Milwaukee Public Museum

Milwaukee, WI · EIN 39-1723105 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Milwaukee Public Museum reported $13.1 million in revenue and $14.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $72.53 went to program services, $14.52 to management and general costs and $12.95 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 65.4% of the total. Government grants made up 27.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $251,798 (PRESIDENT/CEO). 10 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 23% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.

Where $100 of spending went

The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $15M

Program services$72.53 $11M
Management & general$14.52 $2.1M
Fundraising$12.95 $1.9M

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

The fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $13M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$38.37 $5.0M
Government grants$27.02 $3.5M
Program service revenue$29.69 $3.9M
Investment income$2.15 $281K
Other revenue$2.77 $362K

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

FY2025 filing. Median across 876 covered charities in this category, from their latest filings.
Measure	FY2025	Median
Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A)	72.5%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	14.5%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	12.9%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.22	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	65.4%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	27.0%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	29.7%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$251,798	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	1.71%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	10	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	6.9	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	33 of 33	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 expense

$11M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · revenue $4.0M

The Milwaukee Public Museum, inc. Operates a natural history museum, which focuses on exhibits, public programming, and research in the natural sciences, anthropology and history. The Milwaukee Public Museum, inc. Uniquely and directly addresses the themes of biological and cultural diversity and their interrelationships. The Milwaukee Public Museum, inc. Preserves and cares for its collections held in public trust. Through research and collections, the Milwaukee Public Museum inc. Seeks knowledge and understanding of global change and diversity from geological, biological, cultural, and…

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	$233,704	$0	$18,094	$251,798
SR. VP OF DEVELOPMENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$164,044	$0	$21,659	$185,703
CHIEF PLANNING OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$142,705	$0	$21,488	$164,193
VP ACADEMIC DEAN Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$153,477	$0	$10,469	$163,946
DIRECTOR OF FACILITY OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$132,703	$0	$20,510	$153,213
VP OF AUDIENCE & COMMUNITY Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$137,229	$0	$11,675	$148,904
FORMER CFO (TERMED 5/24) Former, 0.00 hrs/week	$125,796	$0	$2,125	$127,921
CONTROLLER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$108,022	$0	$10,923	$118,945

10 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Milwaukee Public Museum (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $879K (Part IX, line 5).

6 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
FY2025 ⓘ	$13M	$15M	72.5%	$8.4M	$251,798
FY2024 ⓘ	$12M	$14M	71.5%	$9.6M	$251,686
FY2023 ⓘ	$13M	$13M	71.7%	$10M	$238,856
FY2022 ⓘ	$15M	$13M	71.4%	$10M	$219,784
FY2021 ⓘ	$12M	$10M	75.6%	$8.3M	$222,024
FY2020 ⓘ	$11M	$11M	76.9%	$6.1M	$250,986

Governance 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–1b33 · 33 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 18No
Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5196
Volunteers Part I, line 6148

Largest outside contractors

FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only

ACCESS DIRECT MARKETING LLC Direct mail	$182,685
NOBLE CATERING MKE LLC Catering/event planning	$110,062

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 2 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

51 private foundations reported grants to Milwaukee Public Museum totaling $746K 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 Milwaukee Public 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 Milwaukee Public Museum, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Milwaukee Public Museum How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Cincinnati, OH · revenue $13M · programs 71.8% · FY2025
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
Beverly Hills, CA · revenue $13M · programs 82.3% · FY2025
German International School New York
White Plains, NY · revenue $13M · programs 80.0% · FY2025
Atlantic Theater Company
New York, NY · revenue $13M · programs 87.4% · FY2025
Scottsdale Arts
Scottsdale, AZ · revenue $13M · programs 71.2% · FY2025

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

Questions people ask

How much of Milwaukee Public Museum's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, Milwaukee Public Museum reported that 72.5% of its $14.7 million in expenses went to program services, 14.5% to management and general and 12.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Milwaukee Public Museum pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Milwaukee Public Museum reported for one person in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025 was $251,798, for the role of PRESIDENT/CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Milwaukee Public Museum get its money?

Of $13.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending August 31, 2025, 65.4% came from contributions and grants (including 27.0% from government grants) and 29.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Milwaukee Public Museum a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 39-1723105 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 August 31, 2025, object 202610489349300236 · read the filing · XML
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2024, object 202500499349300210 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2023, object 202440969349301624 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2022, object 202340469349302324 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2021, object 202241109349301614 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2020, object 202130719349300443 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 39-1723105: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.