Historical Society of the New York Courts
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $512,897
- Spending
- $475,389
- Spent on programs
- 62%
- Reserves
- 19.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 27
- Highest pay
- $116,900, executive director
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: 83 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 19.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 20% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1562% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 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
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 57% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
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
0 of 8Reports no 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (4)
- $65,664 spent. STUDENT INITIATIVESIN 2025, THE SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS EXPANSION OF ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING, EMPHASIZING WORKING WITH OTHER CIVICS ORGANIZATIONS AND DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS. THIS RESULTED IN FOUR CLASS VISITS TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, ON TOPICS THAT INCLUDED CAREER MODELING, CONTRACT LAW, AND CRIMINAL LAW, AS WELL AS PRESENTATIONS FOR STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND CIVICS PARTNERS. THE SOCIETY ALSO CONTINUED TO AWARD STUDENTS IN A LAW DAY ART CONTEST, DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM. THE SOCIETY AWARDED $1,000 TOTAL IN THREE TOP PRIZES FOR STUDENTS WHO PRODUCED ARTWORK ON THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION'S LAW DAY THEME. IN 2025, THE THEME WAS THE CONSTITUTION'S PROMISE: OUT OF MANY, ONE.
- $55,842 spent. PUBLICATIONS- THE SOCIETY PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED TO ITS MEMBERS THE 2025 ANNUAL CALENDAR. THE TOPIC FOR THE 2025 CALENDAR IS NEW YORK: OVER A CENTURY AT THE CENTER OF PRESERVATION LAW.- THE SOCIETY ALSO PUBLISHED ITS 19TH ISSUE OF JUDICIAL NOTICE, ITS SCHOLARLY JOURNAL. ARTICLES FEATURED THEMES INCLUDING GIBBONS V. OGDEN, WORKERS' COMPENSATION LAW IN THE STATE, AND THE RIGHTS OF LGBTQ PEOPLE IN NEW YORK.
- $48,090 spent. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON TOPICS OF NYS LEGAL HISTORY WERE CONDUCTED IN A VARIETY OF FORMATS. MOST PROGRAMMING WAS DONE IN-PERSON, OR HYBRID IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL. BELOW IS A LIST OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS:- HYBRID: CELEBRATING THE RULE OF LAW IN NEW YORK AND SOUTH AFRICA | OCTOBER 21, 2025- IN-PERSON: REMEMBERING WILLOWBROOK: ENSURING JUSTICE, DIGNITY & INCLUSION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL & DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES | OCTOBER 27, 2025- IN-PERSON: ALBANY'S MOST ACCLAIMED ARCHITECT: HENRY HOBSON RICHARDSON | NOVEMBER 17, 2025- IN-PERSON: RISING TO THE BENCH: ASIAN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVES FROM THE JUDICIARY | NOVEMBER 17, 2025IN ADDITION, THE SOCIETY SUPPORTED ITS PROGRAM PARTNERS FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:- IN-PERSON: THE MEREDITH TRIAL: A HISTORICAL REENACTMENT (APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT) | FEBRUARY 24, 2025- IN-PERSON: SCREENING OF ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL (APPELLATE DIVISION, FIRST DEPARTMENT) | MAY 19, 2025- IN-PERSON: DEDICATION OF THE RED ROOM AT THE NY COURT OF APPEALS AS THE CHIEF JUDGE JUDITH S. KAYE ROOM (NY COURT OF APPEALS) | SEPTEMBER 12, 2025
- $125,483 spent. PODCASTS & VIDEOCASTSIN 2025, THE SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS TWO SERIES CHATTING WITH THE AUTHORS OF JUDICIAL NOTICE AND WRECKING BALL: TALES OF PRESERVATION, THE LAW, AND THE PLACES THAT NEW YORKERS LOVE.- PODCAST EPISODE #26: SAMUEL JONES TILDEN: LAWYER, STATESMAN, AND VICTIM OF FATE (CHATTING WITH THE AUTHORS). EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF JUDICIAL NOTICE HON. HELEN E. FREEDMAN DISCUSSES TILDEN'S CAREER, CONTRIBUTIONS TO NEW YORK'S LEGAL COMMUNITY, AND PRESIDENTIAL BID IN THE 1876 ELECTION. - PODCAST EPISODE #27: A CONVERSATION WITH ANDREW BERMAN: THE "CHER" OF PRESERVATION (WRECKING BALL). THIS PODCAST PROVIDES A FAR-RANGING DISCUSSION ON PRESERVATION IN NEW YORK, PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE, INCLUDING THE CASE STUDIES OF ST. VINCENT'S HOSPITAL, THE "WEATHERMAN HOUSE, AND UNIVERSITY EXPANSIONS. - PODCAST EPISODE #28: BUFFALO V. ROCHESTER: THE JUDGE AND THE ANARCHIST AT THE DAWN OF THE 20TH CENTURY (CHATTING WITH THE AUTHORS). THIS EPISODE EXPLORES TWO PROMINENT, THOUGH IDEOLOGICALLY OPPOSED FIGURES: JOHN R. HAZEL, A POWERFUL GOP MACHINE BOSS FROM BUFFALO WHO BECAME A FEDERAL JUDGE, AND EMMA GOLDMAN, A RUSSIAN IMMIGRANT FROM ROCHESTER SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE "HIGH PRIESTESS OF ANARCHY." - PODCAST EPISODE #29: THE 1876 ELECTION SAMUEL JONES TILDEN V. RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. THIS PODCAST BUILDS UPON EPISODE 26 WITH A DISCUSSION ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ELECTIONS IN U.S. HISTORY IN WHICH TILDEN WON THE POPULAR VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, BUT HAYES WAS DECLARED THE WINNER AFTER MONTHS OF DISPUTE. - SPECIAL AUDIOSTORY EPISODE: HOW EMELINE GOT FREE: THE STORY OF THE WOMAN AT THE CENTER OF THE LANDMARK LEMMON SLAVE TRIAL OF 1852. THIS SPECIAL EPISODE OF THE SOCIETY'S PODCAST WAS RELEASED IN 2025. IT IS A RETELLING OF THE LEMMON SLAVE CASE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE OLDEST OF THE EIGHT ENSLAVED YOUNG WOMEN AND CHILDREN: EMELINE. RELYING ON NEWSPAPER ACCOUNTS, CASE DOCUMENTS, AND SURVIVING NARRATIVES OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE, EMELINE'S WORLD COMES ALIVE WITH VOICE ACTORS AND A SOUNDSCAPE THAT TRANSPORTS THE LISTENER TO HER TIME. ORAL HISTORY PROJECTIN 2025, THE SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT, RELEASING AN INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT S. DEAN, ESQ., AND LYNN W.L. FAHEY, ESQ. THAT WAS RECORDED THE PRIOR YEAR AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THE EDITING PROCESS. THE TWO ATTORNEYS DISCUSSED THEIR PRE-LAW CAREERS, THEIR FORMATIVE YEARS AT THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY, THE PIVOTAL DECISIONS THAT LED THEM TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE CHALLENGES AND REWARDS OF A LIFETIME DEDICATED TO APPELLATE DEFENSE FOR THOSE UNABLE TO AFFORD COUNSEL.COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY FELLOWIN 2025, THE SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS PART-TIME COMMUNICATIONS FELLOWSHIP THAT HAS EXPANDED THE SOCIETY'S DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE WEBSITE AS WELL AS DEVELOP NEW NETWORKS TO EXPAND THE SOCIETY'S REACH AND DEVELOP PODCASTS. A STIPEND OF $20,000 WAS GRANTED FOR A YEAR-LONG FELLOWSHIP, WITH $5,000 PAID IN 2025 AND $15,000 TO BE PAID IN 2026. HISTORIAN-IN-RESIDENCE FELLOWIN 2025, THE SOCIETY ALSO STARTED A NEW FELLOWSHIP TO UPDATE LEGAL HISTORY BY ERA, A SECTION OF THE SOCIETY'S WEBSITE THAT TRACES THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW YORK LAW AND COURTS THROUGH FIGURES, CASES, CONSTITUTIONS, AND OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS. THIS IS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS AND RESEARCHERS. THE FELLOW LARGELY COMPLETED THE GILDED AGE AND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ERA THIS YEAR. A STIPEND OF $30,000 WAS GRANTED FOR A YEAR-LONG FELLOWSHIP, WITH $22,500 PAID IN 2025 AND $7,500 TO BE PAID IN 2026.
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 October 13, 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 August 2002.
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 October 21, 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.