Historical Society of Michigan

What Historical Society of Michigan does

The Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), founded in 1828 by Territorial Governor Lewis Cass and explorer Henry Schoolcraft, is a 501(c)(3) member-supported educational nonprofit designated by the Michigan Legislature as the state's official historical society. Headquartered in Lansing with 11-50 employees, HSM is not collection-based and does not operate the state museum or archives; instead it focuses on publications, programs, awards, and support for local history organizations across all 83 Michigan counties.

HSM's product surface divides into three groups. Publications include the bimonthly award-winning Michigan History magazine (circulated since 1917), the quarterly Chronicle membership magazine reaching 5,000+ members, the semiannual Michigan Historical Review academic journal, and specialty titles such as the 8th-edition Historic Michigan Travel Guide ($12.95), Fiery Trial, and the Michigan History Directory (14th edition). Educational programs center on Michigan History Day, a yearlong K-12 (grades 3-12) academic competition operating across 11 districts, supplemented by Michigan History for Kids curriculum sets for grades 3-4, weekly History Hounds lectures on Zoom, Michiganders on the Road bus tours, History Skills Workshops, and three annual regional conferences (Local History, Upper Peninsula, Michigan History). Recognition programs include Michigan Centennial Farm, Michigan Heritage Home, Milestone Awards, and History Awards (State, U.P., History Hero).

HSM generates revenue through annual membership dues (household, enhanced with MHR journal, organizational, and business tiers), standalone magazine subscriptions, conference and workshop registrations, publication sales via shop.hsmichigan.org, donations, and grants from sources including Michigan Humanities, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Michigan Arts and Culture Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and corporate funders such as the DTE Energy Foundation. It receives zero state-appropriated funding. Distribution is fully direct-to-consumer via hsmichigan.org, the online store, a NeonCRM-backed member dashboard, phone support at (800) 692-1828, and in-person events, with no third-party reseller network.

Name

Historical Society of Michigan

Legal name

Historical Society of Michigan

Website

https://hsmichigan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1828

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Historical Society of Michigan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1828 and legislatively designated as Michigan's official historical society, that publishes history magazines, runs K-12 academic competitions and conferences, and supports local history organizations statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Society / Cultural Heritage Education

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

Keywords

• Historical society publications
• History education programs
• Membership nonprofit services
• K-12 academic competitions
• Heritage recognition awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual households, organizations, and businesses. Members receive Michigan History magazine, Chronicle magazine, free History Hounds lectures, discounts on conferences and workshops, and access to digital content.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Separate subscriptions to Michigan History magazine for non-members. Magazine is bimonthly (6 issues per year).
3. Conference Registrations: Revenue from three annual conferences: Michigan in Perspective: Local History Conference, Upper Peninsula History Conference, and Michigan History Conference. Also includes workshop fees for History Skills Workshops.
4. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that receives zero state-appropriated funding, HSM depends on individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from organizations like Michigan Humanities, Michigan Arts and Culture Council, and National Endowment for the Arts.
5. Publication Sales: Sales of published books and guides including the Historic Michigan Travel Guide ($12.95 per copy), Fiery Trial, and Michigan History Directory. Also includes Michigan History for Kids curriculum sets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Historical Society of Michigan is Michigan's oldest cultural organization and a member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects Michigan's past to students, educators, historical organizations, and the public through history publications (Michigan History Magazine, Chronicle, The Michigan Historical Review), K-12 academic programs (Michigan History Day, Michigan History for Kids), weekly lectures, motorcoach tours, three annual regional conferences, and recognition award programs. The society sells memberships, subscriptions, and publications directly via its website and online store, and supports a statewide network of local historical organizations.

Product overview

The Historical Society of Michigan operates as a membership-supported nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of publications, educational programs, and award/recognition initiatives. Its core publications include the bimonthly Michigan History Magazine, quarterly Chronicle membership magazine, and semiannual Michigan Historical Review academic journal, plus specialty publications like the Historic Michigan Travel Guide, Fiery Trial, and Michigan History Directory. Educational programs center on Michigan History Day (a yearlong academic competition for grades 3-12), Michigan History for Kids curriculum, History Hounds lecture series, History Skills Workshops, Michiganders on the Road bus tours, and three annual regional conferences. The organization also manages recognition programs including Michigan Centennial Farm, Michigan Heritage Home, Milestone Awards, and History Awards. Members receive digital access to publications and content through an online account dashboard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Michigan History Magazine Award-winning bimonthly popular history magazine featuring feature stories about Michigan's fascinating past, histories of communities, institutions, and businesses, and sites to explore. Available as an individual subscription or as part of an HSM membership.
• Chronicle Magazine HSM's quarterly membership publication reaching all 5,000-plus individual and organizational members, containing articles celebrating Michigan's history and providing promotion for organizational members.
• The Michigan Historical Review A semiannual academic journal featuring articles relating to Michigan's political, economic, social, and cultural history, including cutting-edge scholarship and in-depth book reviews. Provided as a benefit of Enhanced Household Membership.
• Michigan History for Kids A curriculum set for 3rd and 4th graders exploring Michigan's history using both print and digital platforms with a racial-equity lens. Includes interactive activities, expanded information, audio files, and online lesson plans aligned with Grade Level Content Expectations.
• Historic Michigan Travel Guide 160-page guidebook featuring nearly 500 museums, historic sites, and historical attractions across Michigan. The 8th edition is available for $12.95 with a discount for HSM members.
• Fiery Trial Nonfiction title examining the Great Fire of 1881 that swept Michigan's Thumb, originally published in 1984 by James H. Lincoln and James L. Donahue. New edition examines the tragedy for a new century.
• Michigan History Directory Comprehensive directory listing historical entities and organizations throughout Michigan. The 14th edition featured more than 1,000 locations offering history resources; the final printed edition due to online resource availability.
• Michigan History Day Yearlong academic competition for students grades 3-12, also known as National History Day in Michigan. Students research historical topics and present findings in five categories (paper, exhibit, documentary, website, performance). Winners advance from school to district to state to national competition.
• History Hounds Lecture Series Weekly presentation series on Zoom covering Michigan history topics from Underground Railroad to shipwrecks. Free for HSM members with recorded content available to members on demand.
• Michiganders on the Road Motorcoach bus tours traveling to historical destinations throughout Michigan, exclusive to HSM members.
• History Skills Workshops Educational workshops supporting local historians and history organizations with skill development.
• HSM Conferences Three annual conferences: Michigan in Perspective: Local History Conference, Upper Peninsula History Conference, and Michigan History Conference, each focusing on different regions of Michigan.
• Michigan History Alliance Networking meetings connecting local history organizations across Michigan with resources and support.
• Michigan Heritage Home Program Recognition program for significant historical homes in Michigan.
• Michigan Centennial Farm Program Program saluting active Michigan farms owned by the same family for 100 years or more.
• Milestone Awards Recognition program for longtime businesses, organizations, and municipalities in Michigan.
• History Awards Awards program including State History Awards, U.P. History Awards, and History Hero Award recognizing contributions to Michigan history.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached nearly 3,300 students through Michigan History Day program in the past year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Saginaw Valley State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the 2026 Michigan History Day State Finals competition. SVSU provides facilities for the annual state-level competition where top district entries compete.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wisconsin Historical Society: Wisconsin's state historical society, with publications (Wisconsin Magazine of History), K-12 programming, conferences, membership tiers, and a statewide network - serves as a natural peer for HSM in scale and program mix.
• Ohio History Connection: Ohio's official state historical organization operating publications, local-history conferences, statewide educational programs, and member-supported initiatives - structurally comparable to HSM, though it additionally operates museum sites.
• Minnesota Historical Society: Minnesota's state historical society, providing publications, K-12 programming (National History Day state affiliate), conferences, and a magazine across all 87 counties, and additionally operating a museum network - directly parallel to HSM.
• Indiana Historical Society: Indiana's state-level historical society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering publications, conferences, K-12 history education, and member-supported programming - a near-identical operating model to HSM at the state level.

Broad incumbents

• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH): National professional association for the state and local history field, of which HSM is a constituent member - directly comparable in mission of supporting state and local historical societies.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: The leading national private preservation organization publishing a flagship magazine (similar to Michigan History) and operating membership-driven heritage programs - a scale and content analog for HSM.
• Michigan History Museum (operated by Michigan Department of Natural Resources): The official state museum that HSM explicitly does not operate; functions as an adjacent but government-run counterpart delivering exhibitions, K-12 field trips, and statewide historical interpretation in partnership with HSM.
• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: A larger Michigan-based cultural and historical institution providing exhibits, publications, and K-12 programming - more venue-rich but competing for the same member, donor, and educator audiences within Michigan.

Others

• Smithsonian Magazine: A national history publication that competes for reader attention and K-12 educator adoption alongside state magazines like Michigan History, but at a much broader geographic scale.

Emerging players

• National History Day: The national umbrella organization for the History Day academic competition, of which HSM's Michigan History Day is the state affiliate; comparable because it provides the program framework, judging structure, and national finals that HSM's students advance to.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hsmichigan
• Instagraminstagram.com/hsmichigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Historical Society of Michigan