Children's Museum of Oak Park

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
363805314
IRS 990 coverage
2014–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Oak Park, IL, USA
Phone
7083834815
Rating
81
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Museum, Museum Activities

Reported finances

Revenue
$765,916
Expenses
$753,598
Assets
$1,247,259
Liabilities
$362,628

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

17 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CARRIE SUMMY (CO PRESIDENT)
  • STEPHANIE VITALE (CO PRESIDENT)

People named in this filing

  • CARRIE SUMMY (CO PRESIDENT)
  • STELLA YOON (TREASURER)
  • STEPHANIE VITALE (CO PRESIDENT)

Selected names, not a complete roster or a statement of current roles. Open leadership details for the complete filed list.

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2025. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To spark curiosity and creativity in all young children through positive, play-based learning experiences.

What it reported doing in 2025

Wonder works children's museum has instilled a lifelong love of learning in its visitors for over three decades. Our 6,400 square foot facility contains nine interactive indoor and outdoor exhibits which inspire play-based learning experiences in the arts, math, music, science, and literacy that are aligned with Illinois early learning and development standards. Focusing on ages 0-8 and their families, our goal is to offer novel and invigorating experiences that schools and individual families do not have the luxury to provide (see schedule o for 2025).

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.

The verdict

STRONG - The filed numbers largely add up and a large share of available resources goes toward mission work. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 66
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 45
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 71.7%; rating input score 72
  • Program expense ratio: 70.5%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $6.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: 7 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.6%; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.66; rating input score 59; 59th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.29; rating input score 20; 20th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 78; 78th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 8.6% per year; rating input score 100; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 10.9% per year; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 14.9% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 71.7% of revenue deployed · 70.5% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 17 of 17 board members independent · 7 of 7 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $531K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $0 · 17 people listed
  • Consistency: 31 of 31 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2014 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: Resolved incoming and outgoing counterparties from filed money flows.
  • 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.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 35/100.
  • Review — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 59/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 20/100.