Chicago Historical Society
The Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, programs, digital resources, and special events, the Museum connects …
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A museum & research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum is a place for learning, inspiration & civic engagement.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
The Chicago History Museum strives to be a destination for learning, inspiration, and civic engagement. Through dynamic exhibitions, tours, programs, digital resources, and special events, the Museum connects people to Chicago's history and to each other.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 4 similar arts & culture in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2023 · IRS 990 (FY2023)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
GiveRadar's verified records show Chicago Historical Society with a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- Established in 1857, it is among the oldest arts & culture charities in the United States GiveRadar tracks. View this cohort
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 98% of the 55,580 arts & culture charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- GiveRadar has verified more about this organization than about 84% of the 133,127 arts & culture charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (4 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- an owner-submitted profile claim
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Common questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyChicago Historical Society is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in Chicago, IL, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1857 and has been operating for 169 years. Its EIN is 362167004. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 75/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $16M in annual revenue. 225 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Chicago Historical Society's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 362167004. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.
Chicago Historical Society has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 75/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 75 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 90/100.
Chicago Historical Society is located in Chicago, IL, United States. The organization was established in 1857 and has been active for 169 years. Its registered address is 1601 North Clark Street, United States.
Based on official tax filings, Chicago Historical Society has $16M in annual revenue. It allocates 64% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 78% for arts & culture charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Chicago Historical Society is classified as an Arts & Culture organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a large organization. It has $16M in annual revenue. The organization has 225 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for Chicago Historical Society. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.
According to GiveRadar's records, Chicago Historical Society holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 64% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 78%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.
A museum & research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum is a place for learning, inspiration & civic engagement. Chicago Historical Society is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1857.
Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: It allocates 64% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 78%. Its annual revenue of $16M is well above the peer average of $1M.
Yes, donations to Chicago Historical Society are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Chicago Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 362167004, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Filing history
4 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2023): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2023 filing
Officers & trustees (25)
Source: Public filings
25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
Sources and verification
- Registration and legal identity
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Financial filings
- IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2023 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 225 disclosed in the public registry.
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2023 on record
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Named leadership · 225 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 1857
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Programs & activitiesNo named programs listed by the charity
Methodology
GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about Chicago Historical Society
- What is Chicago Historical Society?
- Chicago Historical Society is a arts & culture publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Chicago, United States. A museum & research center for Chicago and U.S. history, the Chicago History Museum is a place for learning, inspiration & civic engagement.
- When was Chicago Historical Society founded?
- Chicago Historical Society was founded in 1857.
- Who leads Chicago Historical Society?
- Cheryl Obermeyer serves as VP of Finance.
- Where is Chicago Historical Society located?
- Headquartered in Chicago, IL, United States.
- What is Chicago Historical Society's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2023 is approximately $10M-$100M. 64% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Chicago Historical Society trustworthy?
- Chicago Historical Society has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 75 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Chicago Historical Society's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 362167004.
- What is Chicago Historical Society's website?
- https://www.chicagohistory.org