Discovery World Ltd

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
391691578
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2025
Forms available
Form 990 2025, Form 990-T 2025
Location
Milwaukee, WI, USA
Phone
4147658602
Rating
72
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Vocational, Technical Schools

Reported finances

Revenue
$15,677,245
Expenses
$8,781,127
Assets
$55,440,237
Liabilities
$1,263,874

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

Leadership & pay

46 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • JOHN EMMERICH (CEO AND PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • JOHN EMMERICH (CEO AND PRESIDENT): $255,610 total reported compensation
  • CARL SCHOETTEL (CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER): $184,171 total reported compensation
  • NICOLE BRAY (CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER): $104,405 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Discovery World educates, motivates, mobilizes and inspires the innovators and entrepreneurs of the 21st century. We connect innovation, science, and technology with exploration, environment, and our Great Lakes freshwater resources through interactive exhibits and experimental learning programs.

What it reported doing in 2025

Discovery World is an extraordinary experience devoted to sharing the wonders of science and igniting a love of endless exploration. We are the spark of joy in a childs eyes when they make a connection with a living creature. We are the sudden and satisfying Aha when you discover something you didnt even know you were looking for. We are the beginning of your lifelong learning adventure. Here at our world-class facility on Lake Michigans shoreline (part of the largest freshwater system in the world!), a new discovery is always just around the corner, from exploring the underwater wonders of the Reiman Aquarium to launching rockets and hopping aboard the semi-truck of the Great Lakes. Bring your whats, whens, and whys; and embark on a path to discovering the answers to all of your curiosities-and unearthing new ones along the way! Our love of science knows no bounds. We empower you to learn virtually anywhere with classroom activities, exciting summer camps, and more. And, as part of the STEM ecosystem, we also touch on disciplines in technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 67% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 99% 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 - A large share of total spending goes to programs and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and few specific pay-setting methods are documented in the filing; unanswered boxes are not proof of absence.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 61
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 82
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 48.7%; rating input score 49
  • Program expense ratio: 82.7%; rating input score 83
  • Fundraising efficiency: $21.49 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 57; 57th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 64th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 0 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 0
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Missing
    • Board or committee approval: Missing
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
  • 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: 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: 44%; rating input score 90; 90th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.31; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 6.2%; rating input score 48; 48th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -3.8% per year; rating input score 0; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 18th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -3.1% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 48.7% of revenue deployed · 82.7% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 43 of 43 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $7.3M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $256K · 46 people listed · 0 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.7M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2010 to 2025
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 4 filed money-flow records
  • 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.

  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 49/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Pay-setting controls scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 57/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 48/100.