Maine Natural History Observatory
About
Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) is a nonprofit research organization in Downeast Maine dedicated to documenting, studying, and sharing knowledge about Maine’s plants, animals, and ecosystems. Through scientific research, long-term monitoring, and data archiving, MNHO is working to build a comprehensive understanding of the state’s biodiversity and natural history. The Observatory collaborates with conservation organizations, volunteers, and agencies to collect high-quality biological data, develop natural history educational tools, and make natural history information accessible to scientists, educators, and the public. Its mission is to advance the conservation of Maine’s natural resources by providing reliable data and fostering a deeper appreciation for the state’s rich ecological diversity.
Natural history observation
Focus & reach
Verification & registration
Every mark links to the official registry entry and opens in a new tab.
Integrity assessment
A score from 0 to 100 for how openly a charity shares public information across five areas: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and data recency. It does not measure programme impact. document.querySelector('#data-knowledge') && document.querySelector('#data-knowledge').scrollIntoView({behavior:'smooth', block:'start'}))" class="gr-link" style="color:#0E827A;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none;cursor:pointer">See exactly what we do and do not have →
Financials
IRS Form 990Leadership at a glance
Official filings
GiveRadar Intelligence
GiveRadar Analysis
From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Maine Natural History Observatory has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 4 independent sources including the IRS.
- GiveRadar holds a more complete profile for this organization than for 96% of the 133,131 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
- GiveRadar has cross-referenced this organization across 4 independent sources, led by the IRS - more than 84% of comparable organizations. See the sources
- It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
- government registration
- financial records (5 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-09-07. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.
Filing history
5 years on file from IRS Form 990: revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
Sign up to viewTax deductibility
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Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
MAINE NATURAL HISTORY OBSERVATORY 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.
This is general guidance, not tax advice. Confirm treatment with the charity or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
Leadership & board
Official filingsBoard members and senior officers on record, with disclosed pay where available.
8 officers and trustees on file, free with a GiveRadar account.
1 red flag detected
Timeline
From official filingsKey dates from this charity's official filings, newest first.
In the news
No recent news coverage found
News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.
#3,753 of 133,131 arts & culture charities in the United States on integrity score
84/100 puts it in the top 4% of the cohort, tied with 910 others. Positions are competition ranks: ties share a position. Cohorts are the tightest local peer set with at least 30 comparable organizations; a metric is left out where the cohort is too small or nearly uniform.
Bars show the share of the cohort this charity outranks. Ranks describe how much is publicly disclosed, not how good the charity is.
How it stacks up against peers
Compared with 8 similar arts & culture charities in United States.
Cause areas in United States
Charities working in each area, this charity's highlighted.
Sources and verification
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search · 27 disclosed in the public registry.
What we know and don't know
Every data point we track for this charity, and whether we have found it. Disclosure only, never a judgment of the charity's work.
Data freshness
How current this profile is, and when we last checked it against the official source.
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.
Read full methodologyIf you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email info@giveradar.com with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions about Maine Natural History Observatory
Maine Natural History Observatory is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in Gouldsboro, ME, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 2003 and has been operating for 23 years. Its EIN is 200718450. 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 84/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $349K in annual revenue. 27 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern.
Maine Natural History Observatory's highest-paid executive, Glen Mittelhauser, received $35,650 in reported compensation in its most recent filing (2025). This figure comes straight from the organization's official filing and covers salary plus other reportable pay. Executive pay generally scales with the size and complexity of a nonprofit, so it is best read alongside the organization's revenue and what it does.
Based on official filings, Maine Natural History Observatory has $349K in annual revenue. It allocates 88% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 76% for arts & culture charities in United States. Its revenue is below the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) is a nonprofit research organization in Downeast Maine dedicated to documenting, studying, and sharing knowledge about Maine’s plants, animals, and ecosystems. Through scientific research, long-term monitoring, and data archiving, MNHO is working to build a comprehensive understanding of the state’s biodiversity and natural history. The Observatory collaborates with conservation organizations, volunteers, and agencies to collect high-quality biological data, develop natural history educational tools, and make natural history information accessible to scientists, educators, and the public. Its mission is to advance the conservation of Maine’s natural resources by providing reliable data and fostering a deeper appreciation for the state’s rich ecological diversity. Maine Natural History Observatory is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 2003.
GiveRadar has identified 1 potential concern for Maine Natural History Observatory. Red flags are automatically detected from official data and may include high executive compensation relative to budget, low program spending, or missing financial filings. Red flags do not necessarily mean wrongdoing but indicate areas that may warrant further review before donating.
Maine Natural History Observatory 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 small organization. It has $349K in annual revenue. The organization has 27 disclosed officers and directors.
Maine Natural History Observatory's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 200718450. 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.
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Quick facts about Maine Natural History Observatory
- What is Maine Natural History Observatory?
- Maine Natural History Observatory is a arts & culture publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Gouldsboro, United States. Maine Natural History Observatory (MNHO) is a nonprofit research organization in Downeast Maine dedicated to documenting, studying, and sharing knowledge about Maine’s plants, animals, and ecosystems. Through scientific research, long-term monitoring, and data archiving, MNHO is working to build a comprehensive understanding of the state’s biodiversity and natural history. The Observatory collaborates with conservation organizations, volunteers, and agencies to collect high-quality biological data, develop natural history educational tools, and make natural history information accessible to scientists, educators, and the public. Its mission is to advance the conservation of Maine’s natural resources by providing reliable data and fostering a deeper appreciation for the state’s rich ecological diversity.
- When was Maine Natural History Observatory founded?
- Maine Natural History Observatory was founded in 2003.
- Who leads Maine Natural History Observatory?
- Glen Mittelhauser serves as Treasurer/Exec Dir.
- Where is Maine Natural History Observatory located?
- Headquartered in Gouldsboro, ME, United States.
- What is Maine Natural History Observatory's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is $348,525. 88% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Maine Natural History Observatory trustworthy?
- Maine Natural History Observatory has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 84 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 Maine Natural History Observatory's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 200718450.
- What is Maine Natural History Observatory's website?
- http://www.mainenaturalhistory.org