Lancasterhistoryorg

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
231365154
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Lancaster, PA, USA
Phone
7173924633
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Historical Societies & Historic Preservation

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$6,694,834
Expenses
$3,042,081
Assets
$29,377,531
Liabilities
$5,663,941

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

Leadership & pay

24 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • THOMAS RYAN PHD (PRESIDENT AND CEO)
  • ROBIN SARRATT (VICE PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • THOMAS RYAN PHD (PRESIDENT AND CEO): $227,748 total reported compensation
  • ROBIN SARRATT (VICE PRESIDENT): $136,039 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 educate the public about the heritage and history of the people, places, and events that shaped our region, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the united states of america.

What it reported doing in 2024

The organization carries on various programs and events that support their mission to educate the public about the heritage and history of the people, places, and events that shaped our region, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the united states of america.outreach to approximately 2,400 members and general public through our journal and newsletter and 125,000 through the world wide web.acquisitions-library, archival, and museum items for public display and historical research served an estimated 14,000 adults, college, and secondary students.special events-living history civil war and wwii encampments, lectures, films, trips, colloquia and symposia. Brought history events to about 8,800 people.responsible for the future development of a museum and interpretive center of the thaddeus stevens and lydia hamilton smith historic site located in lancaster city.neh fellowship

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 89% 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.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

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 some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 51
  • Transparency & Controls: 79
  • Accountability: 95
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 36.4%; rating input score 36
  • Program expense ratio: 70.7%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $22.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • 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: 54.6%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 9.66; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.19; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 25th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 2.3% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 36.4% of revenue deployed · 70.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 22 of 22 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $2.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $228K · 24 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 4 contractors listed · $9.2M reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 36 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 7 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 36/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Document-retention policy not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 25/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 45/100.