The George W. Bush Presidential Center

Legal name: The George W Bush Foundation

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
204119317
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Dallas, TX, USA
Phone
(214) 200-4300
Rating
68
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Libraries

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$55,960,197
Expenses
$36,902,028
Assets
$711,309,527
Liabilities
$3,313,194

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

Leadership & pay

35 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • KENNETH A HERSH (PRESIDENT & CEO/DIRECTOR)
  • RACHEL EVANS MABRY (VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • KENNETH A HERSH (PRESIDENT & CEO/DIRECTOR): $660,778 total reported compensation
  • BRIAN S COSSIBOOM (VP FINANCE & OPERATIONS/TREASURER): $397,239 total reported compensation
  • DAVID KRAMER VP EXECUTIVE (DIRECTOR - GEORGE BUSH INSTITUTE): $387,128 total reported compensation

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

Overview

Mission

Through policy solutions and public engagement, we ensure opportunity for all, strengthen democracy, and advance free societies.

What it reported doing in 2024

The george w. Bush presidential museum promotes a greater understanding of the american presidency and examines the consequential times during which president and mrs. Bush served. The museum offers a moving exhibit on september 11, 2001, a replica oval office, and an interactive experience in presidential decision-making. The museum is also host to a variety of special exhibitions that delve deeply into unique topics and provide insights that only a presidential center can offer. Housed within the george w. Bush presidential center, the george w. Bush presidential museum is a nonpartisan civic institution showcasing the timeless values of freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion.since opening, 2 million people have visited the museum, including one temporary exhibit in 2023: "freedom matters," which highlights the importance of freedom in building peaceful societies, how the work of freedom advocates has changed the lives of millions, and what we all can learn from the study of history.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 75% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 96% 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 - The filed numbers largely add up and most voting board members are independent. 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: 56
  • Transparency & Controls: 71
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 84
  • Growth: 20

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 54.1%; rating input score 54
  • Program expense ratio: 66.4%; rating input score 66
  • Fundraising efficiency: $7.98 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 35; 35th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 31st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • 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: 99.4%; rating input score 99; 40th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 96%; rating input score 96; 50th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Fail
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 34.1%; rating input score 93; 93rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 19.28; rating input score 97; 97th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 96; 96th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 10.1%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: -6.3% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: -5.4% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 6 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 2 operating locations identified
  • Where the money goes: 54.1% of revenue deployed · 66.4% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 24 of 25 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $24.5M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $661K · 35 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.8M reported
  • Consistency: 39 of 40 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 12 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 14 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 13 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 2 filed related-organization links
  • 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 — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 54/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight scored 0/100.
  • Moderate — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 35/100.
  • High — Growth: Program expense growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Growth: Revenue growth scored 0/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Other executive compensation review process not reported.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.