Oberlin Historical and Improvement Organization

What it reported doing in 2024

Collections: the oberlin heritage center collects the material and intellectual culture of people in oberlin, Ohio, and preserves it for the benefit of present and future generations. Ohc seeks objects, archival materials and photographs, ordinary and extraordinary, whose stories and meanings are rich, that have inherent worth, that both reflect and challenge the conventional wisdom, and that invite us to look deeper or broader. Ohc requires these objects and their documented contexts as evidence to illuminate and interpret the larger themes of oberlin history and environment. The collections form the foundation for research, scholarship, exhibition, public programs, and outreach. Included in the collections are historic buildings: the monroe house, jewett house and barn, and the little red schoolhouse.the oberlin heritage center interprets oberlin's history, in particular its strong activist traditions of abolitionism and women's rights, universal education, racism and civil rights, scientific innovation, the stories of the people associated with our two house museums and the schoolhouse, and the varied lived experiences of the people of oberlin. Research on all of these topics and others is ongoing and will help shape future interpretation and collecting.the oberlin heritage center's buildings and collections serve as a backdrop and the setting for interpreting major events and themes in the community's history. The collections on display in the jewett house and the little red schoolhouse should reflect what typical structures of their eras looked like. More specifically, the collections also showcase the daily activities of the people whose stories we tell. The collections on display in the monroe house currently interpret the history of the former inhabitants as well as oberlin's founding and early history. This is likely to change as staff consider making the monroe house suitable for self-guided tours and balance visitor interest, interactive elements, security flexibility, and interpretive goals that move beyond the traditional historic house model. Fine tuning the collections so that they interpret both the historic buildings and broader community stories is, and will continue to be, an ongoing process. For more information, request the oberlin heritage center collections plan.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 77.7%; rating input score 78
• Program expense ratio: 69.6%; rating input score 70
• Fundraising efficiency: $21.07 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 60; 60th 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: 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: 8 of 8 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: 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: 24.9%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 8.74; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 14.1%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 0.5% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 26th percentile among comparable filings