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Fernbank
Fernbank reported $18.6 million in revenue and $15.2 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $69.41 went to program services, $24.22 to management and general costs and $6.37 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 53.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $401,748 (President & CEO). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 71% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $15MFor 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 $19MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 69.4% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 24.2% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.4% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.10 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 53.0% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 25.4% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $401,748 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.64% | 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 | 35.2 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 37 of 37 | 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 expenseExhibits and large-screen films: Fernbank Museum offers a variety of interdisciplinary exhibits and documentary films that expose visitors to science, nature and human culture. Fernbank presented blockbuster special exhibits including: Armored Animals, A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature, and; and popular seasonal exhibits including Forest Forms and Winter Wonderland: Celebrations & Traditions from Around the World and Spiders: From Fear to Fascination. Fernbank's Giant Screen Theater continued to provide state-of-the-art 4K digital projection. Films shown included Angkor: The Lost Empire of…
Fernbank is committed to offering the highest-quality educational programming that complements a visit, supports in-school learning and reaches new audiences. Programs are designed for a variety of guests at all stages of life, including adults, families, and school children. Fernbank presented a broad array of family enrichment programs, including the popular Family Discovery Days; seasonal camps; and STEAM-Powered Communities, an educational initiative that includes a robust portfolio of school programs including K-12 Exploratory Science Classes, CORE (Connecting, Observing, Researching…
Strategic Initiatives: Guided by a 5-year strategic plan, Fernbank is advancing new education and strategic initiatives that showcase the latest global science and our dynamic planet. The strategic plan embraced a new mission to ignite a passion for science, nature and human culture through exploration and discovery; introduced these core values-Science and the natural world inspire us; Curiosity drives us; Inclusivity strengthens us; Community empowers us; Resourcefulness advances us; and Integrity grounds us; and, established these stated goals and strategies-Be known as the place for…
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, 50.0 hrs/week | $383,370 | $0 | $18,378 | $401,748 |
| EVP & CFO Officer, 50.0 hrs/week | $226,574 | $0 | $22,065 | $248,639 |
| VP & CTO Officer, 50.0 hrs/week | $137,885 | $0 | $22,576 | $160,461 |
| VP & Chief Advancement Officer Officer, 50.0 hrs/week | $137,096 | $0 | $15,183 | $152,279 |
| VP of Programming & Collection Highest compensated employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $108,602 | $0 | $15,909 | $124,511 |
| VP of Marketing Highest compensated employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $109,564 | $0 | $14,776 | $124,340 |
| VP Sales & Events Highest compensated employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $111,625 | $0 | $12,419 | $124,044 |
| VP of Finance & Security Highest compensated employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $107,491 | $0 | $13,430 | $120,921 |
8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Fernbank (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $967K (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
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–1b37 · 37 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5186
- Volunteers Part I, line 6394
Private foundation grants it received
30 private foundations reported grants to Fernbank totaling $1.5M 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 Fernbank's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Fernbank, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Fernbank spent in 2024, $69.41 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln CenterNew York, NY · revenue $19M · programs 76.0% · FY2025
- Walnut Street Theatre CorporationPhiladelphia, PA · revenue $19M · programs 75.9% · FY2025
- North Carolina Symphony SocietyRaleigh, NC · revenue $19M · programs 81.1% · FY2025
- Opas FoundationOmaha, NE · revenue $19M · programs 97.4% · FY2025
- National Cowboy and Western Heritage MuseumOklahoma City, OK · revenue $19M · programs 66.4% · 2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Georgia
Questions people ask
How much of Fernbank's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Fernbank reported that 69.4% of its $15.2 million in expenses went to program services, 24.2% to management and general and 6.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Fernbank pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Fernbank reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $401,748, for the role of President & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Fernbank get its money?
Of $18.6 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 53.0% came from contributions and grants and 25.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Fernbank a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 58-6028607 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202533219349326383 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202413199349314486 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202333189349314158 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202243189349311344 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202103169349307875 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202043219349310939 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 58-6028607: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.