The Wende Museum of the Cold War Inc

What it reported doing in 2024

Community programs: public access: the wende museum offers free public access to its galleries and gardens on fridays, saturdays, and sundays from 10 a.m. To 5 p.m., and mondays through thursdays by appointment. The museum welcomes approximately 19,000 visitors per year. The wende also provides free global access to art and artifacts through its online collections, and hosts an array of online events attended by people around the world.education programs offered in fiscal year 2025:- voices of defiance: soviet jewry and the refuseniks (symposium, archives open house, film screening)- polish archives open house- critical media literacy workshops- intergenerational writing workshops- bumdog school of film workshops- camp gesher program - soviet jewish archives- zine fest / personal artifact zine program- otis college true stories interviews and presentations- eisner intergenerational big band performance- summer camp at the stevie (watercolor, plant weaving, natural dye)- a professional development fellowship program for underserved youth- school field trips- arts workshops- family day activities- the wende teen council- development of curriculum based on the russian-speaking jewry archivesthe museum also trained 9 college and university interns in museum skills: 6 collections interns, 2 curatorial interns, and 1 education intern.community engagement: the wende prioritizes community wellness and community engagement as core to the museum's mission. Community engagement activities include:- intergenerational art activities taught by museum staff or teaching artists- an annual gathering of culver city nonprofits at the wende, culminating in the presentation of the wende nonprofit transformation prize to a local nonprofit that is innovatively serving the community- wellness offerings such as a weekly mindfulness meditation class, intergenerational prompt-based writing classes, movement classes, and yoga- public digitization days when visitors can bring in their own items to photograph or scan using the wende's equipment- partnership programs with numerous local nonprofit organizations- the wende presented dozens of other free public programs in fy2025, such as live music, dance performances, panel discussions, and artist talks.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 74.5%; rating input score 75
• Program expense ratio: 66.9%; rating input score 67
• Fundraising efficiency: $5.26 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 18; 18th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd 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: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • 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: 94.4%; rating input score 94; 25th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 7 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 78
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • 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: 5.5%; rating input score 52; 52nd percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 16.44; rating input score 94; 94th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.01; rating input score 84; 84th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 14.6%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 14.3% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 23.8% per year; rating input score 100; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 34% per year; rating input score 100; 95th percentile among comparable filings