South Carolina Historical Society
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE SCHS MISSION IS TO EXPAND, PRESERVE, AND MAKE ACCESSIBLE OUR INVALUABLE COLLECTION, AND TO ENCOURAGE INTEREST AND PRIDE IN THE RICH HISTORY OF OUR STATE.
- Income
- $1.6 million
- Spending
- $2.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 79%
- Reserves
- 19.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 85%
- Employees
- 17
- Volunteers
- 5
- Highest pay
- $244,615, ceo and ex-officio
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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 47% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 19.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 27% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 46% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1579% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 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: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2524 of 24 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 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 (3)
- $386,997 spent. ARCHIVALTHE SOCIETY HAS APPROXIMATELY 3,000 MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS THAT INCLUDE LETTERS, DIARIES, LEGAL PAPERS, AND OTHER DOCUMENTS DATING FROM 1670 TO THE PRESENT AND MORE THAN 10,000 OVERSIZED PLATS, MONUMENTS, MAPS AND DRAWINGS. OVER 30,000 PHOTOGRAPHS, PRINTS, AND OTHER VISUAL ITEMS ARE MAINTAINED, AS WELL AS A RESEARCH LIBRARY CONTAINING NEARLY 5,000 BOOKS SELECTED TO ADD CONTEXTUAL EVIDENCE THAT ENHANCES THE MANUSCRIPT AND OTHER ARCHIVAL HOLDINGS. THE COLLECTION ALSO INCLUDES MORE THAN 45,000 HISTORICAL PAMPHLETS AND PRINTED MATERIALS AS WELL AS HUNDREDS OF FILES AND BOOKS PERTAINING TO GENEALOGY. THE COLLECTION ALSO INCLUDES NUMEROUS ARTIFACTS RANGING FROM OVERSIZED, UNIQUE BATTLE FLAGS TO SMALL, PERSONAL ITEMS. MOST OF THE COLLECTION IS HOUSED AT THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON'S ADDLESTONE LIBRARY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AREA. WITH THE MUSEUM INSTALLATION IN 2018 SELECTED ITEMS ARE EXHIBITED IN THE FIREPROOF BUILDING. ALSO, SOME ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS ARE MAINTAINED IN THE SOCIETY'S HEADQUARTERS.THE BOARD OF MANAGERS ADOPTED THE POLICY TO NOT CAPITALIZE ITS COLLECTION BECAUSE IT IS IMPRACTICABLE TO ATTEMPT TO ASSIGN VALUES TO THE COLLECTION BECAUSE EACH ITEM HAS CERTAIN ATTRIBUTES, SUCH AS AGE, PREPARATION, TYPE OF CULTURAL MATERIAL AND RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS, PERSONS OR EVENTS IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORY THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AN OBJECTIVE BASIS FOR EVALUATION. THE SOCIETY DOES NOT CONSIDER THE COLLECTIONS A FINANCIAL ASSET, BUT RATHER AN IRREPLACEABLE TREASURE OF SOUTH CAROLINA CULTURE TO BE PRESERVED FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.THE SOCIETY'S LIBRARIAN AND ARCHIVISTS OPERATE OUT OF ADDLESTONE LIBRARY WHERE THEY MANAGE THE COLLECTION, PROVIDE REFERENCE SERVICE AND ASSIST PATRONS IN THE RESEARCH ROOM. THE READING ROOM THERE IS OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE STAFF PROMOTES THE USE OF THE COLLECTION THROUGH SUCH ACTIVITIES AS CLASSROOM VISITS, PRIVATE TOURS OF THE COLLECTION, AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. COLLEGE CLASSES IN PRESERVATION, CONSERVATION AND/OR FREQUENTLY VISIT THE BUILDING FOR HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE.
- $474,346 spent. OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY (SCHS) EDUCATES AND ENGAGES THE PUBLIC ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORY AND ITS COLLECTIONS THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE OUTREACH, EDUCATION, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMMING INITIATIVE. SCHS UTILIZES A WEBSITE (HTTPS://SCHISTORY.ORG/), ACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK), VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON PROGRAMS, LECTURES, AND PUBLICATIONS TO REACH AUDIENCES STATEWIDE. PUBLISHING SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORY IS CENTRAL TO THE SOCIETY'S MISSION. SCHS BEGAN PUBLISHING ITS COLLECTIONS PRIOR TO THE CIVIL WAR AND HAS PUBLISHED THE SOUTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL MAGAZINE SINCE 1900. THE MAGAZINE IS A PEER-REVIEWED SCHOLARLY JOURNAL OVERSEEN BY AN EDITORIAL BOARD OF LEADING HISTORIANS AND PUBLISHES EIGHT ARTICLES ANNUALLY, ALONG WITH APPROXIMATELY FIFTY BOOK REVIEWS AND TWENTY NEWLY PROCESSED MANUSCRIPT LISTINGS IN QUARTERLY ISSUES. SCHS ALSO PUBLISHES CAROLOGUE, A POPULAR HISTORY MAGAZINE FEATURING ACCESSIBLE ARTICLES, PHOTO ESSAYS, AND UPDATES ON SOCIETY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS. SCHS PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND LIFELONG LEARNERS, INCLUDING ITS TRAVELING ARCHIVE PROGRAM, WHICH BRINGS REPRODUCTIONS OF PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIALS DIRECTLY INTO CLASSROOMS ACROSS THE STATE. THE SOCIETY WORKS CLOSELY WITH EDUCATORS TO ALIGN PROGRAMMING WITH CURRICULUM STANDARDS AND SUPPORT THE USE OF PRIMARY SOURCES IN TEACHING. SCHS ALSO HOSTS LECTURES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS AT THE FIREPROOF BUILDING MUSEUM AND AT PARTNER SITES THROUGHOUT SOUTH CAROLINA, OFFERING BOTH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT BROADEN ACCESS TO HISTORY, ENCOURAGE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE SOCIETY'S COLLECTIONS, AND SUPPORT STATEWIDE LEARNING AND RESEARCH.
- $447,758 spent. FIREPROOF BUILDING AND MUSEUM: THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED BY ROBERT MILLS, A NATIVE SOUTH CAROLINIAN AND THE FIRST PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED AMERICAN ARCHITECT. MILLS ALSO DESIGNED THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT -HIS MOST FAMOUS WORK- AND NUMEROUS BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT SOUTH CAROLINA AND AS FAR NORTH AS MASSACHUSETTS. THE FIREPROOF BUILDING WAS THE FIRST IN AMERICA DESIGNED TO LIMIT THE SPREAD OF FIRE. THE DRIVERS OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN IN CHARLESTON TODAY ARE EARTHQUAKES AND HURRICANES. IN THE EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY, THE MAJOR CONCERN FOR URBAN ARCHITECTURE WAS FIRE. DURING THE COLONIAL PERIOD, CHARLESTON (AND MANY OTHER CITIES) EXPERIENCEDNUMEROUSFIRES IN WHICH LARGE PARTS OF THE CITY WERE DESTROYED. MILLS WANTED TO CREATE A BUILDING THAT COULDCONTAINA BLAZE AND PREVENT IT FROM SPREADING TO OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE CITY. TO MAKE THE BUILDING AS "FIREPROOF" AS POSSIBLE, MILLS HAD CHALMERS STREET WIDENED TO PROVIDE A BETTER FIREBREAK. HE HAD ALLOTHERBUILDINGS ON AND AROUND THE SITE REMOVED. DURING THE 2016-2018 RENOVATION, CREWS FOUND FOUNDATIONS OF DWELLINGS THAT DATEDTO CA.1700-1720. MILLS ALSO DESIGNED WASHINGTON SQUARE, WHICH WOULD SERVE AS A FIREBREAK ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING. INDEED, THE ENTIRE SITE WAS DESIGNED TO BE FIREPROOF, NOT JUST THE BUILDING. THE SCHS MUSEUM, HOUSED IN THE HISTORIC FIREPROOF BUILDING,CONTAINS6 GALLERIES THAT TELL THE STORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH THE VAST COLLECTION OF THE SOCIETY.THE GALLERIES, WHICH ARELOCATEDON THE SECOND (MAIN) FLOOR, ARE: GALLERY I: A HAVEN WITH PROSPECTS: EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT GALLERY II: NEW HORIZONS: BUILDING A STATE AND A NATION GALLERY III: SECESSION, WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION GALLERY IV: CHARLESTON RECOVERS GALLERY V: CELEBRATING DIVERSITY IN ART, LITERATURE, AND CULTURE GALLERY VI:VOICES OF REVOLUTION IN SOUTH CAROLINA(ROTATING OPENED SEPTEMBER 2025)
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
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 December 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 May 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.