Gillespie County Historical Society Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
742276662
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Fredericksburg, TX, USA
Phone
8309908441
Rating
86
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies & Historic Preservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,023,450
Expenses
$1,088,792
Assets
$4,293,738
Liabilities
$30,706

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JIM WILHITE (PRESIDENT)
  • HEATHER MCCARVER FROM 924 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)
  • MONTE MARSHALL THRU 924 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • HEATHER MCCARVER FROM 924 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $69,680 total reported compensation
  • MONTE MARSHALL THRU 924 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $47,740 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To manage the operations of the pioneer museum and the vereins kirche museums; to promote historical knowledge through educational events and activities; to hold stewardship of 13 historic structures, over 60,000 separate artifacts and archival materials dating from our founding in 1846 forward; to provide assistance and documentation for family research relating to 19th c. German immigration to the area.

What it reported doing in 2024

Restore, preserve, and manage 13 historical structures and interpretation at two museum sites that are open 6 days a week. Facilitate educational activities and exhibitions that teach the history of fredericksburg since its inception in 1846 and that of gillespie county since its inception in 1848.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 47
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 96.3%; rating input score 96
  • Program expense ratio: 85.1%; rating input score 85
  • 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: 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • 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: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -6.4%; rating input score 22; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.94; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 71; 71st percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.8%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 11.8% per year; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.3% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 96.3% of revenue deployed · 85.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $926K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $70K · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2013 to 2024
  • 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.

  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 22/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 34/100.