Denver Art Museum

What it reported doing in 2024

Learning and engagement programs: at the denver art museum (dam), we collaborate with communities to create art and creativity experiences that foster well-being, belonging, and empathy for all, while advancing innovative practices in the field. We do this to fulfill our vision of making a meaningful difference in peoples lives by celebrating creativity and inspiring greater understanding and connection with the world. The dams learning & engagement (l&e) department develops programs with two overarching goals: (1) increasing access to the museums collections and (2) cultivating a welcoming environment for individuals of all backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives. We collaborate with audiences and stakeholders using human-centered design principles, ensuring that nothing about a group occurs without their engagement and buy-in. We are committed to growing as leaders in creativity, experimentation, and innovation, and to fostering a culture of openness by sharing our processes, challenges, and successes with the field. Through its programs, the museum strives to nurture a sense of well-being in visitors at the museum and recipients of community-based programs. We aim to support personal growth, pride, self-worth, and connectedness through experiences with art and creativity, contributing to individual and community health and happiness. We seek to cultivate a sense of belonging by offering experiences that build connections, confidence, and ownership, especially when they include and welcome people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Ultimately, we hope these experiences will build and sustain empathy, improving our ability to understand and share the feelings of others, and fostering interconnectedness within and across communities. L&e programs can be summarized under the following categories: youth and community programs lifelong learning and accessibility in-gallery interpretation creative and public engagement programs the dam values its community partnerships and engages service organizations, community and business leaders, government officials, and community representatives through standing advisory committees (e.g., youth advisory groups, creative aging forum, access advisory committee, latino audience alliance, and others). Ad hoc committees support in-gallery interpretation and programs to help create experiences that represent artists, curators, scholars, non-art experts, community members, and more. The l&e department is also a leader in the field of museum education, regularly hosting national and international museum colleagues, presenting at national conferences, and sharing learnings and best practices with the museum field. All museum-produced reports are accessible on the museums website under research & reports.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 78.6%; rating input score 79
• Program expense ratio: 83.6%; rating input score 84
• Fundraising efficiency: $33.04 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 67; 67th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.1%; rating input score 94; 28th 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: Missing
  • 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: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 88
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 8.4%; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.33; rating input score 68; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.04; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 3.3%; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.9% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 3.2% per year; rating input score 100; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10.7% per year; rating input score 100; 73rd percentile among comparable filings