Vermont Historical Society
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 030179602
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2012–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024
- Location
- Barre, VT, USA
- Phone
- 8024798500
- Rating
- 74
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Historical Societies & Historic Preservation
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $2,452,069
- Expenses
- $2,755,965
- Assets
- $9,748,275
- Liabilities
- $1,233,013
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
28 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- JAN ALBERS (PRESIDENT)
Highest reported compensation
- STEPHEN PERKINS (EXEC. DIR/SE): $172,308 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
The Vermont historical society engages both vermonters and "vermonters-at- heart" on the exploration of our state's rich heritage. Our purpose is to reach a broad audience through our outstanding collections, statewide outreach, and dynamic programming. We believe that an understanding of the past changes lives and builds better communities.
What it reported doing in 2024
The museum collects items made in Vermont or by vermonters or those with a long history of use by people living here. The society preserves these collections for future generations. The information contained in the collections is disseminated through long-term and temporary exhibits to educate vermonters and visitors about the history of the state of Vermont. The museum collections are also made available for research. Museum personnel provide technical assistance to other organizations and individuals regarding the care of collections, exhibit installation and identification of objects. Museum personnel also speak to local groups on Vermont history.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Grant-funded. 62% 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.
- Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.
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: 64
- Transparency & Controls: 74
- Accountability: 95
- Sustainability: 39
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 73.8%; rating input score 74
- Program expense ratio: 61.1%; rating input score 61
- Fundraising efficiency: $6.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 24; 24th 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: Pass
- Compensation survey or study: Missing
- 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: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- Whistleblower policy: Pass
- Document-retention policy: Pass
- CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
- 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: -12.4%; rating input score 11; 11th percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.54; rating input score 77; 77th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.13; rating input score 54; 54th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 6.3%; rating input score 45; 45th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 1.4% per year; rating input score 100; 19th percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 3.5% per year; rating input score 100; 30th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 1.6% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 73.8% of revenue deployed · 61.1% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 23 of 23 board members independent · 7 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $1.7M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $172K · 28 people listed · 2 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
- Consistency: 32 of 32 current checks pass
- Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2012 to 2024
- 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 — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 24/100.
- High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 11/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 45/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 54/100.