THE Connecticut HISTORICAL SOCIETY Connecticut Museum of Culture & History
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 066026012
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2013–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Hartford, CT, USA
- Phone
- 8602365621
- Rating
- 79
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Historical Societies, Related Historical Activities
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $6,635,191
- Expenses
- $6,199,161
- Assets
- $71,841,017
- Liabilities
- $292,283
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
31 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- Robert A Kret (CEO & Exec. Dir)
- BICHOP NAWROT (Vice President)
- SYLVIA KELLY (President)
Highest reported compensation
- Robert A Kret (CEO & Exec. Dir): $320,916 total reported compensation
- Jamie O'Brien (Chief Adv. Officer): $192,847 total reported compensation
- ILENE FRANK (CHIEF STRAT. OFF): $170,081 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The mission of the CHS is to cultivate deep understanding of the history and culture of Connecticut, and its role in America and the world, through reflection of the past, active engagement with the present, and innovation for the future through our collections, research, educational programs, and exhibitions. The CHSs vision is to work with an inclusive audience to promote historical and cultural perspectives as essential tools to connect with others, shape communities, and make informed decisions.
What it reported doing in 2025
Collections development - manages the diverse collections materials (books, manuscripts, furniture, costumes and many other objects) related to Connecticut's material culture from the late 17th century to the present.education - promotes the study and enjoyment of Connecticut history through school group and adult programs, tours and outreach activities.collections access/research center - maintains and operates a library that provides books, photographs, microfilms, genealogy and other materials relevant to Connecticut history and manages the public access to the collections used and sought by researchers, genealogists and academic scholars.exhibits and programs - develops and displays themed exhibitions related to various aspects of Connecticut history, along with accompanying lectures and book talks.Connecticut cultural heritage arts program - serves as the state's official folk and traditional arts initiative, working with communities to document, present, and sustain valuable cultural heritage.
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. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 74
- Transparency & Controls: 74
- Accountability: 95
- Sustainability: 62
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 94.7%; rating input score 95
- Program expense ratio: 62.8%; rating input score 63
- Fundraising efficiency: $2.7 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 6; 6th percentile among comparable filings
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
- Compensation committee: Missing
- Independent consultant: Missing
- Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
- 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: Pass
- Other executive compensation review process: Fail
- Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
- Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
- Audit committee oversight: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 6.6%; rating input score 47; 47th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 11.59; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 12.9%; rating input score 26; 26th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.7% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.9% per year; rating input score 100; 27th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 94.7% of revenue deployed · 62.8% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 23 of 23 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $3.9M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $321K · 31 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Highest-paid contractors: 1 contractor listed · $133K reported
- Consistency: 34 of 34 current checks pass
- Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2013 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 4 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.
- High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 6/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 47/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
- High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 26/100.