Automotive Hall of Fame Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
383320345
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Dearborn, MI, USA
Phone
3132404000
Rating
78
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Museum, Museum Activities

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$2,161,631
Expenses
$2,178,015
Assets
$3,400,142
Liabilities
$252,605

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

47 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • SARAH COOK (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ARTHUR HUDSON (VP OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT): $136,390 total reported compensation
  • MARY KATHLEEN DONALD (VP OF OPERATIONS): $134,238 total reported compensation
  • SARAH COOK (PRESIDENT): $133,341 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

The organization operates and maintains a hall of fame as a tribute to the men and women of the automotive industry. It provides scholarship funds, which are used to provide financial assistance to automotive students at the college or university level. Honors and celebrates teh accomplishments of individuals in the international motor vehicle industry through awards and educational programs that challenge young and old alike to higher levels of personal achievement.

What it reported doing in 2025

Facility rentals - in 2025, the automotive hall of fame made its facility available for meetings, receptions, educational activities, industry gatherings, and other special events. The organization hosted approximately 12 facility rentals serving an estimated 600 attendees. Users included automotive industry organizations, nonprofit and community groups, educational institutions, businesses, and private event hosts.the facility rental program expanded public and organizational access to the automotive hall of fame and introduced new audiences to its mission, exhibitions, and automotive heritage resources. Events held at the facility also provided opportunities for industry convening, community engagement, education, and relationship-building. Revenue generated through facility rentals helped support the operation and stewardship of the hall of fame's museum, programs, and collections.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 93% 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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 62
  • Transparency & Controls: 94
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 34
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 67.2%; rating input score 67
  • Program expense ratio: 64.7%; rating input score 65
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.91 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th 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: 100%; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -0.8%; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.56; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.07; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 18.5%; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 8.9% per year; rating input score 100; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -1.5% per year; rating input score 0; 7th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 67.2% of revenue deployed · 64.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 44 of 44 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.4M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $136K · 47 people listed
  • Highest-paid contractors: 3 contractors listed · $585K reported
  • Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and grants
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 3 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 24/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 49/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 17/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 53/100.