York County History Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE YORK COUNTY HISTORY CENTER UNDERSTANDS THE PAST TO ILLUMINATE THE FUTURE, THROUGH INCLUSIVE, AUTHENTIC STORYTELLING, AND PRESERVATION.
- Income
- $12.4 million
- Spending
- $3.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- 6.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 81%
- Employees
- 33
- Volunteers
- 250
- Highest pay
- $120,389, president, ceo (left 4/25)
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 75% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 6.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 69% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 386% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 3 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: 93 out of 100. Higher than 28% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2530 of 30 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
0 of 7Reports no 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 (4)
- $1.4 million spent. A MAJOR ASPECT OF ALL OF THE HISTORY CENTER'S PROGRAM-RELATED ACTIVITIES ARE THE ORGANIZATION'S 140,000 TOTAL SQUARE FEET OF MUSEUM GALLERIES, HISTORIC SITES, AND COLLECTIONS STORAGE. WITH ONLY A FACILITIES STAFF OF TWO, THE HISTORY CENTER MAINTAINS THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SPACES OF THE HISTORY CENTER MUSEUM AND LIBRARY & ARCHIVES; THE BONHAM HOUSE; THE COLONIAL COMPLEX (WHICH IS COMPRISED OF THE GENERAL GATES HOUSE AND GOLDEN PLOUGH TAVERN, THE BARNETT BOBB LOG HOUSE; AND THE RECONSTRUCTED COLONIAL COURT HOUSE); FIRE MUSEUM, AGRICULTURAL & INDUSTRIAL MUSEUM. IN ADDITION, THIS SAME STAFF ASSISTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF DISPLAYS/EQUIPMENT OF NEW EXHIBITS.
- $548,400 spent. THE YORK COUNTY HISTORY CENTER'S EXHIBITS & COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PRESERVATION AND INTERPRETATION OF ABOUT 90,000 ARTIFACTS ACROSS EIGHT SITES AND ENCOMPASSING THE HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA AND ITS INHABITANTS THROUGH TIME. THE COLLECTIONS - RANGING FROM TEXTILES TO MILITARIA, ARTWORK, AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS, NATIVE AMERICAN OBJECTS, AND NUMEROUS DECORATIVE ARTS PIECES - ARE USED IN A VARIETY OF MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO PROVIDE RICH, EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AND FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES FOR THE LOCAL YORK COUNTY COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
- $491,200 spent. DURING THE PAST FISCAL YEAR (JULY 2024- JUNE 2025) THE HISTORY CENTER WELCOMED 21,047 VISITORS TO ITS SITES AS VISITORS, PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, LIBRARY RESEARCHERS, AND SPECIAL EVENT ATTENDEES. OF THAT NUMBER, MORE THAN 2,820 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN FIELD TRIPS TO THE HISTORY CENTER'S FIVE MUSEUMS. SCHOOL AGE PROGRAMMING INCLUDES THEMATIC TOURS FOCUSING ON YORK COUNTY'S COLONIAL AND REVOLUTIONARY ERA HISTORY, THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD, INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING HERITAGE AND MORE. THESE PROGRAMS PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF STATE AND LOCAL HISTORY AND ALIGN WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA BOARD OF EDUCATION ACADEMIC STANDARDS. THE HISTORY CENTER WAS ABLE TO OFFER 65 PROGRAMS REACHING A DIVERSE AUDIENCE BASE THROUGH DEMONSTRATIONS, A MONTHLY LECTURE SERIES, WORKSHOPS, AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES AT BOTH ONLINE AND IN-PERSON. IN ADDITION, THE HISTORY CENTER HOSTS A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS' MONTHLY MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS OFTEN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FREE OF CHARGE. TRADITIONAL PARTNERSHIPS CONTINUED, SUCH AS SUPPORT FOR THE CITY OF YORK SPECIAL EVENTS, RE-ENACTOR GROUPS FOR LIVING HISTORY EVENTS, AND THE YORK COUNTY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU FOR PROMOTION AND COORDINATION OF COUNTY WIDE HERITAGE TOURISM. THE HISTORY CENTER HAS ALSO PROVIDED NUMEROUS COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR CONTINUING ADULT EDUCATION COURSES, TALKS FOR VARIOUS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, PUBLIC WALKING TOURS, AND MONTHLY LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES SEMINARS OFFERING INSIGHTS INTO VARIOUS RESEARCH AND GENEALOGICAL TECHNIQUES. IN ADDITION TO IN-PERSON AND ONLINE PROGRAMS, THE HISTORY CENTER'S WEBSITE OFFERS VARIOUS RESOURCES AND CONTENT. THE WEBSITE HAD AN AVERAGE OF 16,000 MONTHLY VIEWS.
- $313,611 spent. THE HISTORY CENTER'S LIBRARY & ARCHIVES HOUSES AN EXTENSIVE AND VARIED COLLECTION COVERING A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS INCLUDING GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY, LOCAL HISTORY, THE DECORATIVE ARTS AND MILITARY HISTORY WITH THE EMPHASIS OF YORK COUNTY HISTORY. OVER 1,892 PATRONS VISITED THE HISTORY CENTER'S LIBRARY & ARCHIVES DURING THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR INCLUDING SCHOOL GROUPS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE LIBRARY STAFF FIELDED NEARLY 678 EMAILS AND 235 PHONE CALLS AND PROCESSED 48 RESEARCH REQUESTS AND 27 PHOTO REPRODUCTION REQUESTS. IT ALSO CO-HOSTS THREE MONTHLY MEETINGS/PROGRAMS: ALLVETS ORAL HISTORY PROGRAM, THE SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE YORK CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE. THE LIBRARY & ARCHIVES ALSO PUBLISHES THE ANNUAL JOURNAL OF YORK COUNTY HERITAGE. OVER 138 DONATIONS TO THE LIBRARY & ARCHIVES WERE RECEIVED.
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1941.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.