George Washington's Mount Vernon

What it reported doing in 2024

Education: mount vernon continued to provide opportunities to educate teachers and students about the life and legacies of george Washington through expanded public programming and digital resources, with approximately 290,000 students visiting the estate with school groups. The estate underwent significant operational changes in 2024 due to landmark revitalization work in the mansion and the creation of a new state-of-the-art education center. "george Washington: a revolutionary life," reflects updated scholarship on george Washington and the 18th-century world he lived in and is slated to open in july 2026, as america celebrates its 250th anniversary.over the course of six weeks in the summer of 2024, we welcomed 147 teachers from 46 states to mount vernon for our 25th year of in-person professional development experiences. Each week of programming in 2024 provided educators with opportunities to exchange ideas with visiting scholars and with one another, applying these insights to the classroom and impacting nearly 19,000 american students nationwide. Attendees stayed in historic old town alexandria, Virginia, and engaged with partner history and civics institutions in the d.c. Metro area to foster professional development and networking opportunities. Other teacher-specific programming, ranging from steam workshops to state and national education conference sessions, allowed mount vernon to reach more than 550 additional teachers. Over 5,000 students benefited from digital and in-person programs at the george Washington presidential library, including onsite leadership simulation programs. Nearly 500 visitors attended mount vernon through our partnership with tickets for kids, a nonprofit organization that provides ticket donations to low-income families. We also continue our participation in the museums for all initiative, sponsored by the institute of museum and library services, which offers significantly reduced admissions to those receiving food assistance. Visitors to mount vernon in 2024 engaged with a multitude of daily programs, including discovery carts, exploring george Washington's iconic home; story time programs; family day programs throughout the year; 18th-century foodways demonstrations; and historic trades demonstrations. A series of themed weekend programs, running from july through december, offered an in-depth look at 18th-century topics, ranging from healthcare to tavern culture, animals, and holiday celebrations. Partner organizations, such as colonial williamsburg, the national museum of the american revolution, and the national museum of the united states army, added to the visitor experience with their expertise and programming.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 83.5%; rating input score 83
• Program expense ratio: 83.3%; rating input score 83
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.17 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 94.7%; rating input score 95; 33rd 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: 2 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 25
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Limited
  • Conducts field audits: Limited
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Limited
  • Conducts site visits: Limited
  • Requires grant agreements: Pass
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 92%; rating input score 92; 24th 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; 77th 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: 21.8%; rating input score 88; 88th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 6.24; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 87; 87th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5%; rating input score 16; 16th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2% per year; rating input score 100; 16th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 1.9% per year; rating input score 100; 14th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 17th percentile among comparable filings