The National Soc of the Colonial Dames of America in the Comm of Ma
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 042104718
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2019–2025
- Forms available
- Form 990 2025
- Location
- Boston, MA, USA
- Phone
- 6177423190
- Rating
- 82
- Verdict
- STRONG
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Historical Societies, Related Historical Activities
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $803,772
- Expenses
- $575,925
- Assets
- $6,304,208
- Liabilities
- $121,724
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
19 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- CAROLYN SAALFIELD HAWLEY (PRESIDENT)
- PAULA PIERCE (VICE PRESIDENT)
- SARAH PARKER MEIGS (VICE PRESIDENT/CORRESPONDING SECRETARY)
People named in this filing
- CAROLYN SAALFIELD HAWLEY (PRESIDENT)
- PAULA PIERCE (VICE PRESIDENT)
- ELIZABETH CRAMER GRAHAM (BOARD MANAGER)
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 national society of the colonial dames of america actively promotes our national heritage through historic preservation, patriotic service and educational projects.
What it reported doing in 2025
The Massachusetts colonial dames owns or operates three historic houses in Massachusetts - the prescott house in boston, quincy homestead in quincy, and martin house farm in swansea. Our properties are open to the public from may to november and at other times by special arrangement.prescott house: referred to as a "neighborhood hidden gem" by the beacon hill times. This beautiful mansion is located across from the boston common. Voted in 2018, one of the top 8 examples of federal architecture by boston curbed and one of the seven boston house museums to visit by boston magazine, the william hickling prescott house, at 55 beacon street, and the adjoining home at 54 beacon street, were built in 1808 for the boston merchant, james smith colburn. These federal period twin houses overlook boston common. The land was once owned by john singleton copley, america's most accomplished colonial portrait painter.quincy homestead: a national historic landmark, the quincy homestead is significant for its role in early american history, for its architecture, and for its quincy family association. The property, located at the corner of hancock street and butler road, is part of the original land that edmund quincy acquired for a farm in the 1630s. The present house, dating from 1686, was enlarged and enhanced over a period of more than 200 years. Its majestic georgian frontispiece and gambrel roof, with distinctive dormer windows, give the building a stately and substantial appearance.the homestead served as a home for five generations of quincys, one of the leading families of Massachusetts. Their progeny include president john quincy admms and dr. Oliver wendell holmes. Leading up to the american revolution, the residence was a meeting place for many american patriots such as john adams, josiah quincy and john hancock. The house was also the childhood home of dorothy quincy hancock, the first first lady of Massachusetts, the wife of john hancock, the president of the second continental congress, the first signer of the declaration of independence, and the first governor of the commonwealth.martin house farm: the martin house farm is a rare example of an 18th and early 19th century farm which still retains the character of its original setting. It consists of the house, two barns and cultivated fields surrounded by dry stone walls and woodlands. The home was lived in continuously by members of the martin family for over 200 years. In 1930 it was given to the national society of the colonial dames in the commonwealth of Massachusetts by susan taber martin allien, an eighth-generation martin and a member of the New York society of the colonial dames. In 1979 the martin house farm was placed on the national register of historic places, an official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.we also maintain an important costume collection (antique women's clothing collection). We regularly display selected items from our costume collection in our houses, and offer special exhibits from time to time. Our costume collection is open to people doing research in the field, and appropriate items can be loaned to other organizations for special events.we sponsor or host projects related to patriotic service, such as a reception for veterans. We are one of 44 state societies of the national nscda. Through the national organization we contribute to an indian nurse scholarship program, a scholarship program for graduate students in american history, a high school essay contest, and the support of three national historic houses. We participate in the smithsonian instituition's national portrait survey and the ndcsa's historic sampler survey, each of which adds to our understanding of our past.
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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
The verdict
STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 69
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 88
- Sustainability: 80
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 72.5%; rating input score 72
- Program expense ratio: 70.1%; rating input score 70
- Fundraising efficiency: $15 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 47; 47th 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; 64th percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 5 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 71
- 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: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 28.3%; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 10.95; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 8.1% per year; rating input score 100; 50th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 41st percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 6.9% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 72.5% of revenue deployed · 70.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 5 of 7 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $404K in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 19 people listed
- Consistency: 27 of 27 current checks pass
- Schedules: 4 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 6 filing years from 2019 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.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 7 not reported.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 47/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.