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Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

EIN 13-3795391 · New York, NY

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood78 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY WAS FOUNDED IN 1994 BY RICHARD GILDER AND LEWIS E. LEHRMAN, VISIONARIES AND LIFELONG SUPPORTERS OF AMERICAN HISTORY. THE INSTITUTE IS THE LEADING NONPROFIT AND NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO K-12 HISTORY EDUCATION.

Income
$11.7 million
Spending
$11.9 million
Spent on programs
80%
Reserves
71 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 46%
Employees
194
Volunteers
38
Highest pay
$269,746, president & ceo

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 72% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 71.0 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 26% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    80% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 16 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 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    38 of 39 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

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited 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 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 (4)
  1. $3.7 million spent. TEACHER PROGRAMS IN AMERICAN HISTORY:IN 2025 OVER 100,000 K-12 TEACHERS UTILIZED THE INSTITUTE'S TEACHING RESOURCES AND PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS. TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS SERVED 25,000 TEACHERS. OVER THE SUMMER, THE INSTITUTE OFFERED DISTINCT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, RANGING FROM INTENSIVE IN-PERSON SEMINARS AT PARTNER INSTITUTIONS TO ACCESSIBLE ONLINE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FOR WHICH WE RECEIVED NEARLY 4,000 REGISTRATIONS AND APPLICATIONS. THE GETTYSBURG COLLEGE GILDER LEHRMAN MA IN AMERICAN HISTORY, AN AFFORDABLE, FULLY ONLINE MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM, LED BY RENOWNED, AWARD-WINNING HISTORIANS SERVED 1,150 EDUCATORS.
  2. $1.6 million spent. STUDENT PROGRAMS IN AMERICAN HISTORY: PROGRAMS IN 2025 SERVED STUDENTS IN ALL FIFTY STATES. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE AFFILIATE SCHOOL PROGRAM WAS OVER 37,000, REACHING 100,000 K-12 TEACHERS AND 15 MILLION STUDENTS. THE GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE HAS PARTNERED WITH THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION AND "HAMILTON" TO CREATE AN EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR THE MUSICAL, WHICH HAD PARTICIPATION BY 210,000 STUDENTS ATTENDING HAMILTON THROUGH EDUHAM AND MORE THAN 1 MILLION STUDENTS NATIONWIDE PARTICIPATING IN EDUHAM ONLINE. THE INSTITUTE'S AP US HISTORY STUDY GUIDE HAD 1.2 MILLION UNIQUE VISITORS. THE CITIZENSHIP TEST: CIVICS AND AMERICAN HISTORY PROGRAM ENABLED 450,000 VIEWERS TO TAKE THE EXAM IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AND FOSTER DISCUSSION ON THE MEANING OF CITIZENSHIP AND HOW THEY CAN SHARE A HEALTHY CIVIC LIFE TOGETHER. HISTORY SCHOOL BOOK CLUB WAS EXPANDED TO FEATURE A GROWING LIBRARY OF UNITS DRAWN FROM BOOK BREAKS SERIES, FOCUSING ON THEMES THAT CONNECT DIRECTLY TO HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY EDUCATION. THE INSTITUTE'S STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL BRINGS TOGETHER MORE THAN 250 STUDENTS FROM ALL 50 STATES TO CREATE A DISTINCTIVE PLATFORM TO EXPLORE AMERICAN HISTORY WHILE DEVELOPING THEIR LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS.
  3. $1.1 million spent. MUSEUM COLLECTIONS, EXHIBITIONS AND PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES:THE GILDER LEHRMAN COLLECTION IS CENTRAL TO OUR MISSION OF INTEGRATING PRIMARY SOURCES INTO THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS. IT INCLUDES OVER 87,000 ITEMS RELATING TO AMERICAN HISTORY FROM 1493 TO TWENTIETH CENTURY. THE DIGITAL COLLECTION CURRENTLY HAS OVER 70,000 ITEMS ALLOWING ONLINE ACCESS TO THE DOCUMENTS. POP-UP PANEL EXHIBITIONS ON MAJOR TOPICS IN AMERICAN HISTORY ARE IN CIRCULATION AND VISITED SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. A NEW EXHIBITION WAS RELEASED THIS YEAR TITLED DECLARATION 1776: THE BIG BANG OF MODERN DEMOCRACY AS PART OF THE INSTITUTE'S EFFORTS TO COMMEMORATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. GILDER LEHRMAN COLLECTION'S PRIMARY SOURCES ARE ALSO ON DISPLAY IN PHYSICAL EXHIBITION SPACES SUCH AS GEORGE WASHINGTON'S MOUNT VERNON, GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK, MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK, NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER, MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, CHARLESTON MUSEUM AND THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM. THE LIVE, ONLINE PROGRAM INSIDE THE VAULT: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GILDER LEHRMAN COLLECTION, HAS BEEN VIEWED BY NEARLY 50,000 TEACHERS, STUDENTS, SCHOLARS, AND HISTORY ENTHUSIASTS AND A TOTAL OF 83 PAST EPISODES ARE ARCHIVED AND AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON THE GILDER LEHRMAN WEBSITE.
  4. $3.1 million spent. OTHER PROGRAMS INCLUDE NATIONAL HISTORY TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD, FOUR NATIONAL BOOK PRIZE AWARDS, SCHOLARLY & COLLEGE FELLOWSHIP AWARDS, AND BOOK BREAKS LIVE, WEEKLY ONLINE PROGRAM.

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

  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 November 6, 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 June 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 April 1995.

    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 November 4, 2026.

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