Aerospace Museum of California

What it reported doing in 2025

The Aerospace Museum of California is a Smithsonian Affiliate and a leading STEM education hub in Northern California, providing immersive, hands-on learning experiences that connect visitors to the past, present, and future of aerospace. With a 40,000 square foot exhibit hall, a 4.5-acre outdoor Air Park, and more than 40 historic aircraft and aerospace artifacts, the museum serves as a dynamic center for discovery, innovation, and inspiration. In 2025, the museum significantly expanded its reach and community impact, welcoming 143,149 visitors and engaging 65,133 students through field trips, summer camps, and educational programming. This growth reflects a 29% increase in visitors over the prior year and demonstrates the museums continued momentum as a regional leader in STEM education and access. The museum remains deeply committed to removing financial barriers to participation. Through donor-supported access initiatives, schools are able to attend at reduced cost and every student receives a scholarship, ensuring that 100% of students can participate regardless of financial circumstances. This commitment allows the museum to reach underserved communities across the Sacramento region and inspire students who may not otherwise have access to STEM opportunities.STEM Education and Student ImpactSTEM education remains the museums highest priority and the foundation of its mission-driven work. In 2025, 13,859 students participated in structured, standards-aligned museum tours, while 2,649 youth engaged in hands-on summer camp programs designed to build technical skills, creativity, and confidence. Across all programs, more than 65,000 students were reached through immersive STEM learning experiences aligned with California State Academic Standards. These programs are intentionally designed to spark curiosity, strengthen critical thinking, and introduce real-world career pathways in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. By combining hands-on activities with exposure to aviation and aerospace innovation, the museum helps students see themselves as future engineers, pilots, and problem-solvers.Signature Program We Can Do It TogetherThe museums flagship We Can Do It Together Women in STEAM initiative continues to serve as a powerful driver of equity and opportunity in STEM education. In 2025, the program hosted its fifth annual event, building on a legacy that has now served more than 5,000 girls since inception. In 2025 alone, more than 1,200 girls participated in hands-on workshops, panel discussions, and mentorship experiences with women leaders in STEAM careers. Participants explored career pathways, built confidence, and gained exposure to opportunities they may not have previously considered. The program directly addresses gender and access gaps in STEM fields and stands as a signature example of the museums commitment to empowering underserved and underrepresented students across the region.Exhibitions and Public EngagementIn 2025, the museum delivered high-impact exhibitions and immersive experiences that attracted record audiences and elevated public engagement. The Snoopy and the Red Baron traveling exhibition premiered in October and drew 50,012 visitors, making it one of the highest-attended exhibitions in the museums history. This highly interactive experience combined aviation history, storytelling, and hands-on STEM activities, including scavenger hunts and family-focused learning experiences that engaged visitors of all ages. The exhibit created meaningful entry points for young learners while reinforcing the museums role as a place where imagination and education intersect. In addition to this featured exhibition, the museum continued to offer a dynamic mix of rotating and permanent exhibits showcasing aerospace innovation, rare artifacts, and historic aircraft, reinforcing its national recognition as one of the top space and aviation museums in the United States.Scholarships and Workforce Development

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 60.3%; rating input score 60
• Program expense ratio: 71.4%; rating input score 71
• Fundraising efficiency: $4.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 15; 15th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• 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: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 17.2%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.29; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 1.24; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 21.8%; rating input score 14; 14th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -2.1% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings