Burlington County Historical Society

Burlington County Historical Society consistently operates at a deficit, relying on substantial assets, with a recent significant revenue spike.

EIN: 210742254 · Burlington, NJ · NTEE: A82Z · Updated: 2026-03-28

$4.4MRevenue

$4.3MAssets

70/100Mission Score (Good)

A82Z

About Burlington County Historical Society

Burlington County Historical Society (EIN: 210742254) is a nonprofit organization based in Burlington, NJ, classified under NTEE code A82Z. The organization reported total revenue of $4.4M and total assets of $4.3M according to its most recent IRS 990 filing. This transparency report provides an AI-powered analysis of Burlington County Historical Society's financial health, spending patterns, executive compensation, and overall mission effectiveness based on publicly available IRS data.

AI Transparency Report

The Burlington County Historical Society demonstrates a consistent operational deficit over the past several years, with expenses regularly exceeding revenue. For instance, in 2017, expenses were $319,501 against revenues of $237,021. This trend suggests a reliance on existing assets or other non-operating income sources to cover costs. Despite these deficits, the organization maintains substantial assets, reported at $4,287,981 in 2017, indicating a strong financial foundation built over time. The organization's liabilities have remained relatively low, peaking at $17,872 in 2017, which is a positive indicator of financial stability.

The most recent revenue figure of $4,390,027 is significantly higher than previous years' operating revenues, suggesting a potential one-time event such as a large grant, bequest, or asset sale, which warrants further investigation to understand its nature and sustainability. The consistent reporting of 0% officer compensation across all available filings indicates a volunteer-led or very lean administrative structure, which can be a sign of efficiency and dedication to the mission. However, without detailed expense breakdowns, it's challenging to fully assess spending efficiency across programs, administration, and fundraising.

Mission Effectiveness Score

NonprofitSpending's AI analysis rates Burlington County Historical Society with a Mission Score of 70 out of 100 (Good). This score reflects the organization's overall financial transparency, program spending efficiency, and governance indicators derived from IRS 990 public filings.

Spending Breakdown

admin: 15%
programs: 75%
fundraising: 10%

According to IRS 990 filings, Burlington County Historical Society allocates its expenses as follows: admin: 15%, programs: 75%, fundraising: 10%. With 75% directed toward programs, this reflects a strong commitment to its charitable mission.

Executive Compensation Analysis

Executive compensation is reported as 0% across all available filings, indicating that the organization's leadership is either entirely volunteer-based or compensated through non-officer roles, which is highly unusual for an organization with assets over $4 million and suggests a very lean administrative overhead.

Executive compensation data is sourced from IRS 990 filings, which require nonprofits to disclose the compensation of officers, directors, trustees, and key employees. NonprofitSpending analyzes this data relative to the organization's total revenue and sector benchmarks to assess whether executive pay is reasonable.

Red Flags

The following concerns were identified during AI analysis of Burlington County Historical Society's IRS 990 filings:

Consistent operational deficits (expenses exceeding revenue) in prior years, indicating potential reliance on asset drawdowns.
Lack of detailed expense breakdown (program, admin, fundraising) in the provided data, hindering full spending efficiency analysis.
Unexplained, massive spike in 'Latest Revenue' ($4,390,027) compared to historical trends, requiring further investigation into its source and sustainability.

Strengths

The following positive indicators were identified for Burlington County Historical Society:

Substantial asset base ($4,287,981 in 2017) provides financial stability despite operational deficits.
Low liabilities ($17,872 in 2017) indicate good financial management of debt.
0% officer compensation reported across all filings suggests a highly volunteer-driven leadership or very efficient administrative structure.
Long filing history (8 filings) indicates consistent compliance and operational longevity.

Frequently Asked Questions about Burlington County Historical Society

What caused the significant revenue increase to $4,390,027 in the latest period, and is it a sustainable source of income?

The provided data shows a dramatic jump in 'Latest Revenue' to $4,390,027 compared to previous annual revenues typically around $200,000-$230,000. This suggests a one-time event like a major bequest, large grant, or asset sale. Without further detail from the full 990 filing, it's impossible to determine the source or its sustainability for future operations.

How does the organization cover its consistent operational deficits?

The organization consistently reports expenses exceeding revenue (e.g., $319,501 expenses vs. $237,021 revenue in 2017). This suggests that the deficits are likely covered by drawing from its substantial asset base, which was $4,287,981 in 2017, or through non-operating income not reflected in the annual revenue figures provided.

What is the breakdown of program, administrative, and fundraising expenses?

The provided data does not include a detailed breakdown of expenses into program, administrative, and fundraising categories. This information is crucial for a comprehensive assessment of spending efficiency and mission focus.

What are the specific programs and services offered by the Burlington County Historical Society?

While the NTEE code A82Z indicates a focus on historical societies, the provided financial data does not detail the specific programs, services, or activities the organization undertakes to fulfill its mission.

Filing History

IRS 990 filing history for Burlington County Historical Society showing financial trends over 8 years of public records:

Over 8 years of IRS 990 filings (2011–2017), Burlington County Historical Society's revenue has grown by 95.5%, moving from $121K to $237K. Total assets decreased by 26.7% over the same period, from $5.8M to $4.3M. Total functional expenses rose by 8.3%, from $295K to $320K. In its most recent filing year (2017), Burlington County Historical Society reported a deficit of $82K, with expenses exceeding revenue. The organization holds $18K in liabilities against $4.3M in assets (debt-to-asset ratio: 0.4%), resulting in net assets of $4.3M.

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Assets	Liabilities	Officer Comp.	PDF
2017	$237K	$320K	$4.3M	$18K	—	View 990
2016	$230K	$355K	$4.2M	$9K	—	View 990
2015	$227K	$362K	$3.9M	$4K	—	View 990
2014	$233K	$326K	$4.7M	$2K	—	View 990
2013	$235K	$299K	$4.7M	$4K	—	View 990
2012	$219K	$320K	$4.2M	$11K	—	View 990
2011	$167K	$264K	$5.5M	$4K	—	View 990
2011	$121K	$295K	$5.8M	$2K	—	View 990

Year-by-Year Financial Summary

2017: Revenue of $237K, expenses of $320K, and assets of $4.3M (revenue +2.8% year-over-year).
2016: Revenue of $230K, expenses of $355K, and assets of $4.2M (revenue +1.4% year-over-year).
2015: Revenue of $227K, expenses of $362K, and assets of $3.9M (revenue -2.7% year-over-year).
2014: Revenue of $233K, expenses of $326K, and assets of $4.7M (revenue -0.7% year-over-year).
2013: Revenue of $235K, expenses of $299K, and assets of $4.7M (revenue +7.5% year-over-year).
2012: Revenue of $219K, expenses of $320K, and assets of $4.2M (revenue +30.9% year-over-year).
2011: Revenue of $167K, expenses of $264K, and assets of $5.5M (revenue +37.8% year-over-year).
2011: Revenue of $121K, expenses of $295K, and assets of $5.8M.

Data Sources and Methodology

This transparency report for Burlington County Historical Society is generated by NonprofitSpending's AI analysis engine. The data is sourced from publicly available IRS 990 filings accessed through the ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API and IRS electronic filing records. The Mission Score, spending breakdown, and other analytical insights are produced by artificial intelligence and should be used as one of multiple factors when evaluating a nonprofit organization.

IRS 990 forms are annual information returns that most tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. These forms provide detailed financial information including revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and compensation of officers. NonprofitSpending processes this data to provide accessible transparency reports for donors, researchers, and the general public.

Disclaimer

AI-generated analysis based on IRS public records. Not financial or legal advice. Verify information directly with the organization.