Brooklyn Children's Museum Corporation

What it reported doing in 2024

Exhibit: in fiscal year 2025, brooklyn children's museum served over 275,000 visitors through general admissions and exhibit-based programming. This represents a modest increase from approximately 270,000 visitors served in fiscal year 2024 and a significant increase from approximately 240,000 visitors served in fiscal year 2023. The museum's permanent exhibits include world brooklyn, a recreated street featuring child-size replicas of real brooklyn stores; neighborhood nature, an exploration of brooklyn's ecosystems; collections central, which highlights objects from the museum's collection through rotating themed exhibitions; totally tots, an early childhood sensory learning space; and colorlab, a hands-on art and stem-focused studio highlighting black art and artists.during fiscal year 2025, the museum presented in the works, a temporary visiting exhibition centered on construction, collaboration, and creative problem solving, where children engaged in hands-on building activities using real tools and materials in a supervised environment. In addition to exhibit-based experiences, the museum expanded public programming throughout the week, including special events celebrating the museum's 125th anniversary, extended movie screenings in the museum's auditorium, and the continuation of seasonal artrink programming. These activities supported the museum's mission by providing accessible, play-based learning experiences for children and families.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 56.7%; rating input score 57
• Program expense ratio: 77%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $14.98 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 2 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 33
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • 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; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • 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: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 28.3%; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.43; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.37; rating input score 40; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 10%; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 5.8% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 58th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 12.6% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings