Dallas County Historical Foundation

What it reported doing in 2024

The museum opened in 1989 featuring the core exhibition, john f. Kennedy and the memory of a nation. Located on the sixth floor of the former Texas school book depository building, critical evidence was found linked to the assassination of president kennedy on november 22, 1963. The exhibition features key historical sections providing contextual overlays following the path of john f. Kennedy's life, political career, 1960 presidential campaign, election and inaugural address: his young family and life in the white house and key administrative crises and accomplishments. The initial reasons leading to kennedy's november 1963 visit to Texas are addressed; reception in dallas; motorcade in downtown dallas; details of the assassination and its aftermath; media coverage; multiple investigations surrounding the case; eyewitness testimonials and evidence captured on still and home movie camera; forensic and ballistic evidence; ongoing questions today and impact of his presidential legacy. In addition to its core exhibition, the museum presents rotating special exhibitions drawn from its collections and archival holdings that explore related historical themes, deepen understanding of the events of november 22, 1963, and examine their continuing significance.collectionsthe sixth floor museum at dealey plaza's collection holds more than 90,000 historical objects and materials related to the assassination of president john f. Kennedy, the local and global aftermath of his tragic death and the legacy of his presidency, with additional materials focused on the social history of the mid-20th century dallas both before and after the assassination, the cultural history of the assassination and the history of dealey plaza, the Texas school book depository building and the john f. Kennedy memorial. The museum's collections include original documents, manuscripts, photographs, newspapers and magazines, three-dimensional objects, architectural elements and audio-visual recordings including early 1960s television and radio broadcasts, amateur home movies and over 2,700 oral histories. The museum collection strengths relate directly to the subject of president kennedy's life, death and legacy, and the museum strives to acquire materials that are unique, endangered and/or pertinent to those subjects. In keeping with the museum's mission and vision, the collection program also includes materials related to kennedy's legacy, such as civil rights and the space race, as well as local dallas history. The ongoing oral history project actively collects interviews that offer personal perspectives on a variety of related topics. The museum provides muti-pronged points of access to its collections, through exhibitions, educational programs, public programs, onsite research in the reading room and internet-based access through the museum's searchable online collections database. Collection items are also regularly featured on the museum's social media platforms. The museum's website provides an online collection database, a digital resource with access to films, newspapers, objects and other permanent collections items or via direct contact with museum staff. Education and public programscreative and engaging educational outreach and public programming are intrinsic to the museum's mission to serve a diverse public and fulfill a responsibility to empower students, teachers, adults, youth and family audiences to understand how and why the past is always relevant today. Lectures, panel conversations, live oral history presentations, author events, family programs, hands-on activities, student tours, teacher trainings and interactive videoconferences help engage audiences throughout Texas, the united states and beyond. The museum's education and public programs allow audiences to explore specific aspects of the history of the kennedy presidency, assassination and legacy. In fy2025, 98 student groups participated in self-guided tours, which served 4,972 students,

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 47.9%; rating input score 48
• Program expense ratio: 50.3%; rating input score 50
• Fundraising efficiency: $1.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• 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: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -0.7%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.14; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.18; rating input score 46; 46th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -5.3% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 9.1% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings