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Museum of African American History
Also known as Charles H Wright
Museum of African American History reported $12.4 million in revenue and $13.4 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $65.62 went to program services, $30.59 to management and general costs and $3.79 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 85.8% of the total. Government grants made up 72.1%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $371,954 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 6 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 100% 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 $13MFor 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 $12MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 65.6% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 30.6% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 3.8% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.05 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 85.8% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 72.1% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 8.8% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $371,954 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.77% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 6 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 24.6 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 34 of 34 | 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 expenseEducation programs: the heartbeat of the wright museum is in its wide array of community programming, the majority of which is free and open to the public. The wright museum's rich, annually recurring calendar includes over 250 public events, including concert performances, theatrical productions, family and children's programs, film screenings, lectures, and health and wellness workshops. Examples include martin luther king jr. Day, black history month, women's history month, the ford freedom awards, grandparents day, kwanzaa, and the three-day african world festival that attracts over…
In april 2025, the wright debuted luminosity: a detroit arts gathering, a dynamic exhibition celebrating 60 years of the wright with over 60 artworks from present-day detroit artists, long-departed masters, and the museum's archive. Spanning painting, sculpture, photography, and more, luminosity illuminates the city's creative spirit through shared histories, personal reflections, and bold artistic exploration
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 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $347,492 | $0 | $24,462 | $371,954 |
| EVP & COO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $199,422 | $0 | $18,675 | $218,097 |
| SVP INSTIT. ADVANCE. (ENDED 02/25) Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $163,370 | $0 | $7,633 | $171,003 |
| CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $139,074 | $0 | $8,918 | $147,992 |
| VP ORG. DEV & CFO Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $130,297 | $0 | $11,561 | $141,858 |
| CHIEF OF STAFF Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $89,964 | $0 | $13,230 | $103,194 |
6 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Museum of African American History (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $750K (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–1b34 · 34 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 15aNo
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 591
- Volunteers Part I, line 6120
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| LS BRINKER CO Construction | $8,760,339 |
| CYBERWOVEN LLC Marketing/advertising | $451,413 |
| EEI GLOBAL INC Construction | $388,383 |
| G&A CLEANING INC Janitorial | $257,770 |
| QUATRRO BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES INC Finance/accounting services | $248,855 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 13 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
11 private foundations reported grants to Museum of African American History totaling $1.4M 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 African American History'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 African American History, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Museum of African American History spent in FY2025, $65.62 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Equis InstituteWashington, DC · revenue $12M · programs 78.9% · 2024
- Stafford Air & Space Museum FoundationWeatherford, OK · revenue $12M · programs 96.4% · 2024
- Flint Cultural Center FoundationFlint, MI · revenue $12M · programs 100.0% · FY2025
- Charleston Gaillard Management CorporationCharleston, SC · revenue $12M · programs 87.4% · FY2025
- Phoenix Symphony AssociationPhoenix, AZ · revenue $12M · programs 70.0% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Michigan
Questions people ask
How much of Museum of African American History's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Museum of African American History reported that 65.6% of its $13.4 million in expenses went to program services, 30.6% to management and general and 3.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Museum of African American History pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Museum of African American History reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $371,954, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Museum of African American History get its money?
Of $12.4 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 85.8% came from contributions and grants (including 72.1% from government grants) and 8.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Museum of African American History a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 38-1882096 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), 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 202641349349303439 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202511359349308091 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 (amended), object 202540309349300004 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202341339349300614 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202211349349301746 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202120359349301212 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 38-1882096: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.