Childrens Museum of Southern Minnesota
Nonprofit profile at a glance
- EIN
- 204351801
- IRS 990 coverage
- 2011–2024
- Forms available
- Form 990 2024, Form 990-EZ 2010, Form 990-T 2024, Form 990-N 2008
- Location
- Mankato, MN, USA
- Phone
- 5073860279
- Rating
- 77
- Verdict
- SUPPORTED
- Rating confidence
- Moderate
- Sector
- Children's Museums
Reported finances
- Revenue
- $2,530,640
- Expenses
- $1,874,442
- Assets
- $5,676,160
- Liabilities
- $583,083
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.
Leadership & pay
20 people listed
Executive titles in this filing
- LOUISE DICKMEYER (CEO)
Highest reported compensation
- LOUISE DICKMEYER (CEO): $146,567 total reported compensation
Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.
Overview
Mission
Ignite the natural curiousity of every child through the power of play in a dynamic, awe-inspiring environment.
What it reported doing in 2024
The children's museum of southern Minnesota (cmsm) seeks to ignite the natural curiosity of every child through the power of play in a dynamic, awe-inspiring environment. Cmsm strives to be a catalyst for building a stronger, more vibrant community around play so that all children in our region share in a bright future of opportunity and well-being. Cmsm features place-based exhibits and dynamic hands-on programming - all designed to stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity, and reveal the wonder of steam, agriculture, and the arts, while also calling attention to the culture and heritage of our region.cmsm is truly unique to our southern Minnesota region, and it has inspired the joy of learning through the power of play for thousands of children and adults. Cmsm welcomes nearly 100,000 visitors annually, engaging children of all ages in its interactive exhibits, facilitated programming, and special events.in 2024, cmsm provided 923 gateway to play family memberships that were provided to families experiencing barriers to access and who met the program's eligibility guidelines, this was 31% of all memberships at cmsm . The "museums for all" program also supported discounted admission for 1438 individuals who met income eligibility totally $14,380.00 in discounts. Cmsm also serves as a popular field trip destination for area school/early learning groups, and in 2024 welcomed over 5241 students.
Operating model
- Revenue model
- Donor-supported. 65% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
- 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
SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.
Rating breakdown
- Financial Efficiency: 58
- Transparency & Controls: 92
- Accountability: 90
- Sustainability: 72
- Growth: 100
Detailed rating inputs
Financial Efficiency
- Mission deployment rate: 52.1%; rating input score 52
- Program expense ratio: 70%; rating input score 70
- Fundraising efficiency: $13.6 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 48; 48th 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; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
- Governance controls: 6 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 75
- Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
- 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: Pass
- Independent financial-statement audit: Pass
Sustainability
- Operating margin: 25.9%; rating input score 82; 82nd percentile among comparable filings
- Total-asset coverage ratio: 3.03; rating input score 74; 74th percentile among comparable filings
- Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 58; 58th percentile among comparable filings
- Officer compensation ratio: 7.8%; rating input score 38; 38th percentile among comparable filings
Growth
- Program expense growth: 5.5% per year; rating input score 100; 43rd percentile among comparable filings
- Revenue growth: 5.9% per year; rating input score 100; 48th percentile among comparable filings
- Asset growth: 8.2% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
Details
- Where the money goes: 52.1% of revenue deployed · 70% of spending went to programs
- Governance: 19 of 19 board members independent · 6 of 8 filing controls reported
- Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $1.3M in reported program spending
- Leadership: top reported pay $147K · 20 people listed
- Consistency: 33 of 33 current checks pass
- Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors
- Filing history: 13 filing years from 2011 to 2024
- Contacts: How to reach this organization
- Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
- Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
- 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.
- Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 52/100.
- Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 48/100.
- Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 2 of 8 not reported.
- Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 38/100.
- Review — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 58/100.