North Museum Corporation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
232716461
IRS 990 coverage
2013–2022
Forms available
Form 990 2022
Location
Lancaster, PA, USA
Phone
7176583941
Rating
80
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Natural History, Natural Science Museums

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$844,206
Expenses
$1,150,409
Assets
$3,082,722
Liabilities
$234,378

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2022. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

16 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • ANDREA RUSH (CEO)
  • CHARLES DICOMO (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • ANDREA RUSH (CEO): $148,883 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2022. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To inspire curiosity, discovery, and lifelong appreciation of nature, science, and cultures through educational exhibits, collections, and programs

What it reported doing in 2022

The north museum includes a planetarium, dynamic exhibits, and a vast collection of archeological, ethnographic, zoological, geological, paleontological, botanical, and reptilian specimens, plus a live-animal room, and a glass-enclosed active beehive. Educational programming is provided both within and outside of the north museum facility. The north museum science and engineering fair is affiliated with the international science and engineering fair. Winners from the north museum science and engineering fair go on to compete at the isef, the world's largest international pre-college science competition in school stem career fairs designed to introduce fifth- through eighth-grade students to stem careers through hands-on activities with equipment and the guidance of stem professionals who serve as mentors during the school year. The north museum provides stem career fairs to students at various schools. Stem sisters is a free program designed for girls in grades six through twelve, offering rational career exploration and mentorship opportunities that encourage and empower young women. This program has nearly tripled since its inception. Stem after-school workshops are a twelve-week program. The stem interactive program is for fourth- through eighth-grade students. These workshops are currently being offered to additional school districts. Summer science camps are a series of camps for children in grades two through six. They are held in the summer months. Early childhood programs include "little explorer- and "me and stem storytime." these are for preschool-aged children and their caretakers. This wildly popular and expanding program teaches children about science while building curiosity, skills, and knowledge through play, educational outreach, and hands-on programs. They are offered to area schools, camps, after-school programs, senior centers, scouting organizations, and other special groups.

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.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Some filing-based governance responses are negative or unanswered and fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 82
  • Transparency & Controls: 92
  • Accountability: 79
  • Sustainability: 32
  • Growth: 40

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
  • Program expense ratio: 71.3%; rating input score 71
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.5 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 28; 28th 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: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • 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: Missing
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -36.3%; rating input score 5; 5th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.68; rating input score 72; 72nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.08; rating input score 49; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 12.9%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -10.4% per year; rating input score 0; 3rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.6% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 100% of revenue deployed · 71.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 12 of 12 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $821K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $149K · 16 people listed
  • Consistency: 30 of 30 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 5 filed schedules · includes major donors
  • Filing history: 10 filing years from 2013 to 2022
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 1 filed money-flow record
  • 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 — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 28/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 5/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 27/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 49/100.