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Old Dartmouth Historical Society

The Societys mission is to ignite learning through explorations of art, history, science and culture rooted in the stories of people, the region and an international seaport.

Arts & Culture New Bedford, MA EIN: 042104805 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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80
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
80/100 · methodology

About Old Dartmouth Historical Society

Anchored in the story of New Bedford’s whaling industry, the New Bedford Whaling Museum documents and shares the diverse stories of this vibrant maritime region and its people, both bygone and current.

Founded
Headquarters
New Bedford, MA
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
A800
IRS subsection
501(c)(c3)
Ruling date
Size
large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1932

Mission

The Societys mission is to ignite learning through explorations of art, history, science and culture rooted in the stories of people, the region and an international seaport.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Cause tags
SDG alignment The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the global agenda for ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity by 2030. We tag each charity to the goals its work advances.

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 4 similar arts & culture in United States
Program spending This charity: 77%
Peer average: 78%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 1.61%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 80
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2024 · IRS 990 (FY2024)
$0.77
Program$0.77
77% to programs beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Old Dartmouth Historical Society has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.

  • Established in 1903, 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
  • It is one of the better-documented arts & culture charities in the United States GiveRadar currently 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 verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (5 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • 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 + methodology

Old Dartmouth Historical Society is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in New Bedford, MA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1903 and has been operating for 123 years. Its EIN is 042104805. 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 80/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $19M in annual revenue. 161 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Old Dartmouth Historical Society's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 042104805. 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.

Old Dartmouth Historical Society has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80/100. 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 80 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 77% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 90/100.

Old Dartmouth Historical Society is located in New Bedford, MA, United States. The organization was established in 1903 and has been active for 123 years.

Based on official tax filings, Old Dartmouth Historical Society has $19M in annual revenue. It allocates 77% of expenses to programs and services. This is in line with 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.

Old Dartmouth 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 $19M in annual revenue. The organization has 161 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Old Dartmouth 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, Old Dartmouth 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 77% 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.

Anchored in the story of New Bedford’s whaling industry, the New Bedford Whaling Museum documents and shares the diverse stories of this vibrant maritime region and its people, both bygone and current. Old Dartmouth Historical Society is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1903.

Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: It allocates 77% of expenses to programs, in line with the peer average of 78%. Its annual revenue of $19M is well above the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Old Dartmouth Historical Society are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 042104805, 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.

Annual revenue
$10M-$100M
77% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
Financial details are free - with a GiveRadar account

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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
59

Leadership

From FY2024 filing

HA
Hardwick S••••••
Treasurer

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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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

Form filed
$18.7M revenue
FY2024
IRS 990
Form filed
$7.7M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$7.7M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$6.8M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$4.4M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture this charity 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 161 disclosed in the public registry.
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 12, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
90%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2024 on record
  • Named leadership · 161 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1903
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No 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.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Old Dartmouth Historical Society

What is Old Dartmouth Historical Society?
Old Dartmouth Historical Society is a arts & culture publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in New Bedford, United States. Anchored in the story of New Bedford’s whaling industry, the New Bedford Whaling Museum documents and shares the diverse stories of this vibrant maritime region and its people, both bygone and current.
When was Old Dartmouth Historical Society founded?
Old Dartmouth Historical Society was founded in 1903.
Who leads Old Dartmouth Historical Society?
Hardwick Simmons serves as Treasurer.
Where is Old Dartmouth Historical Society located?
Headquartered in New Bedford, MA, United States.
What is Old Dartmouth Historical Society's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $10M-$100M. 77% of expenses go to program services.
Is Old Dartmouth Historical Society trustworthy?
Old Dartmouth Historical Society has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 80 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 Old Dartmouth Historical Society's registration number?
IRS EIN: 042104805.
What is Old Dartmouth Historical Society's website?
http://www.whalingmuseum.org