Henry L Ferguson Museum

Overview

Mission

Maintain and operate a museum and nature trails and sanctuary properties on Fishers Island, New York.

What it reported doing in 2024

Maintain and operate a museum on Fishers Island displaying collections pertaining to local flora and fauna, history and archaeology for the education and benefit of the general public without charge.Maintain nature trails in the museum's several sanctuary properties for the protection and conservation of nature and wildlife.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 89% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
116015380
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Headquarters
Fishers Island, NY, USA
Phone
6317887239
Rating
73
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural History, Natural Science Museums

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 64
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 52
  • Sustainability: 87
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 63.6%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 70.7%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 71.4%; rating input score 71; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Fail
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 68.2%; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 24.96; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 16.5%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 27.1% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.9% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 29th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 63.6% of revenue deployed · 70.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 15 of 21 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $531K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $124K · 22 people listed
  • Consistency: 23 of 23 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 annual filings from 2014 to 2024
  • 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.

Leadership & pay

22 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • Pierce Rafferty (Executive Dir.): $123,936 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2024.