North Carolina Museum of Life & Science

Durham, NC · EIN 56-0938434 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

North Carolina Museum of Life & Science reported $16.1 million in revenue and $15.3 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $79.00 went to program services, $18.22 to management and general costs and $2.78 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 48.2% of the total. Government grants made up 40.0%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $234,777 (PRESIDENT/CEO). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 63% 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 $15M

Program services$79.00 $12M
Management & general$18.22 $2.8M
Fundraising$2.78 $425K

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 June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $16M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$8.30 $1.3M
Government grants$39.95 $6.4M
Program service revenue$40.65 $6.5M
Investment income$0.72 $117K
Other revenue$10.38 $1.7M

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)	79.0%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	18.2%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	2.8%	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	48.2%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	40.0%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	40.6%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$234,777	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	1.53%	2.03%
People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2	8	8
Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses	18.3	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	25 of 26	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

$12M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · grants $286K · revenue $6.9M

The Museum of Life and science has served the community by providing engaging STEM learning experiences and extracurricular programming since 1946. The museum welcomed nearly 650,000 visitors this year from the greater triangle region and beyond. The museum's 84-acre nature park and over 300 indoor and outdoor exhibitions enable children and their families to engage meaningfully with science, technology, engineering and math, preparing them to use STEM learning as a way of understanding the issues they will face throughout their lives. Our mission is to spark curiosity and respect for nature…

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, 40.00 hrs/week	$212,788	$0	$21,989	$234,777
VP FOR EXHIBITS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$134,941	$0	$24,655	$159,596
VP OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$133,068	$0	$16,092	$149,160
VP FOR GUEST EXPERIENCES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$132,068	$0	$16,033	$148,101
VP OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$131,018	$0	$928	$131,946
VP FOR EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$114,935	$0	$15,113	$130,048
VP OF FINANCE THRU 9/2024 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$101,756	$0	$13,248	$115,004
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AS OF 11/2024 Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$12,440	$0	$2,724	$15,164

8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from North Carolina Museum of Life & Science (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $350K (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 ⓘ	$16M	$15M	79.0%	$23M	$234,777
FY2024 ⓘ	$16M	$15M	78.2%	$23M	$250,467
FY2023 ⓘ	$16M	$13M	75.2%	$21M	$226,453
FY2022 ⓘ	$15M	$11M	75.8%	$18M	$161,642
FY2021 ⓘ	$9.4M	$10M	77.2%	$14M	$237,656
FY2020 ⓘ	$9.9M	$10M	77.5%	$15M	$237,043

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–1b26 · 25 independent
Audited financial statements Part XII 2bNo
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 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 5279
Volunteers Part I, line 6925

Largest outside contractors

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

APTIS LLC Technology consulting	$499,533
COMFORT MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS INC Construction	$234,036
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT INC Architectural services	$233,964
PARADIGM NATIONAL CONSULTANTS LLC Consulting	$222,649
CT WILSON CONSTRUCTION Construction	$194,353

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 11 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

18 private foundations reported grants to North Carolina Museum of Life & Science totaling $790K 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 North Carolina Museum of Life & Science's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for North Carolina Museum of Life & Science, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as North Carolina Museum of Life &…How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

Artsfund
Seattle, WA · revenue $16M · programs 85.8% · FY2025
Lincoln Center Development Project
New York, NY · revenue $16M · programs 70.7% · FY2025
Holocaust Museum LA
Los Angeles, CA · revenue $16M · programs 74.3% · 2024
Kansas City Ballet Association
Kansas City, MO · revenue $16M · programs 77.2% · FY2025
Eastern Educational Television Network
Boston, MA · revenue $16M · programs 84.4% · FY2025

All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in North Carolina

Questions people ask

How much of North Carolina Museum of Life & Science's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, North Carolina Museum of Life & Science reported that 79.0% of its $15.3 million in expenses went to program services, 18.2% to management and general and 2.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does North Carolina Museum of Life & Science pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation North Carolina Museum of Life & Science reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $234,777, for the role of PRESIDENT/CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does North Carolina Museum of Life & Science get its money?

Of $16.1 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 48.2% came from contributions and grants (including 40.0% from government grants) and 40.6% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is North Carolina Museum of Life & Science a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 56-0938434 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 202621359349303452 · read the filing
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202531359349304633 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202441359349311659 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202311359349315966 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202200529349300525 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202100639349300810 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 56-0938434: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.