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Whitney Museum of American Art
Whitney Museum of American Art reported $191.4 million in revenue and $96.0 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $65.53 went to program services, $30.54 to management and general costs and $3.93 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was investment income: 68.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $999,235 (ALICE PRATT BROWN DIRECTOR). 77 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 69% 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 $96MFor 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 $191MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 65.5% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 30.5% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.9% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 26.6% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.1% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 4.0% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $999,235 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.04% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 77 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 128.4 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 45 of 46 | 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 expenseExhibitions and permanent collection in FY25, the whitney presented 13 exhibitions. These included: the whitney's collection: selections from 1900 to 1965 (june 28, 2019 - may 1, 2025); survival piece #5: portable orchard (june 29, 2024 - january 5, 2025); what it becomes (august 24, 2024 - january 12, 2025); mark armijo mcknight: decreation (august 24, 2024 - january 12, 2025); hyundai terrace commission: torkwase dyson (march 20, 2024 - february 9, 2025); edges of ailey (september 25, 2024 - february 9, 2025); jeanne moutoussamy-ashe and the last gullah islands (december 5, 2024 - may 1…
Curatorial and related supportin FY25, the whitney continued its ongoing study into the more than 27,000 objects in the collection by over 6,000 artists. The whitney continued the work initiated by the museum's collection strategic plan (csp), making targeted acquisitions and implementing decision-making strategies based on the findings of the csp. The museum convened a working group to make plans for the long-term storage of the whitney's holdings, which will be crucial to the care and stewardship of the permanent collection in the future
Education programs the whitney education department served a total of 71,970 visitors in person and online through school, youth, family, public, and access and community programs. An additional 61,597 asynchronous users engaged digitally with interpretive content such as audio guides, recorded videos of programs on youtube and podcasts. A total of 16,975 of these in person and online visitors were k-12 students. Education staff worked within and across program areas on zoom to present dynamic programming that explored critical questions about American Art, culture and society
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALICE PRATT BROWN DIRECTOR Director/trustee, officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $967,691 | $0 | $31,544 | $999,235 |
| CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $460,170 | $0 | $48,206 | $508,376 |
| DEPUTY DIRECTOR Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $464,741 | $0 | $39,534 | $504,275 |
| CHIEF PHILANTHROPIC OFF. (THRU 12/24) Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $342,662 | $0 | $47,213 | $389,875 |
| CHIEF COM & CONTENT OFF. (THRU 12/24) Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $309,488 | $0 | $46,256 | $355,744 |
| GENERAL COUNSEL/ASSISTANT SECRETARY Officer, 35.00 hrs/week | $294,528 | $0 | $48,206 | $342,734 |
| NANCY &STEVE CROWN FAM CHIEF CURATOR Key employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $277,985 | $0 | $47,062 | $325,047 |
| CURATOR & DIR OF CURATORIAL AFFAIRS Highest compensated employee, 35.00 hrs/week | $281,389 | $0 | $28,760 | $310,149 |
77 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Whitney Museum of American Art (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $3.8M (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–1b46 · 45 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 2Yes
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5590
- Volunteers Part I, line 6111
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| INTEGRITY CONTRACTING INC Construction services | $1,888,807 |
| RIVERSIDE BUILDERS INC Construction services | $865,313 |
| TEMPORARY WALLS INC Construction services | $837,710 |
| OUTFRONT Exhibition marketing | $649,650 |
| DOYLE SECURITY SERVICES INC Security services provider | $621,795 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 49 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
256 private foundations reported grants to Whitney Museum of American Art totaling $15M 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 Whitney Museum of American Art's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Whitney Museum of American Art, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Whitney Museum of American Art spent in FY2025, $65.53 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Museum of Fine ArtsBoston, MA · revenue $187M · programs 58.6% · FY2025
- The United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumWashington, DC · revenue $199M · programs 72.1% · FY2025
- Sesame WorkshopNew York, NY · revenue $181M · programs 78.9% · FY2025
- The Barack Obama FoundationChicago, IL · revenue $210M · programs 55.9% · 2024
- The Royal National TheatreNew York, NY · revenue $177M · programs 86.7% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of Whitney Museum of American Art's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Whitney Museum of American Art reported that 65.5% of its $96.0 million in expenses went to program services, 30.5% to management and general and 3.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Whitney Museum of American Art pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Whitney Museum of American Art reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $999,235, for the role of ALICE PRATT BROWN DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Whitney Museum of American Art get its money?
Of $191.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 26.6% came from contributions and grants (including 0.1% from government grants) and 4.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Whitney Museum of American Art a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-1789318 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 202631279349303078 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202501269349302090 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431209349301278 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202301329349305715 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202211299349301131 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202141319349302829 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-1789318: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.