The Owls Head Transportation Museum

Analysis

The Owls Head Transportation Museum is a registered charity in United States, based in Owls Head, ME. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in April 1974, 52 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts, culture and humanities, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (gross receipts test) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending December 2023, The Owls Head Transportation Museum reported income of $4.5m and spending of $2.5m, leaving 46% of income unspent that year. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2019 to December 2023, income grew from $1.8m to $4.5m (+158%), an average of +27% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2021, when income rose by 127%. Over the whole period it spent 69% of the income it received.

Among 45,478 United States charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, The Owls Head Transportation Museum sits at the 96th percentile: it is larger than about 96% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 92nd percentile, and in the 91st percentile within ME. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Central Pa Youth Ballet ($4.5m), The Works Ohio Center of History Art & Technology ($4.6m) and Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory at Gothic ($4.5m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending December 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 71% and program service revenue 6.9% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $118k (4.8% of expenses). Other salaries and wages came to $1.1m. At year end it held assets of $17.4m against liabilities of $136k, net assets of $17.3m. It reported 34 employees.