Barre Historical Society Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
046068928
IRS 990 coverage
2017–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2020, Form 990-N 2012
Location
Barre, MA, USA
Phone
9783554040
Rating
49
Verdict
MIXED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Reported finances

Revenue
$77,472
Expenses
$52,734
Assets
$652,337
Liabilities
$168

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

Leadership & pay

10 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • W ROBERT BENTLEY (PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • LUCY ALLEN (HISTORIAN)
  • EILEEN BOHIGIAN (CURATOR)
  • DAVID FLICK (ASSISTANT TR)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

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

Overview

Mission

The barre historical society was started in 1909 and has been a public charity since 1964. The board of directors is made up of diverse individuals such as teachers, farmers and business people. There are no disqualified individuals. The organization preserves, protects, interprets, displays and restores rare historical artifacts and documents for the education of the general public. It's public programs provide education about the history of barre, ma and surrounding towns in the state of Massachusetts. The organization provides a place for study and research for writers and educators. The organization receives it's support from the general public, trusts and private foundations through donations and memberships. The organization solicits donations from local businesses and the general public through letters, postcards through public programs. Members of the organization attend an annual cemetery event in order to receive support from a local trust. The organization does not support o

What it reported doing in 2025

Tours and gatherings are provided to the general public providing historical artifacts and documents to educate individuals about the history of the greater barre, ma area.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 71% 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

MIXED - The filed numbers largely add up and program spending has grown recently. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of voting board members are independent.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 24
  • Transparency & Controls: 90
  • Accountability: 18
  • Sustainability: 68
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 25.2%; rating input score 25
  • Program expense ratio: 28.9%; rating input score 29
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

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: Limited
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 0%; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 31.9%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 12.37; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 7.6% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 25.2% of revenue deployed · 28.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 0 of 10 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $15K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 10 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 21 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 3 filed schedules
  • Filing history: 6 filing years from 2017 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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: Mission deployment rate scored 25/100.
  • High — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 0/100.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 29/100.
  • Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 30/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 58/100.