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Proprietors Portsmouth Athenaeum

EIN 02-0245312 · Portsmouth, NH

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong91 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE PORTSMOUTH ATHENAEUM IS A MEMBERSHIP LIBRARY THAT WELCOMES ALL WHO SEEK KNOWLEDGE TO EXPERIENCE CULTURE AND SHARE IN THE HISTORY OF THE PISCATAQUA REGION SO THAT TOGETHER WE MAY FIND MEANING IN THE PAST TO ILLUMINATE THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE.

Income
$762,070
Spending
$631,461
Spent on programs
66%
Reserves
55.8 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 52%
Employees
10
Volunteers
80
Highest pay
$111,900, keeper

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 55.8 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 17% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 23% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    66% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 91 out of 100. Higher than 81% of charities in its peer group (education, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 14 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    6 of 15

    Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $419,244 spent. 2025 WAS ANOTHER YEAR OF RECORD GROWTH AND ACTIVITY FOR THE ATHENAEUM, WHICH NOW HAS MORE THAN 600 ACTIVE MEMBERS. 2025 STATISTICS: 2,972 IN-PERSON VISITS; 291 TELEPHONE QUERIES; 404 EMAIL QUERIES; 480 LECTURE ATTENDANTS; 450 CONCERT ATTENDANTS; 371 SOCIAL EVENT ATTENDANTS.CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED THREE MAJOR EXHIBITS: "THE LUNCH HOUR: PORTSMOUTH," "JONATHAN MICTHELL SEWALL, 1748-1808, AND THE 30TH ANNUAL PROPRIETORS ART SHOW. THE PERFORMANCE COMMITTEE PUT ON A RECORD NUMBER OF CONCERTS, INCLUDING A FOLK CONCERT FEATURING THE INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN SINGER AND MUSICOLOGIST JEFF WARNER, BOSTON'S LEGENDARY GRAMMY-WINNING HANDEL & HYDEN SOCIETY, A MEMORIAL CONCERT REMEMBERING ATHENAEUM PROPRIETORS WHO PASSED IN 2024; PERFORMED BY ACCLAIMED ORGANIST GEOFFREY WIETING, AND A LIVELY HOLIDAY CONCERT. THEY ALSO HOSTED AN AFTERNOON WITH POET OLIVER DE LA PAZ, WHO SHARED HIS WORK, EXPLORING THEMES OF IDENTITY AND MIGRATION. THE ATHENAEUM CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES HOSTED STELLAR PERFORMANCES BY THE NAEVE PIANO TRIO, BALOURDET STRING QUARTET, THE TERRA STRING QUARTET, AND JESSICA XYLINA OSBORNE & YI QUN XU (PIANO/ CELLO). THE 2025 LECTURE SERIES: "BEAUTY ON THE SEACOAST AND BEYOND: ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND GARDENS" OPENED WITH CELEBRATED ARCHITECT ANN BEHA ON "LANDMARKS AND LIBRARIES: BUILDING COLLECTIONS AND COMMUNITIES." THE SERIES INCLUDED JOHN AND ADI RULE SPEAKING ON "A GOODLY PLACE: THE CONSTRUCTION AND CHARACTER OF THE WENTWORTH-COOLIDGE MANSION," JILL NOONEY SPEAKING ON "BEDROCK GARDENS: THE JOURNEY FROM A PRIVACY SANCTUARY TO A PUBLIC GARDEN," ANNE MASURY SPEAKING ON "THE LADY PEPPERRELL HOUSE AND GARDENS, AND ART HISTORIANS DOUG NELSON AND SARA MORRIS ON "ART HISTORY AT THE ISLES OF SHOALS." OUR NEW CURRENT EVENTS LECTURE SERIES FEATURED PRESENTS LINDA DITMAR ON "TRACING HOMELANDS; ISRAEL, PALESTINE AND CLAIMS OF BELONGING," JOHN ROESE, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER OF DELL COMPUTERS, DISCUSSING: "AI, THE TECHNOLOGIES AND THE CHALLENGES, AND RICHARD DIPENTIMA SPEAKING ON "THE EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON PUBLIC HEALTH." SCIENCE HISTORIAN DR. FRED SCHUBERT RETURNED FOR TWO TALKS: "GENOMICS AND THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY AND" THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE COMPONENTS OF HEALTHFUL NUTRITION." HISTORIAN WILLIAM MARVEL PRESENTED A TALK ON FITZ JOHN PORTER AND ATHENAEUM PROPRIETOR CLIFF HODGDON SHARED A PRESENTATION ON HIS LIFE-LONG STUDY OF PORTSMOUTH DINERS. THIS WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EXHIBITION "THE LUNCH HOUR: PORTSMOUTH." A NEW QUARTERLY PROGRAM OF ATHENAEUM 101: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ATHENAEUM AND ITS RESOURCES BEGAN THIS YEAR. THE FRANKLIN CLUB MET MONTHLY FOR ANIMATED GROUP DISCUSSIONS ON VARIOUS TOPICS INSPIRED BY DR. FRANKLIN. OUR SOCIAL COMMITTEE HOSTED TEAS FOR NEW MEMBERS AS WELL AS OUR LARGEST EVER POTLUCK PICNIC AND A FESTIVE HOLIDAY GALA. WE DID GROUP TOURS FOR LEADERSHIP SEACOAST, THE CURATORIAL COMMITTEES OF MT. VERNON AND BOWDOIN COLLEGE, THE SEACOAST VILLAGE PROJECT, AND EVERY PORTSMOUTH 3RD GRADE STUDENT. RESEARCH LIBRARIAN JESSICA ZARICKI STARTED A NEW "HISTORY DETECTIVES" PROGRAMS TO EXPOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO HANDS-ON RESEARCH PROJECTS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 1958.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

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