal.

John Ormsbee Simonds and Geoffrey Rausch created the garden's master plan, which comprises nine islands with 24 display gardens and four natural habitats. Construction began in 1965 and the garden was opened to the public in 1972.