Friends of Memorial Hall
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
The mission of the Friends is the historic preservation of Memorial Hall including its design and reconstruction. Built in 1793 as the residence of Samual Dexter a member of President John Adams Cabinet the building was converted in 1888 into the Abraham Lincoln Post 11 of the Grand Army of the Republic. Post 11 later expanded to serve all veterans. Today the building is being renovated to provide a stable headquarters for veteran support and community services.
- Income
- $319,210
- Spending
- $372,537
- Spent on programs
- 97%
- Reserves
- 1.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 86%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 10
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 45 out of 100. Higher than 14% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 17% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 38% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1597% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Fair: 61 out of 100. Higher than 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
5 of 254 of 8 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
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.
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, 2024, 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)
- $344,395 spent. Historic Preservation NTEE code A84: Under a contract with the City of Boston the organization continued restoring the historic building and grounds to their 1888 appearance. Several vendors provided services and materials with principal craftsmanship from the Preservation Carpentry program of the North Bennet Street School. The building nearly condemned in the 1990s has undergone extensive structural and exterior rehabilitation and is on track for completion by the end of 2024. These expenses were covered by the Community Preservation Committee of the City of Boston with additional assistance provided by the fundraising efforts of the Friends.
- $10,702 spent. Operating Support for Memorial Hall at 14 Green Street Charlestown NTEE Code A80. This program offers supplemental operating assistance to sustain the buildings operations housing the Charlestown Learning and Lacrosse Center and the Movement Lab LLC. These non-profit programs serve more than 200 Charlestown youth. Additionally 7,000 is allocated for scholarships benefiting the children and grandchildren of Charlestown veterans with no individual grant exceeding 1,000.
- $4,715 spent. This total includes a number of small expenses that were for the restoration of the building. Included are hardware store purchases for tools and equipment Home Depot expenses for additional tools etc.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 2024.
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 April 2016.
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.