Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 236397427
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2015–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Avon, CT, USA
- Phone
- 8602143076
- Rating
- 76
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Historical Societies & Historic Preservation
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $177,272
- Expenses
- $98,248
- Assets
- $2,202,560
- Liabilities
- $0
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
45 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- LAWRENCE M CROFT (PAST PRESIDENT-GENERAL)
- HOPE MIDDLETON WOOD (PAST PRESIDENT-GENERAL)
- LEROY ANDERSON KELLER JR (PRESIDENT GENERAL)
- ARTHUR RAMSEY (FIRST VICE PRESIDENT GENERAL)
- SHERYLL POPE ALBERT (SECOND VICE PRESIDENT GENERAL)
- ROBERT BRUCE LAUBACH (PAST PRESIDENT-GENERAL)
Highest reported compensation
- LAWRENCE M CROFT (PAST PRESIDENT-GENERAL): $3 total reported compensation
- HOPE MIDDLETON WOOD (PAST PRESIDENT-GENERAL): $3 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
To strengthen in american life the principles set forth in the declaration of independence by its signers; to promote fellowship among their descendants; to inspire and cultivate a spirit of unselfish patriotism; to aid and encourage historical research and education, the preservation of relics and records of the american revolution and marking of historic sites; to perpetuate the memory of those men as well as their wifes who, in signing the declaration of independence, mutually pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in the cause of liberty; and to provide a national organization for the promotion of these purposes.
What it reported doing in 2025
To draw public and government attention to the needs of historical landmarks and to indicate publicly, by resolutions, their non-political support of patriotic activities in keeping with the high ideals of the 56 signers
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
- Distribution model
- Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 60% for direct work, and 40% for grants.
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 revenue has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 69
- Transparency & Controls: 93
- Accountability: 69
- Sustainability: 83
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 77.3%; rating input score 77
- Program expense ratio: 77.5%; rating input score 78
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: Limited
- Foreign activity oversight: Limited
- Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
- Major donor itemization: Limited
- Related-party transparency: Limited
Accountability
- Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: Fail
- 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: 44.6%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 22.42; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 6% per year; rating input score 100; 55th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -2.6% per year; rating input score 0; 13th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 77.3% of revenue deployed · 77.5% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 40 of 40 board members independent · 2 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $76K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $3 · 45 people listed
- Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
- Schedules: 3 filed schedules · includes grants
- Filing history: 11 filing years from 2015 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
- 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 5 of 7 not reported.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 35/100.