Children's Discovery Museum

Overview

Mission

The purpose of the children's discovery museum is to provide an array of exhibits and activities that promote developmental skills including social, cognitive, problem solving and peer interaction. Our environment creates an interactive community in which hands on learning is provided through play.

What it reported doing in 2025

The children's discovery museum provides an array of exhibits and activities that promote developmental skills including social, cognitive, problem solving and peer interaction. Our environment creates an interactive community in which hands on learning is provided through play.

Operating model

Revenue model
Mixed. Its operating money came from several sources; no one source provided a clear majority.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
010437848
IRS 990 coverage
2019–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-EZ 2018
Headquarters
Waterville, ME, USA
Phone
2078726643
Rating
77
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Children's Museums

Official website

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 60
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 64.4%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 84.9%; rating input score 85
  • Fundraising efficiency: $3.89 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 17; 17th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: Limited
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 24.5%; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.1; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.59; rating input score 7; 7th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.3%; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 14.7% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 12.9% per year; rating input score 100; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 25.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 64.4% of revenue deployed · 84.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 3 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $301K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $22K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 29 of 29 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 7 annual filings from 2019 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Highest reported compensation

  • AMARINDA KEYS (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR): $22,376 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: FY2025.