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Nonprofiteer
← PROPRIETORS OF THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by PROPRIETORS OF THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM.

Totals

Total revenue
$9,747,313
Total expenses
$13,162,899
Contributions and grants received
$4,134,636
Grants paid
$12,000
Program service revenue
$2,179,117
Investment income
$2,934,128
Other revenue
$499,432
Total assets, end of year
$138,521,803
Total liabilities, end of year
$18,044,208
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$120,477,595
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$10,636,199
Management and general expenses
$1,288,531
Fundraising expenses
$1,238,169
Program service expenses (Part III)
$10,636,199

Program services were 80.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1d · Related organizations

    $54,759

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $4,079,877

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $176,145

  • 2a · Program service revenue: FEES FOR LIBRARY USE

    total $1,875,781 · related or exempt $1,875,781

  • 2b · Program service revenue: GENERAL ADMISSION

    total $188,196 · related or exempt $188,196

  • 2c · Program service revenue: LECTURES, CONCERTS & EXHIBITIONS

    total $61,284 · related or exempt $61,284

  • 2d · Program service revenue: OTHER PROGRAM REVENUE

    total $49,918 · related or exempt $49,918

  • 2e · Program service revenue: PHOTOGRAPHIC SERVICES

    total $3,938 · related or exempt $3,938

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $1,989,566 · excluded $1,989,566

  • 6a · Gross rents

    real property $536,981

  • 6b · Less rental expenses

    real property $59,930

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $477,051

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $477,051 · unrelated business -$14,849 · excluded $491,900

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $40,990,164

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $40,045,602

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $944,562

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $944,562 · excluded $944,562

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $43,740

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $21,359

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $22,381 · excluded $22,381

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $5,000 · program services $5,000

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $7,000 · program services $7,000

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $691,335 · program services $175,519 · management and general $362,237 · fundraising $153,579

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $3,863,545 · program services $3,052,284 · management and general $304,154 · fundraising $507,107

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $200,077 · program services $164,367 · management and general $11,150 · fundraising $24,560

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $924,942 · program services $697,973 · management and general $91,854 · fundraising $135,115

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $318,838 · program services $228,381 · management and general $44,651 · fundraising $45,806

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $17,875 · management and general $17,875

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $56,718 · management and general $56,718

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $55,129 · fundraising $55,129

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $134,906 · management and general $134,906

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $182,426 · management and general $94,166 · fundraising $88,260

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $26,387 · program services $26,387

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $184,120 · program services $120,322 · management and general $50,153 · fundraising $13,645

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $485,329 · program services $334,456 · management and general $23,818 · fundraising $127,055

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $2,827,771 · program services $2,744,099 · management and general $61,507 · fundraising $22,165

  • 17 · Travel

    total $24,580 · program services $11,695 · management and general $11,700 · fundraising $1,185

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $1,708,736 · program services $1,672,853 · management and general $22,213 · fundraising $13,670

  • 24a · Other expenses: COLLECTIONS AQUISITIONS

    total $714,437 · program services $714,437

  • 24b · Other expenses: EVENT PROGRAMMING

    total $249,473 · program services $199,460 · fundraising $50,013

  • 24c · Other expenses: ART EXHIBITIONS

    total $218,550 · program services $218,550

  • 24d · Other expenses: CATALOGING AND COLLECTI

    total $155,953 · program services $155,953

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $109,772 · program services $107,463 · management and general $1,429 · fundraising $880

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $590,456 · end of year $1,007,958

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $4,534,915 · end of year $7,401,469

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $432,911 · end of year $1,096,253

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $2,000 · end of year $14,623

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $141,735 · end of year $116,168

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $58,538,057

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $23,944,651

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $36,298,028 · end of year $34,593,406

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $58,275,807 · end of year $53,979,187

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $21,600,428 · end of year $25,575,090

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $15,305,063 · end of year $14,737,649

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $731,787 · end of year $771,323

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $937,225 · end of year $1,105,221

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $16,834,881 · end of year $16,167,664

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $70,222,887 · end of year $69,101,691

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $48,454,563 · end of year $51,375,904

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

SEE SCHEDULE O.

  • LIBRARY SERVICES - SEE SCHEDULE O.LIBRARY SERVICES - THE LIBRARY IS THE LARGEST PROGRAMMATIC ACTIVITY OF THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MEMBERS, THEIR FAMILIES, THE SCHOLARLY COMMUNITY, STUDENTS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. IT IS COMPOSED OF TWO PRINCIPAL DEPARTMENTS: READER SERVICES AND TECHNICAL SERVICES. READER SERVICES AT THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM COMPRISES THE PUBLIC DEPARTMENTS THAT OFFER LIBRARY SERVICES. THE HEAD OF READER SERVICES AND THE ARCHIVIST/REFERENCE LIBRARIAN WORK AT THE REFERENCE DESK; THEY ANSWER HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS AND RESEARCHERS' QUESTIONS AND ASSIST IN THE USE OF CIRCULATING MATERIALS, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, ELECTRONIC RESOURCES, AND ONLINE RESEARCH. THOUSANDS OF RARE MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED FOR THE 200-300 RESEARCHERS WHO USE THE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS READING ROOM EVERY YEAR. THE HEAD OF CIRCULATION AND THE READER SERVICES ASSISTANT MANAGE ACTIVITY AT THE CIRCULATION DESK, WHERE ROUGHLY 18,000 ITEMS CIRCULATE EACH YEAR. FIVE INTERNS ASSIST AT CIRCULATION AND REFERENCE. THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN HELPS YOUNGER MEMBERS USE THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARY, AND OFFERS PROGRAMS INCLUDING STORY HOURS AND READING GROUPS, DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR CHILDREN. NINETEEN DISCUSSION GROUPS AND OVER 150 TOURS OF THE BUILDING ARE ARRANGED BY READER SERVICES EVERY YEAR. THE TECHNICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MANAGED BY THE CHIEF TECHNICAL SERVICES LIBRARIAN, ENCOMPASSES THE FUNCTIONS OF ACQUISITIONS, CATALOGING, SERIALS, CONSERVATION, AND DIGITIZATION. THE UNITS OF ACQUISITIONS, CATALOGING, AND SERIALS INCLUDE, AN ACQUISITIONS LIBRARIAN, A SERIALS LIBRARIAN, THREE RARE MATERIALS CATALOG LIBRARIANS, TWO CATALOGING ASSISTANTS, AND THREE INTERNS. THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SELECTING, ACQUIRING, ACCESSIONING, INVOICING, CATALOGING, AND PROCESSING APPROXIMATELY 2,700 ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY PER YEAR, INCLUDING BOTH NEW IMPRINTS AND RARE HISTORICAL VOLUMES. THE DEPARTMENT ALSO AUGMENTS APPROXIMATELY 3,000 LEGACY CATALOGING RECORDS PER YEAR.

    Expenses $4,468,659 · Grants $12,000 · Revenue $1,875,781

  • SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - SEE SCHEDULE O.SPECIAL COLLECTIONS - THE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT IS COMPOSED OF THE CURATORS WHO OVERSEE THE ACQUISITION, MAINTENANCE, AND EXHIBITION OF RARE BOOKS, ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS, MANUSCRIPTS, MAPS, AND WORKS OF ART. DEPARTMENT STAFF MEMBERS INCLUDE THE CURATOR OF RARE BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS, THE CURATOR OF PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE, THE ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE, THE ARCHIVIST, AND THE CURATOR OF PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. THE CURATORS RESEARCH OBJECTS IN THE COLLECTIONS AND DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ABOUT THEM TO THE SCHOLARLY COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH LECTURES, PUBLICATIONS, AND (IN COOPERATION WITH LIBRARIES, ARCHIVES, AND MUSEUMS AROUND THE COUNTRY) AN ACTIVE LOAN PROGRAM. EACH YEAR, ON SITE, THE CURATORS ASSIST HUNDREDS OF ATHENAEUM MEMBERS AND VISITING SCHOLARS IN RESEARCHING THE ATHENAEUM'S COLLECTIONS. THE CURATORIAL STAFF MOUNTS TWO OR THREE EXHIBITIONS PER YEAR COVERING A RANGE OF HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY SUBJECTS. THESE EXHIBITIONS ARE ACCOMPANIED BY GALLERY TALKS, LECTURES, AND SYMPOSIA, ALL OF WHICH ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

    Expenses $4,108,191

  • LECTURES & CONCERTS - SEE SCHEDULE O.LECTURES & CONCERTS - THE LECTURES AND CONCERTS PROGRAM INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 100 EVENTS EACH YEAR, SUCH AS AUTHOR TALKS, LECTURES, CONCERTS, CHILDREN'S EVENTS, EXHIBITION RECEPTIONS AND MOVIES. EVENTS TAKE PLACE BOTH IN THE EVENING AND DURING THE DAY AND INCLUDE EVENTS THAT ARE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL AS EVENTS FOR ATHENAEUM MEMBERS.

    Expenses $1,400,712 · Revenue $61,284

  • CONSERVATION - SINCE 1963, THE CONSERVATION LABORATORY HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO THE LONG-TERM PRESERVATION OF THE ATHENAEUM'S HOLDINGS WITH INHERENT HISTORIC ARTISTIC OR LITERARY VALUE. THE CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT INCLUDES THE CHIEF CONSERVATOR AND THE ASSOCIATE CONSERVATOR, AND SEVERAL INTERNS AND FELLOWS. ATHENAEUM CONSERVATORS PERFORM CONSERVATION TREATMENTS ON RARE AND CIRCULATING BOOKS, MAPS, MANUSCRIPTS, PRINTS, ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS, BROADSIDES, AND PAMPHLETS, AND FOLLOW PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION PROTOCOLS.DIGITAL PROGRAMS - THE DIGITAL PROGRAMS DEPARTMENT IS DEDICATED TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF SCHOLARLY ACCESS TO THE COLLECTIONS THROUGH DIGITIZATION. THE HEAD OF DIGITAL PROGRAMS AND TWO INTERNS SCAN COLLECTION MATERIALS IN THE IMAGING STUDIO AND CREATE ONLINE RECORDSCONTAINING DIGITAL SURROGATES WITH THEIR CORRESPONDING METADATA. THESE EFFORTS ENSURE THAT ATHENAEUM COLLECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FREELY ONLINE TO SCHOLARS, RESEARCHERS, STUDENTS, AND TO ANYONE IN THE WORLD WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION.

    Expenses $658,637 · Revenue $242,052

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Timothy W Diggins

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Susan B Weatherbie

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Melissa Fetter

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • F Javier Cevallos

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Arthur B Page

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Earl M Collier Jr

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Michael Ewald

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • John S Reed

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Roger Haynes

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Timothy Codrington

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Perrin Grayson

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Sarah Perry

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Nancy Maull

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Amy Ryan

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Creelea Henderson Pangaro

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Catherine Powell

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Austin V Shapard

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2 + 2 related

  • Winston Langley

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Annie MacLachlan Lewis

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • George Raine

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    2

  • Leah Rosovsky

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $393,408
    From this org
    $362,733
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $30,675
    Hours/week
    35 + 2 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $362,733
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $29,160
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,515
    Filer's total
    $393,408

  • Christopher J Boudrot

    DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

    Total calculated
    $220,277
    From this org
    $180,811
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $39,466
    Hours/week
    35 + 2 related

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $180,811
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $15,045
    Nontaxable benefits
    $24,421
    Filer's total
    $220,277

  • Bridget Keane

    DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

    Total calculated
    $296,402
    From this org
    $250,767
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $45,635
    Hours/week
    35

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $250,767
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $21,199
    Nontaxable benefits
    $24,436
    Filer's total
    $296,402

  • John Buchtel

    CURATOR,RARE BOOKS/SPEC. COLLECTIONS

    Total calculated
    $198,401
    From this org
    $166,392
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $32,009
    Hours/week
    35

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $166,392
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $13,895
    Nontaxable benefits
    $18,114
    Filer's total
    $198,401

  • Gregory Morris

    DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES AND SECURITY

    Total calculated
    $177,343
    From this org
    $149,224
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $28,119
    Hours/week
    35

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $149,224
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $10,657
    Nontaxable benefits
    $17,462
    Filer's total
    $177,343

  • Jacqueline Chambers

    MAJOR GIFT OFFICER

    Total calculated
    $144,555
    From this org
    $117,397
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $27,158
    Hours/week
    35

  • Andria Lauria

    I.T. MANAGER

    Total calculated
    $136,338
    From this org
    $109,951
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $26,387
    Hours/week
    35

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Independent compensation consultant
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

  • THE BOSTON LIBRARY SOCIETY

    501(C)(3) · ORGANIZATION THAT ALLOCATES FUNDS TO THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM · MA · controlled entity

    Directly controlled by PROPRIETORS OF THE BOSTON ATHENAEUM

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Related corporations and trusts

Part IV: related organizations taxable as a corporation or trust.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
11 August 2026
IRS schema version
2024v5.5
Source object
202622239349301342

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