National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum

Oklahoma City, OK · EIN 30-0341029 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for calendar year 2025 (tax year 2025) · View the filing · Correct or respond

National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum reported $18.5 million in revenue and $14.5 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $66.36 went to program services, $20.96 to management and general costs and $12.68 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 52.5% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $378,171 (PRESIDENT). 5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 35% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.

Where $100 of spending went

Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $15M

Program services$66.36 $9.6M
Management & general$20.96 $3.0M
Fundraising$12.68 $1.8M

For 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

Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $19M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$51.48 $9.5M
Government grants$1.03 $191K
Program service revenue$18.43 $3.4M
Investment income$18.02 $3.3M
Other revenue$11.04 $2.0M

The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades

2025 filing. Median across 876 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	66.4%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	21.0%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	12.7%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.19	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	52.5%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	1.0%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	18.4%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$378,171	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	2.60%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	5	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	113.6	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	50 of 50	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

2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense

$2.4M expenses · 25.0% of program spending · revenue $1.6M

Special events are held on site throughout the year to educate the public in the ways of the american west, encourage artists to preserve and interpret the Western Heritage through their artwork and to recognize excellence in literature, television, and other media for the presentation of the american west

$5.5M expenses · 57.4% of program spending · revenue $1.3M

Exhibits are showcased throughout the museum to encourage curiosity and educate the public about the history and values of the american west

$1.7M expenses · 17.7% of program spending · revenue $478K

Challenging educational programs are provided and integrated with exhibitions, technology and research to promote the museum's missions of preserving and interpreting the west. The educational programs also strengthen the artistic value of the museums's collection to the public and expose the public to various cultures and artistic traditions of the west

Highest reported compensation

2025 · 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 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$358,874	$0	$19,297	$378,171
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$250,717	$0	$16,048	$266,765
IMAGINEER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$192,096	$0	$15,588	$207,684
VP OF GRANT AND EDUCATION ADVAN. Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$159,697	$0	$13,548	$173,245
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$156,416	$0	$12,233	$168,649

5 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $816K (Part IX, line 5).

7 years of filings

Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked

RevenueExpenses

Filing	Revenue	Expenses	Programs	Net assets	Top pay
2025 ⓘ	$19M	$15M	66.4%	$138M	$378,171
2024 ⓘ	$24M	$13M	52.1%	$132M	$354,920
2023 ⓘ	$24M	$12M	52.5%	$119M	$314,153
2022 ⓘ	$12M	$12M	66.2%	$104M	$311,571
2021 ⓘ	$15M	$10M	72.6%	$110M	$258,357
2020 ⓘ	$10M	$9.2M	70.6%	$104M	$245,994
2019 ⓘ	$14M	$10M	71.4%	$101M	$238,155

Governance answers, as filed

2025 · 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–1b50 · 50 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 11aNo
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 4No
Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5134
Volunteers Part I, line 6181

Largest outside contractors

2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

LIGHTHOUSE IMMERSIVE INC Gallery construction and design	$2,623,188
AC OWEN CONSTRUCTION LLC Construction services	$2,542,888
STREETS INC Mechanical services	$1,687,529
IDEUM INC Gallery construction and design	$878,139
PETROLEUM CLUB OF OKLAHOMA CITY Catering	$388,369

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 17 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

32 private foundations reported grants to National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum totaling $4.3M 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 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as National Cowboy and Western…How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Settlement Music School of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · revenue $18M · programs 88.8% · FY2025
North Carolina Symphony Society
Raleigh, NC · revenue $19M · programs 81.1% · FY2025
Friends of the High Line
New York, NY · revenue $18M · programs 69.9% · 2024
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
New York, NY · revenue $19M · programs 76.0% · FY2025
Atlanta Educational Telecommunications Collab
Atlanta, GA · revenue $18M · programs 64.0% · FY2025

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Oklahoma

Questions people ask

How much of National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's spending goes to programs?

In calendar year 2025, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum reported that 66.4% of its $14.5 million in expenses went to program services, 21.0% to management and general and 12.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $378,171, for the role of PRESIDENT (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum get its money?

Of $18.5 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 52.5% came from contributions and grants (including 1.0% from government grants) and 18.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 30-0341029 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, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.

Sources

2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202621629349300317 · read the filing · XML
2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202533179349304593 · read the filing
2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202433199349310783 · read the filing
2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202303039349302035 · read the filing
2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202212289349300806 · read the filing
2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202102159349300615 · read the filing
2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202022669349301322 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 30-0341029: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.