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The Mariners' Museum
The Mariners' Museum reported $14.3 million in revenue and $12.5 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $81.22 went to program services, $6.84 to management and general costs and $11.94 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 68.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $281,876 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 43% between 2021 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $12MFor 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 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $14MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 81.2% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.8% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 11.9% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.15 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 68.0% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.1% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $281,876 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.26% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 140.4 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 17 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseThe two operational tenets of the "community-focused" prong of our strategy are "access" (to the art, artifacts, and archival material of the mariners' museum collection, and to the "living collection" the forest, lake, and wildlife - within mariners' park), and "value" (with a primary focus on educational enrichment programs serving school-aged children). Our educational enrichment programs (eep's) are designed to provide engaging experiences that enhance the standard classroom curriculum, encourage active student particiation, and emphasize important life skills such as critical thinking…
One of the two operational tenets of the "collections-based" prong of our strategy is "conservation" of the art, artifacts, and archival material of the mariners' museum collection ("heritage conservation") and of the "living collection" the forest, lake, and wildlife - within mariners' park ("environmental conservation"). Highlights from heritage conservation work in 2024 feature the relocation of the museum's nearly 90 figureheads as well as over two dozen sternboards with the goal of improving the preventive care of these important collections. Team members from multiple museum departments…
One of the two operational tenets of the "collections-based" prong of our strategy is "research, or "building the body of knowledge" about the mariners' museum's vast maritime archival collection (an estimated 2 million archival pieces), maritime library (over 100,000 volumes), maritime art collection (thousands of paintings and works on paper), and maritime artifact collection, and about the "living collection" the forest, lake, and wildlife within mariners' park. In 2024, our conservation research scientist, in collaboration with a conservation science fellow, further refined an approach to…
Highest reported compensation
2024 · 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 | $256,777 | $0 | $25,099 | $281,876 |
| CONTROLLER & TREASURER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $121,353 | $0 | $13,090 | $134,443 |
| VP COLLECTIONS, CHIEF CURA Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $112,187 | $0 | $16,558 | $128,745 |
| CHIEF OF STAFF Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $107,198 | $0 | $17,769 | $124,967 |
4 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Mariners' Museum (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $598K (Part IX, line 5).
5 filings since FY2020 (3 mo.)
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2024 · 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 · 17 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 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 4Yes
- 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 5137
- Volunteers Part I, line 6179
Private foundation grants it received
22 private foundations reported grants to The Mariners' Museum totaling $1.1M 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 The Mariners' 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 The Mariners' Museum, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Mariners' Museum spent in 2024, $81.22 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- George Eastman MuseumRochester, NY · revenue $14M · programs 78.3% · 2024
- Arts Sciences & Cultural Council of Charlotte MecklenburgCharlotte, NC · revenue $14M · programs 85.4% · FY2025
- Abilene Heritage SquareAbilene, TX · revenue $14M · programs 18.5% · FY2025
- National Yiddish Book CenterAmherst, MA · revenue $14M · programs 71.4% · FY2025
- Washington Performing Arts SocietyWashington, DC · revenue $14M · programs 71.2% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Virginia
Questions people ask
How much of The Mariners' Museum's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, The Mariners' Museum reported that 81.2% of its $12.5 million in expenses went to program services, 6.8% to management and general and 11.9% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Mariners' Museum pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Mariners' Museum reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $281,876, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Mariners' Museum get its money?
Of $14.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 68.0% came from contributions and grants and 1.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Mariners' Museum a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 54-0541801 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 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202543159349305414 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202443169349303959 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202302619349301010 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202241369349304219 · read the filing
- FY2020 (3 mo.): Form 990 for the 3-month short period ending December 31, 2020, object 202133199349304453 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 54-0541801: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.