Arts, Culture & Humanities (A800) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECK HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC

EIN: 38-2198482 · SAULT S MARIE, MI 49783-1993 · United States · FY 2024 Data

3 out of 5 56 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 88/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 75/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2024 · Scored 9/13/2026

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CharityAI™ Score

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Mission Statement

The Mission of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society is to; Preserve the lights and stations which warned mariners of the danger inherent, honor those who were aboard and who bravely attempted rescue and discover, document and interpret the vessels which instead took the deep.

Financial Overview — FY 2024

$1.6M

Total Revenue

$1.2M

Total Expenses

$4.4M

Net Assets

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 68.2%

Fundraising Efficiency N/A

Operating Reserve 46.37x

Liability-to-Asset 3.8%

Revenue Diversification 69.4%

Executive Compensation $117K

Compared with Peers

FY 2024

Compared with 3,450 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2024.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	68.2%	77.9%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	22.1%	14.4%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	9.7%	5.4%	P10P90	Below median
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	46.4 mo	16.5 mo	P10P90	Top quarter
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	3.8%	10.6%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	69.4%	74.5%	P10P90	Above median
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	24.0%	7.8%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	14.0%	8.0%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	27.1%	-0.5%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2024	$1.6M	$1.2M	$4.4M	68.2%	37
2023	$1.3M	$1.0M	$4.0M	68.7%	33
2022	$1.2M	$944K	$3.8M	67.7%	34
2021	$1.3M	$779K	N/A	—	35

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Organization Details

EIN: 38-2198482
State: MI
City: SAULT S MARIE
ZIP: 49783-1993
Classification: A800
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1978
Foundation Code: 16
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

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