The Childrens Museum

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
042103993
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Boston, MA, USA
Phone
6174266500
Rating
69
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Children's Museums

Reported finances

Revenue
$22,077,913
Expenses
$12,487,535
Assets
$75,690,406
Liabilities
$10,929,395

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

45 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CAROLE CHARNOW (PRESIDENT/CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • CAROLE CHARNOW (PRESIDENT/CEO): $304,841 total reported compensation
  • MICHAEL TRAVIS (VP OF DEVELOPMENT): $220,939 total reported compensation
  • AMY AUERBACH (SVP/CFO (UNTIL 10/14/24)): $202,168 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

See schedule o - form 990 part i line 1

What it reported doing in 2024

Education programsthe goal of education programs is to develop and implement interactive experiences that enhance the museum's exhibits for children and adults in the areas of stem and steam, visual and performing arts, health and wellness, cultures, early childhood development and learning, and community engagement. Education programs include self-guided and structured school programs, school readiness programs in partnership with community agencies, designated programs for children and families with special needs, science discovery programs, art studio workshops, performing arts demonstrations and workshops, and live theater expressly geared to young visitors.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 64% 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 - Most voting board members are independent and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 58
  • Transparency & Controls: 61
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 79
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 49%; rating input score 49
  • Program expense ratio: 76.3%; rating input score 76
  • Fundraising efficiency: $15.6 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Scored; rating input score 0
  • Grant itemization coverage: Scored; rating input score 0
  • 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: 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: 43.4%; rating input score 92; 92nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.06; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.14; rating input score 66; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 11.1%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 0.4% per year; rating input score 100; 12th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 5.2% per year; rating input score 100; 45th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -0% per year; rating input score 0; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 49% of revenue deployed · 76.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 30 of 30 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 4 filed program accomplishments · $9.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $305K · 45 people listed · 5 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.9M reported
  • Consistency: 38 of 38 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 10 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • 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.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

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: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 51/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 16/100.