Nahant Historical Society

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
237431293
IRS 990 coverage
2016–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2015
Location
Nahant, MA, USA
Phone
7815812727
Rating
75
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$101,352
Expenses
$88,666
Assets
$730,262
Liabilities
$337

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

Leadership & pay

9 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • NANCY CANTELMO (PRESIDENT)
  • JULIE TARMY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR)

Highest reported compensation

  • JULIE TARMY (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $31,212 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To acquire, preserve and interpret artifacts of nahant, Massachusetts, illustrating its history, prehistory and that of people associated with it, for the enjoyment, education and enrichment of the public.

What it reported doing in 2025

To investigate, record, and perpetuate the history of the town of nahant, and to collect, hold, and preserve documents, books, memoirs, and all other matters illustrating its history or that of individuals identified with it.collections: lowlands buddhanahant celebrates the anonymous restored gift of the lowland buddha, a jizo bosatsu. This work of art once graced the famous gate of the 1867 estate of george abbot james and his wife elizabeth "lily" lodge on east point in nahant.paintingsthe society has on display many beautiful 19th century oil and watercolor paintings and etchings. Most notably are the william huston 'bass beach, nahant' 1880 and the jonathan mason's 'castle rock and east point, nahant from mifflin place' 1832. Also on display are more recent works by nahant artists pete rogers, carolyn jundzillo comer, and norman laliberte.the bark "sarah"learn the story behind this intricate large plank-on-frame ship model, a recreated "tall ship" in miniature. Find out about winthrop taylor hodges, the man who spent ten years building this ship in model form based on a youthful memory. See rare photographs of the ocean-going sarah, upon which he sailed in 1887.nahant on the rocks, lowell room galleryour first full exhibition, entitled nahant on the rocks, this is an interactive exhibit showing the history of nahant from its early days as grazing land for lynn livestock, through its days as a fishing community, its heyday as the summer resort community for boston's wealthy, as well as featuring literary and scientific notables and artists. Research at the historical societythe nahant historical society maintains its collections, a research library with archives at 41 valley road, nahant, Massachusetts to preserve and share the history of the town of nahant. These consist of both primary, and secondary sources of nahant's history with related materials from lynn, boston, Massachusetts, and new england. In addition there are sections on maritime history, decorative arts and biographies associated with nahant and american history. The collections do not circulate. We welcome your research inquiries.

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.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Program spending has declined or grown slowly and revenue has declined or grown slowly.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 69
  • Transparency & Controls: 86
  • Accountability: 90
  • Sustainability: 61
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 72.3%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 66.1%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: $30.09 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 65; 65th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 92.9%; rating input score 93; 26th 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: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 12.5%; rating input score 61; 61st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.24; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 35.2%; rating input score 8; 8th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -1.9% per year; rating input score 0; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -2.7% per year; rating input score 0; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 72.3% of revenue deployed · 66.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 9 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $59K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $31K · 9 people listed
  • Consistency: 25 of 26 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2016 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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.

  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Independent financial-statement audit not reported.
  • Moderate — Transparency & Controls: Schedule A contributions reconciliation did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 8/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 52/100.