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Ramsey County Historical Society Inc

EIN 41-6009039 · Saint Paul, MN

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak35 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

PRESERVING OUR PAST, INFORMING OUR PRESENT, INSPIRING OUR FUTURE.

Income
$1.1 million
Spending
$1.6 million
Spent on programs
73%
Reserves
-1.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 51%
Employees
36
Volunteers
40
Highest pay
$128,265, 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

Weak: 35 out of 100. Higher than 7% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 2% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 40% of income.

  • Income trend

    0 of 15

    Income fell 37% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    73% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 29 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    25 of 26 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 (3)
  1. $452,082 spent. COLLECTIONS & EXHIBITIONS COLLECTIONS ACQUISITIONS: 57 INDIVIDUALS DONATED 890 BOOKS, 86.25 LINEAR FEET OF ARCHIVAL MATERIALS, 534 PHOTOS, 42 ARTIFACTS TO THE RCHS COLLECTIONS. A LARGE COLLECTION OF LABOR HISTORY BOOKS AND ARCHIVAL MATERIALS WERE DONATED BY THE ESTATE OF DAVID J. RIEHLE.MARY LIVINGSTON GRIGGS & MARY GRIGGS BURKE RESEARCH CENTER: 1394 RESEARCHERS WERE ASSISTED IN THE RESEARCH CENTER. PHOTOGRAPHS AVAILABLE ONLINE ON THE RCHS WEBSITE: 32,358.EXHIBITIONS: SELMA 70. THE HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE STORIES OF A GROUP OF 70 PILGRIMS FROM MINNESOTA WHO TRAVELED FROM SAINT PAUL TO SELMA, ALABAMA FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF BLOODY SUNDAY IN MARCH OF 2015. IN-PERSON AT THE RCHS GALLERY, LANDMARK CENTER, ST. PAUL MN FROM APRIL 2025 THROUGH MAY 2026.MARCH OF THE GOVERNORS. SERIES OF EXHIBIT PANELS ABOUT EACH MINNESOTA GOVERNOR, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PODCAST SERIES. IN-PERSON AT THE RCHS GALLERY, LANDMARK CENTER, ST. PAUL MN FROM JULY 1, 2024-MARCH 2025.LINKED IN FRIENDSHIP, CONNECTED IN SERVICE: 50 YEARS OF THE MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (MN) CHAPTER OF THE LINKS, INCORPORATED 1972-2022. (ONLINE WITH NO END DATE ANTICIPATED.)PERSISTENCE: CONTINUING THE STRUGGLE FOR SUFFRAGE AND EQUALITY, 1848-2020. (ONLINE WITH NO END DATE ANTICIPATED.)PROJECTS OF NOTE: COLLECTIONS GO DIGITAL. ON 12/6/2024, ALL CATALOGED COLLECTIONS (OBJECTS, BOOKS, PHOTOGRAPHS, ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS) WENT ONLINE THROUGH THE SCHNEIDER GEOSPATIAL BEACON SYSTEM. PREVIOUSLY, ONLY PHOTOGRAPHS WERE OFFERED ONLINE. THESE RECORDS ARE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE FOR ONLINE SEARCHING. HTTPS://RCHS.COM/COLLECTIONS/ ADDITIONALLY, THE ST. PAUL BUILDING PERMIT COLLECTION WAS ALSO MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AFTER BEING ACQUIRED IN 2003 AND FINALLY BEING FULLY DIGITIZED.
  2. $577,726 spent. GIBBS FARMAT GIBBS FARM, 12,616 STUDENTS VISITED THE SITE FOR A FIELD TRIP, AND 597 CHILDREN ATTENDED SUMMER CAMP. OFF-SITE AND DIGITAL PROGRAMMING REACHED 1,927 MORE STUDENTS. 2,790 EDUCATORS AND FAMILY CHAPERONES ATTENDED A FIELD TRIP ALONGSIDE STUDENT GROUPS.PUBLIC HOUR TOURS WERE ATTENDED BY 604 ADULTS AND CHILDREN. SEVENTEEN PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED THAT SERVED ADULTS AND MULTI-GENERATIONAL AUDIENCES REACHING 1,557 PEOPLE. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDED WINTER CRAFTING CLASSES, A MINNESOTA SINFONIA CONCERT, APPLE FESTIVAL, A HALLOWEEN TRICK OR TREAT TRAIL, HOMESCHOOL DAY EVENT, AND SITE GARDENS AND GROUNDS TOURS.VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 2,365 HOURS TOWARDS SITE GROUNDS CARE (GARDENS AND ORCHARD), ANIMAL CARE, INTERNING AT SUMMER CAMP, AND MORE. GIBBS FARM PARTNERED WITH SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS TO VISITORS INCLUDING THE BELL MUSEUM, MN SEED, THE MINNESOTA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, MINNESOTA SINFONIA, AND DAKHTA IPI OKHDAKIHIYE
  3. $113,882 spent. MAGAZINE AND PUBLICATIONS: RCHS PUBLISHED FOUR ISSUES OF RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORY MAGAZINE DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025. RCHS RECEIVED ONE PUBLISHING AWARD FROM THE MINNESOTA ALLIANCE OF LOCAL HISTORY MUSEUMS FOR THE A SACRED DAKHTA SITE INSPIRES COMMUNITY RENEWAL: FROM LOWER PHALEN CREEK PROJECT TO WAKA TIPI AWAYAKAPI ISSUE (VOLUME 58, NUMBER 3).THE MAGAZINE INTRODUCED NEW FEATURES LIKE ADDITIONAL READING LINKS AND "IN OUR COLLECTION," FEATURING PIECES CURATED BY DIRECTOR OF COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITS AND PHOTOGRAPHY AND COPY FROM YOUA VANG.VOLUME 59, NUMBER 3: SUMMER 2024- RONDO RECREATION IN THE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY, 1909-1977; AUTHOR: HALEY PROCHNOW- A FAMILY RECLAIMS ITS HERITAGE GROWING UP WITH ANNE BELLE RIDEAUX; AUTHOR: CHERRELLE SWAIN- VIOLET GOULD'S OPERETTA SCHOOL; AUTHOR: CHRISTINE PODAS-LARSONVOLUME 59, NUMBER 4: FALL 2024- GROWING UP ON THE EMPIRE BUILDER; AUTHOR: JOHN W. DIERS- COMMUNIST CLARENCE HATHAWAY AND HIS POWERFUL IMPACT ON MINNESOTA POLITICS; AUTHOR: JIM MCCARTNEY- THE EVERYDAY ACTIVISM OF THE NORTH CENTRAL VOTERS LEAGUE IN ST. PAUL; AUTHOR: ADAM BLEDSOEVOLUME 60, NUMBER 1: WINTER 2025- THE WOMEN WHO HAVE SHAPED THE RAMSEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY; AUTHORS: ANDREA SWENSSON, YOUA VANG, MEREDITH CUMMINGS- CELEBRATING MINNESOTA'S HISTORY-MAKING WOMEN; AUTHORS: VARIOUS CONTRIBUTORS- ST. PAUL'S FORGOTTEN RADIO PIONEER MAURICE G. GOLDBERG; AUTHOR: REBECCA BENDERVOLUME 60, NUMBER 2: SPRING 2025- FIFTY YEARS OF HMONG LIVES IN RAMSEY COUNTY; AUTHOR: CHIA YOUYEE VANG, PHD- THREE EXTRAORDINARY YEARS IN ST. PAUL MILLINERY: 1908, 1909,1911; AUTHOR: JANICE QUICK- A HISTORY OF DRIVE-IN MOVIE THEATERS IN RAMSEY COUNTY; AUTHOR: PETE BOULAY

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 September 1959.

    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.

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.