Missouri Historical Society

What it reported doing in 2025

Library and collections and digital initiatives: the Missouri historical society stewards one of the nation's premier regional history collections, preserving and sharing the stories of st. Louis, Missouri, the Mississippi and Missouri valleys, the Louisiana purchase territory, and the american west. These collections are preserved, documented, digitized, and made accessible for current and future generations through the work of dedicated staff. Mhs collections serve a broad audience of researchers, students, educators, community members, media professionals, artists, and visitors from around the world. Access is provided through the library & research center, exhibitions at the Missouri history museum and soldiers memorial military museum, loans to partner institutions, publications, educational programs, digital collections, and online resources. In 2025, the library & research center welcomed 5,099 in-person researchers and visitors. Staff provided reference assistance to 2,050 individuals remotely, helping people explore family histories, support academic scholarship, document community stories, and access historical resources. Mhs's digital platforms further expanded public access, with 497,326 users of the online collections search and 4.6 million page views on mohistory.org. The mhs collections currently include more than 180,000 objects, over 100,000 library volumes, nearly 8,000 linear feet of manuscript records, more than one million photographs and prints, and over 67,000 sound and moving image items. Together, these collections document the experiences, achievements, and everyday lives of the diverse people and communities that have shaped our region. The collections continue to grow through the generosity of donors and strategic collecting efforts that ensure the historical record reflects a broad range of voices and experiences. In 2025, mhs received 115 collection donations and made 8 purchases through institutional acquisition funds. These additions strengthen the society's ability to preserve the region's history and make it accessible to the public through research, exhibitions, educational programming, and digital initiatives.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 79.4%; rating input score 79
• Program expense ratio: 78.6%; rating input score 79
• Fundraising efficiency: $10.54 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Pass
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • 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: 5.8%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 7.55; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 86; 86th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.8%; rating input score 44; 44th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 1.1% per year; rating input score 100; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 31st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings