Kennebec Historical Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237134457
IRS 990 coverage
2011–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025
Location
Augusta, ME, USA
Phone
2076227718
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Standard

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$148,696
Expenses
$132,042
Assets
$898,984
Liabilities
$2,075

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

Leadership & pay

18 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KENT LONDON (PRESIDENT)
  • SARA MASCHINO (VICE PRESIDENT)
  • SCOTT R WOOD (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

People named in this filing

  • JOSEPH ODONNELL (MEMBER)
  • KENT LONDON (PRESIDENT)
  • ROBERT CAVERLY (TREASURER)

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 society promotes the study of the history of kennebec county by forming and preserving historical collections of appropriate materials making these collections available to the public, providing research assistance to the public, and presenting public educational programs.

What it reported doing in 2025

The society presents various program events open to the public in various locations throughout the county on a wide range of history topics. The society publishes a bi-monthly newsletter with descriptions of additions to the historical collections, public presentations and exhibits as well as news about the activities of other local historical societies and libraries in the county. The newsletter is free to visitors at the societys headquarters and is also mailed or e-mailed to approximately 400 members. The societys website also provides free access to a kennebec county surname database for members of the public searching for people who have resided in kennebec county.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 79% 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

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 49
  • Transparency & Controls: 93
  • Accountability: 82
  • Sustainability: 66
  • Growth: 60

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 47.4%; rating input score 47
  • Program expense ratio: 42.4%; rating input score 42
  • Fundraising efficiency: $100.72 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 90.9%; rating input score 91; 15th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 57
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • 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: 11.2%; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.81; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.1% per year; rating input score 0; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.7% per year; rating input score 100; 46th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 3% per year; rating input score 100; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 47.4% of revenue deployed · 42.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 18 of 18 board members independent · 4 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $56K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 18 people listed
  • Consistency: 21 of 22 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2011 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 47/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 42/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 6 not reported.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Review — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 59/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 48/100.