Massachusetts Historical Society
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS AND THE NATION BY COLLECTING AND COMMUNICATING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES THAT FOSTER HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE.
- Income
- $10.8 million
- Spending
- $12.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 52%
- Reserves
- 48.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 58%
- Employees
- 84
- Volunteers
- 72
- Highest pay
- $359,014, president until 06/2024
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 48.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 51% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1552% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 20 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 27 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 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)
- $6.6 million spent. AS THE NATION'S FIRST HISTORICAL SOCIETY, THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY (MHS) STRIVES TO ENHANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATION'S PAST AND ITS CONNECTION TO THE PRESENT, DEMONSTRATING THAT HISTORY IS NOT JUST A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT HAPPENED TO INDIVIDUALS LONG AGO BUT IS INTEGRAL TO THE FABRIC OF OUR DAILY LIVES. ITS COLLECTIONS ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN AMERICAN HISTORY. BEYOND RESEARCH, THE MHS OFFERS MANY WAYS FOR THE PUBLIC TO ENJOY ITS COLLECTIONS INCLUDING ENGAGING PROGRAMS, THOUGHT-PROVOKING EXHIBITIONS, PUBLICATIONS, SEMINARS, AND TEACHER WORKSHOPS.PLEASE SEE SCH. O FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS & DESCRIPTIONS. COLLECTIONS - THE SOCIETY'S EXTRAORDINARY COLLECTIONS TELL THE STORY OF AMERICA THROUGH MILLIONS OF RARE AND UNIQUE DOCUMENTS, ARTIFACTS, AND NATIONAL TREASURES, INCLUDING THE PERSONAL PAPERS OF THREE PRESIDENTS JOHN ADAMS, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, AND THOMAS JEFFERSON. THROUGH ITS RESEARCH LIBRARY, ONLINE RESOURCES, PUBLICATIONS, EXHIBITIONS, AND PROGRAMS, THE MHS MAKES ITS HOLDINGS ACCESSIBLE TO ANYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN THE PEOPLE AND EVENTS THAT SHAPED OUR COUNTRY. PAUL REVERE'S HANDWRITTEN ACCOUNT OF HIS FAMOUS RIDE, THOMAS JEFFERSON'S AND JOHN ADAM'S MANUSCRIPT COPIES OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND ELBRIDGE GERRY'S ANNOTATED COPY OF THE CONSTITUTION ARE AMONG THE MANY ICONIC AMERICAN DOCUMENTS OF THE MHS. SPANNING FOUR CENTURIES, THE LETTERS, DIARIES, AND OTHER PERSONAL PAPERS OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES, AS WELL AS THEIR BOOKS, PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, NEWSPAPERS, ARTIFACTS, AND WORKS OF ART HAVE BECOME ESSENTIAL PRIMARY SOURCES FOR THE STUDY AND UNDERSTANDING OF AMERICAN HISTORY. THE LIBRARY IS FREE AND OPEN TO RESEARCHERS OF ALL AGES AND LEVELS OF INTEREST. THE LIBRARY DOES NOT LEND MATERIALS, BUT ANY PERSON INTERESTED IN USING THE COLLECTION CAN REGISTER AS A RESEARCHER AND USE MATERIALS IN THE LIBRARY. IN MANY CASES, SELECTED MATERIALS CAN BE REPRODUCED AND SENT TO INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT VISIT THE LIBRARY IN PERSON. EXHIBITIONS - THE SOCIETY'S EXHIBITIONS CELEBRATE THE PERSPECTIVE AMERICAN HISTORY BRINGS TO OUR OWN TIME AND ILLUSTRATE HOW IT SUSTAINS OUR REPUBLIC AND GUIDES OUR FUTURE. AS A MAJOR HISTORY PRESENTATION VENUE FOR THE REGION, THE MHS PRODUCES EXHIBITIONS THAT ARE THEMATIC, TELL STORIES, AND EXPLORE HOW TURNING POINTS IN THE PAST ARE REFLECTED IN CULTURE TODAY. FISCAL YEAR 2025 MARKED THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. TO COMMEMORATE THE 250TH AND TO REINVIGORATE ITS EXHIBITION PROGRAM, THE MHS MOUNTED THE FIRST OF THREE EXHIBITIONS PLANNED OVER TWO YEARS. 1775: REBELS, RIGHTS & REVOLUTION OPENED AT ITS HEADQUARTERS BUILDING ON BOYLSTON STREET ON MARCH 28, 2025. THE EXHIBITION OFFERED UNIQUE AND PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE EVENTS OF 1775. VISITORS EXPLORED THE TENSIONS, CHOICES, AND CONSEQUENCES THAT DEFINED THIS PIVOTAL YEAR. FEATURING LETTERS, DIARY ENTRIES, AND ARTIFACTS FROM THE MHS COLLECTION, THE EXHIBITION PROVIDED A DYNAMIC AND ENGAGING LOOK AT HOW AND WHY MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS CHOSE REVOLUTION AS THE PATH FORWARD. ADDITIONAL CONTENT WAS CREATED FOR AND MADE AVAILABLE AT WWW.MASSHIST.ORG/250. EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS - CONTINUING TO DEVELOP A VIBRANT SELECTION OF PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ENABLES THE MHS TO HELP ENHANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATION'S PAST AND ITS CONNECTION TO THE PRESENT. FISCAL YEAR 2025 WAS THE SECOND YEAR OF A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE MHS. ALONG WITH COMMEMORATION PLANS FOR THE 250TH OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING FEATURE PROMINENTLY. EDUCATION GOALS INCLUDE PROMOTING THE TEACHING OF HISTORY AND CIVICS ACROSS THE K-12 STUDENT POPULATION IN MASSACHUSETTS; REACHING MORE STUDENTS FOR NATIONAL HISTORY DAY (NHD); PROVIDING MORE ACCESS TO THE SOCIETY'S PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS BY EXPANDING THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES SUCH AS THE HISTORY SOURCE; AND ACTIVELY SEEK PARTNERS WHO WILL ALLOW US TO LEVERAGE OUR EDUCATION EFFORTS. OUR EDUCATION TEAM OFFERED 29 TEACHER AND STUDENT PROGRAMS. THE TEAM SUPPORTED 3 TEACHER FELLOWSHIPS AND 4 STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS. STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN MASSACHUSETTS HISTORY DAY (MHD) CONTINUES TO GROW. A TOTAL OF 4,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM. ON MARCH 25, THE TEAM SHOWCASED THE MHD PROGRAM THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT COURT IN BOSTON AT THE OPENING OF THE STEPHEN G. BREYER COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER ON COURTS AND THE CONSTITUTION. A SELECT GROUP OF MHD STUDENTS SHARED THEIR PROJECTS WITH JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER AND OTHER GUESTS. THE MHS IS AN INAUGURAL PARTNER IN HISTORY.ORG, AN ONLINE RESOURCE FOR GRADES K-12 LED BY COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG. THE SITE PROVIDES TEACHERS WITH PRIMARY SOURCES ON AMERICAN HISTORY AND TEACHER-DEVELOPED MATERIALS. THE MHS TEAM CONTRIBUTED METADATA FOR MORE THAN 100 ITEMS. THE PARTNERSHIP HELPS TO EXPAND THE SOCIETY'S TEACHER AUDIENCE AS WELL AS ITS HISTORYSOURCE.ORG OFFERINGS. THE MHS PROGRAMMING STRATEGY INCLUDES PROVIDING INNOVATIVE AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE SOCIETY'S COLLECTION AND HISTORICAL EXPERTISE TO REACH NEW AUDIENCES AND RETAIN EXISTING CONSTITUENCIES. IT ALSO INVOLVES MORE OUTREACH TO DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TO BROADEN CONNECTIONS. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, PROGRAMMING DESIGNED FOR BOTH GENERAL AND SCHOLARLY AUDIENCES ATTRACTED MORE THAN 4,000 ATTENDEES AT PROGRAMS, SEMINAR SESSIONS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMS WERE OFFERED IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 INCLUDING WE REFUSE: A FORCEFUL HISTORY OF BLACK RESISTANCE WITH KELLIE CARTER JACKSON, REVOLUTIONARY KINSHIP: SUSTAINING FAMILY THROUGH WARTIME DIVISIONS WITH JAIMIE CRUMLEY, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH; KARIN WULF, JOHN CARTER BROWN LIBRARY; AND LISA WILSON, CONNECTICUT COLLEGE, FRENCH MATERIAL CULTURE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ATLANTIC WITH ASHLI WHITE, UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, CREATING CULTURE IN AMERICA: AAPI DIASPORA LIVES WITH HARLEEN SINGH, BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY; TUYET TRAN, SOUTHEAST ASIAN COALITION OF CENTRAL MASSACHU
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 September 7, 2026.
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 September 30, 2026.
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 September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since September 1942.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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 7, 2026.
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