Hill Museum & Manuscript Library

What it reported doing in 2024

Access refers to the processes by which hmml makes its collections (digital images of manuscript collections received from its preservation sites) accessible online free of charge. When received from the preservation sites, hard drives of digital images are harvested and organized to consistent standards for tracking purposes; scanned for malware; and backed-up for onsite and offsite archiving. Every digital image is rotated to upright position, assigned an identifying file name, and prepped for access in hmml's online reading room (https://www.vhmml.org/readingroom ). In fy25, a total of 1,039,166 images were received from hmml's preservation partners, which then were organized, and prepared for online access. At the end of fy25 the total number of manuscripts with descriptions available online in hmml reading room was 155,504; and there were 9,978 registered users of hmml reading room. The digital images are first made available to hmml's cataloging staff to create descriptions suitable for online discoverability. The catalogers' work makes each manuscript discoverable by uniform and alternate titles, author(s), and language. At the end of fy25 descriptions of 156,157 manuscripts were available online, including 101,796 with full digital image sets and an additional 52,836 manuscripts preserved in microform. In fy25 alone, the cataloging team created 16,500 new descriptions of manuscripts. The hmml authority file (https://haf.vhmml.org/), an open-access online database, provides accurate and consistent authorities for the names of person, places, works, organizations, and families related to the manuscripts. In fy25, 4,456 new authorities were created; 579 of these were contributed to the library of congress authority file through the name authority cooperative program (naco). The goal is to make the handwritten heritage of cultures from around the world, previously inaccessible, available for generations both now and to come.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 60%; rating input score 60
• Program expense ratio: 67.8%; rating input score 68
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.05 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 26; 26th 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: Scored; rating input score 0
• Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
• 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: 37.5%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 17.92; rating input score 95; 95th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0.8%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.5% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -167.6% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 3.6% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings