The Massachusetts 911 Fund Inc
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 300001456
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2010–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Boston, MA, USA
- Phone
- 6174822911
- Rating
- 80
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Financial Counseling
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $204,421
- Expenses
- $198,291
- Assets
- $1,144,104
- Liabilities
- $6,832
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
6 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- FAITH R ARTER (PRESIDENT)
- ERIC A LOWREY (1ST VICE PRESIDENT)
- BETH CHAMBERS (2ND VICE PRESIDENT)
People named in this filing
- FAITH R ARTER (PRESIDENT)
- ERIC A LOWREY (1ST VICE PRESIDENT)
- BETH CHAMBERS (2ND VICE PRESIDENT)
Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The Massachusetts 9/11 fund, inc. Was founded in december 2001. The fund is devoted to supporting families with ties to Massachusetts who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001, and ensuring that those lost on 9/11 are not forgotten.
What it reported doing in 2025
Family programs: family programs were originally designed to sustain ties within the local 9/11 community. The fund organized and provided financial support for numerous group activities. Prior to the covid pandemic these activities were decreasing in frequency and/or attendance. Because of the pandemic, all of these activities were suspended during 2020, 21 and 22. During 2023 and 2024 one family event was held. Family members have been active in the annual commemoration events and to a lesser extent in the education program. Going forward, the fund plans to support a limited number of family events, while encouraging family members to actively participate in the education program and the annual commemoration events. The family advisory committee along with the board president and independent consultants plan and manage the annual commemoration of the anniversary of the events of september 11, 2001.public memorials: garden of remembrancethe contemplative garden, the garden of remembrance, within the boston public garden was officially dedicated in july 2004. In 2007 the fund and the boston parks and recreation department established the Massachusetts 9/11 memorial trust within the boston fund for parks and recreation for perpetual care of the memorial area. In addition to funding construction of the memorial, the fund provided contributions totaling $371,200 to the Massachusetts 9/11 memorial trust fund for maintaining the memorial. The trustees of the boston fund for parks and recreation have custody of and responsibility for management of these funds. The care and maintenance of the memorial is the responsibility of the boston parks and recreation department which has access to these funds. The Massachusetts 9/11 fund has the right but is not obligated to make additional contributions to the boston fund for parks and recreation.fund operations: the fund utilizes virtual office space in boston and services provided by outside consultants for bookkeeping, accounting, it support, website support, audio/video support and development, planning and executing the annual commemoration of the anniversary of the events of september 11, 2001 and development and management of the education program. The president, treasurer and family advisory committee share responsibility for oversight of the consultants.education program: the fund's education program, established in 2016, provides age-appropriate educational resources for high school students and educators focused on the events of september 11, 2001, with an emphasis on the impact on Massachusetts. The program includes a video-based curriculum and supporting instructional materials available online at no cost, designed to encourage informed classroom discussion of the historical events, their consequences, and ways the victims are remembered. Following disruptions during the covid-19 pandemic, the fund refined its curriculum and resumed outreach to educators, including digital distribution and partnerships with public education platforms, and continues to offer opportunities for 9/11 family members to participate as student speakers when feasible.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 77% of the money available for current operations came from government grants.
- 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
STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and revenue has declined or grown slowly.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 79
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 76
- Sustainability: 57
- Growth: 60
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 90.4%; rating input score 90
- Program expense ratio: 88.4%; rating input score 88
- Fundraising efficiency: Limited
Transparency & Controls
- Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th 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: 3 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 43
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Fail
- Document-retention policy: Fail
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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: 3%; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 5.77; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 43; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 0.9% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: -0.8% per year; rating input score 0; 18th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 3.4% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 90.4% of revenue deployed · 88.4% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 6 of 6 board members independent · 3 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $175K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 6 people listed
- Consistency: 19 of 19 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- 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.
- Moderate — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 6 not reported.
- High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 43/100.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 43/100.