National Wwi Museum and Memorial

What it reported doing in 2024

Museum & memorial operations (see schedule o): museum & memorial operations: shortly after world war i ended, a group of Kansas city leaders formed a group to create a lasting memorial to those who served. In 1919, a fundraising campaign resulted in 83,000 residents contributing $2.5 million in 10 days (more than $45 million in current dollars). In 1921, a site dedication hosted more than 100,000 people, including the five major allied commanders the first time these individuals were in the same place at the same time. Following years of planning and construction, the memorial opened in 1926 to a crowd of more than 150,000 people, including u.s. President calvin coolidge. At the time, it was the largest audience a u.s. President had ever addressed at one time. After decades of unaddressed deferred maintenance, the memorial temporarily closed in 1994. Once again, Kansas city area residents rose to the challenge at this critical juncture and raised $102 million for renovations and a major expansion to build a world-class museum below the memorial courtyard. After achieving national historic landmark status and designation from congress as america's official wwi museum, the expanded museum and memorial opened to the public in december 2006. Congress added a second designation in 2014, effectively renaming the organization the national wwi museum and memorial. In spring 2022, a multi-year initiative to create a richer and more immersive visitor experience kicked off. The project will refresh and expand the galleries through new stories, technology and immersive experiences, as well as increase access to the museum and memorial's collection. The first phase of the project, completed in 2023, included the new lower level and open storage center a coastline of glass shelving that allows the public to view 1,500 additional objects. Upgrades to the main gallery kicked off in fall 2023 with new prologue and epilogue films, a new trench experience, nine new interactive tables and screens and more.in 2024, major renovations took place in the west half of the main galley, including a redesign of the tank exhibit, a new film and equipment in the crater, and a reimagined hospital that turned the space into a replica of wwi forward aid station inside a bombed-out church. The tank and hospital exhibits also introduced additional interactive opportunities for guests.gallery renovations to better tell the story of the great war will continue into 2025. Millions of people from across the nation and globe have visited to see the world's most diverse and comprehensive world war i collection. An institution of the people, by the people and for the people, the museum and memorial is Kansas city's gift to the world. As of dec. 31, 2024, the museum and memorial employs 44 full-time and 7 part-time staff. Additionally, in 2024 293 daily operations volunteers provided over 52,448 hours of service. Volunteers greet guests, provide expert tours, provide guidance, support special projects, assist with promotion, answer questions, provide specialized support to certain initiatives and help lend a warm, human dimension to multifaceted stories of war and world history. The museum and memorial receives financial support from local, national and international funders. Donors include a wide array of individuals, corporations and foundations whose philanthropy has helped to build enhanced programming and fund operational support for the museum and memorial. Admissions, facility rentals, the museum store, the cafe and other initiatives are also successful revenue generating sources, bringing in 24% of the museum and memorial's income in 2024. The national wwi museum and memorial is proud to be ranked as one of the top museums in the u.s. And the "number one attraction in Kansas city" by tripadvisor reviewers.in 2024, the museum and memorial hosted over 1,000,000 guests, including the 47 acres surrounding the museum. This included approximately 192,000 ticketed gues

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 42.8%; rating input score 43
• Program expense ratio: 77%; rating input score 77
• Fundraising efficiency: $20.73 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 58; 58th 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: 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: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 8 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: 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: 47.8%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.59; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.8%; rating input score 25; 25th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 7.2% per year; rating input score 100; 57th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 10.5% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 13.7% per year; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings