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Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop reported $180.7 million in revenue and $169.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $78.94 went to program services, $18.80 to management and general costs and $2.26 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 45.1% of the total. Government grants made up 6.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,136,265 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 282 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 27% 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 $170MFor 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 $181MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 78.9% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 18.8% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.3% | 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 | 30.8% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 6.1% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 45.1% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,136,265 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.67% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 282 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 36.4 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 16 of 17 | 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 expenseCreation and distribution of educational media Sesame Workshop creates educational content for preschool children and distributes that content in the U.S. And around the world, across various media platforms including television, digital streaming, online, radio, print, mobile, and home entertainment. The content follows a whole child curriculum and is designed to address the current educational, social, and health needs young children, especially those vulnerable to equal and early access to preschool learning. Sesame Workshop is most well-known for its flagship educational program "sesame…
Humanitarian response play to learn: launched in 2019 and led by Sesame Workshop in close partnership with brac, the international rescue committee (irc), and nyu global ties for children, play to learn (ptl) set out to transform how the humanitarian sector approaches early childhood development in crisis and conflict settings. By blending direct services, mass media, rigorous research, and strategic advocacy, the consortium worked to place young children at the center of humanitarian response. Over six years, play to learn reached 3,692,465 children, caregivers, and facilitators across six…
International social impactsesame workshop's (sw) international social impact (isi) group advances early learning and child well-being globally in service of our core mission: helping kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Working across south asia, sub-saharan africa, the middle east, latin america, and crisis-affected contexts worldwide, isi collaborates with ministries of education, ngos, philanthropic partners, and community organizations to deliver culturally relevant content, strengthen institutional capacity, and embed sustainable early learning models within national systems.…
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 & CEO Director/trustee, officer, 60.00 hrs/week | $1,099,259 | $0 | $37,006 | $1,136,265 |
| FORMER CEO Former, 0.00 hrs/week | $751,982 | $0 | $9,059 | $761,041 |
| EVP, CREATIVE & PRODUCTION Key employee, 60.00 hrs/week | $527,067 | $0 | $24,074 | $551,141 |
| EVP/GENERAL COUNSEL Officer, 60.00 hrs/week | $436,625 | $0 | $113,401 | $550,026 |
| SVP INT. SOC. IMPACT (THRU 08/24) Key employee, 60.00 hrs/week | $468,351 | $0 | $79,896 | $548,247 |
| CFO & EVP OF FIN., TECHNOLOGY Officer, 60.00 hrs/week | $493,087 | $0 | $36,258 | $529,345 |
| CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 60.00 hrs/week | $411,228 | $0 | $116,329 | $527,557 |
| SVP, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 60.00 hrs/week | $400,469 | $0 | $116,264 | $516,733 |
282 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Sesame Workshop (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–1b17 · 16 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 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 5798
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| PROTIVITI INC Consulting services | $1,876,241 |
| HUNTINGTON TECHNOLOGY FINANCE INC Financial services | $1,658,453 |
| KNOWN GLOBAL LLC Marketing agency | $1,042,242 |
| GURU ANIMATION STUDIO LTD Animation studio | $960,900 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 111 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Sesame Workshop's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Sesame Workshop, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Sesame Workshop spent in FY2025, $78.94 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Royal National TheatreNew York, NY · revenue $177M · programs 86.7% · FY2025
- Museum of Fine ArtsBoston, MA · revenue $187M · programs 58.6% · FY2025
- National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAtlanta, GA · revenue $166M · programs 87.7% · FY2025
- Whitney Museum of American ArtNew York, NY · revenue $191M · programs 65.5% · FY2025
- Henry E Huntington Library and Art GallerySan Marino, CA · revenue $161M · programs 80.0% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of Sesame Workshop's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Sesame Workshop reported that 78.9% of its $169.7 million in expenses went to program services, 18.8% to management and general and 2.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Sesame Workshop pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Sesame Workshop reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $1,136,265, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Sesame Workshop get its money?
Of $180.7 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 30.8% came from contributions and grants (including 6.1% from government grants) and 45.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Sesame Workshop a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 13-2655731 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 202611349349312926 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202541349349311354 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202441369349305149 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202331359349306853 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202201369349307130 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202131349349302618 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 13-2655731: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.