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Museum of Science
Museum of Science reported $56.5 million in revenue and $71.0 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $73.73 went to program services, $17.75 to management and general costs and $8.52 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 39.2% of the total. Government grants made up 5.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $529,964 (PRESIDENT). 64 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 13% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $71MFor context, the median across 876 covered arts, culture & humanities charities: $79.98 programs, $13.89 management, $6.13 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $56MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 73.7% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.8% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 8.5% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.36 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 29.9% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 5.1% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 39.2% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $529,964 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.75% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 64 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 83.1 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 48 of 49 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseExhibits include over 900 standing exhibits, housed in 132,000 sq ft of gallery and related space, providing hands-on experiences in all areas of science, technology, and their social impact. The museum creates permanent and travelling exhibits both on its own and in collaboration with other institutions, and is one of leadership partners in the national informal STEM education network (nisenet), a network of approximately 600 museums, colleges/universities, libraries, scientific professional organizations, and research institutions which creates and shares exhibits and programs relating to…
Public programs include exhibit interpretation, lecture series, live animal demonstrations (the museum is accredited by the association of zoos and aquariums), physical science demonstrations, lightning shows in the thomson theater of electricity, special events, demonstrations and podcasts relating to topics of current science and technology, hands-on desgn challenges. (906,900 onsite visitors and online visitors served.)
Theaters include the charles hayden planetarium, offering presentations, events, and demonstrations of astronomy and space science topics, current discoveries, and other science/technology-inspired programming. The mugar omni theater, the largest domed imax theater in new england, offers digital documentary and science-fiction inspired films and presentations, while a smaller 4-d theater offers short 3-d films on a range of science and nature topics augmented by sensory effects such as wind, mist, and smell. Planetarium shows this year included: big bird's adventure: one world, one sky…
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $508,661 | $0 | $21,303 | $529,964 |
| CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $309,176 | $0 | $20,835 | $330,011 |
| CHIEF OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $290,355 | $0 | $37,642 | $327,997 |
| FMR. CHIEF OF FINANCE (UNTIL 1/24) Former, 40.00 hrs/week | $308,371 | $0 | $1,769 | $310,140 |
| CHIEF OF LEARNING Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $288,943 | $0 | $20,237 | $309,180 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $283,351 | $0 | $15,865 | $299,216 |
| AVP, IT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $227,771 | $0 | $15,458 | $243,229 |
| SVP, FINANCE AND BUILDING OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $210,990 | $0 | $29,854 | $240,844 |
64 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Museum of Science (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.4M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b49 · 48 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5476
- Volunteers Part I, line 699
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| CONSIGLI CONSTRUCTION CO INC Construction | $19,146,806 |
| WILLIAM RAWN ASSOCIATES Architecture | $6,429,395 |
| CHRPS LLC Consulting | $2,394,743 |
| C&W FACILITY SERVICES INC (DTZ) Consulting | $1,310,746 |
| LES STUDIOS MOMENT FACTORY INC Film production | $452,385 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 20 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
91 private foundations reported grants to Museum of Science totaling $4.9M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Museum of Science's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Museum of Science, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Museum of Science spent in FY2025, $73.73 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Nelson Gallery FoundationKansas City, MO · revenue $56M · programs 70.5% · FY2025
- Colorado Museum of Natural HistoryDenver, CO · revenue $57M · programs 75.6% · 2024
- Saint Louis Symphony OrchestraSt Louis, MO · revenue $55M · programs 79.6% · FY2025
- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and MuseumCleveland, OH · revenue $58M · programs 72.3% · 2025
- Raymond F Kravis Center for the Performing ArtsWest Palm Beach, FL · revenue $55M · programs 80.6% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts
Questions people ask
How much of Museum of Science's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Museum of Science reported that 73.7% of its $71.0 million in expenses went to program services, 17.8% to management and general and 8.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Museum of Science pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Museum of Science reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $529,964, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Museum of Science get its money?
Of $56.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 29.9% came from contributions and grants (including 5.1% from government grants) and 39.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Museum of Science a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-2103916 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202631319349301248 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202531339349301848 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202401369349308905 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311329349305776 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202201189349301810 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202121179349300802 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-2103916: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.