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The Heard Museum
The Heard Museum reported $23.2 million in revenue and $14.1 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $69.17 went to program services, $19.68 to management and general costs and $11.15 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 78.1% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $423,238 (DIRECTOR AND CEO). 7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 133% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $14MFor 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 September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $23MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 69.2% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 19.7% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 11.2% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.09 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 78.1% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.7% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 11.7% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $423,238 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 3.01% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 7 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 33.8 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 27 of 27 | 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 expenseThe Heard Museum is the largest private nonprofit in the world dedicated to american indian art and culture. Since opening in 1929, the museum has become internationally recognized for organizing original exhibitions and scholarly publications that showcase the diversity and beauty of american indian art and culture, and for producing a wide annual array of public programs, festival events, and educational initiatives that provide access and learning opportunities for audiences of all ages with a particular focus on reaching youth and families.continued on schedule othe heard is one of…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTOR AND CEO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $415,011 | $0 | $8,227 | $423,238 |
| COO/DEPUTY DIRECTOR Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $271,419 | $0 | $11,948 | $283,367 |
| ENGAGEMENT/ADVANCEMENT OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $215,270 | $0 | $24,632 | $239,902 |
| CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $195,316 | $0 | $30,556 | $225,872 |
| DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $118,897 | $0 | $15,762 | $134,659 |
| CHIEF CURATOR Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $110,248 | $0 | $10,474 | $120,722 |
| DIRECTOR OF RETAIL OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $102,075 | $0 | $6,216 | $108,291 |
7 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Heard Museum (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.1M (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–1b27 · 27 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 2Yes
- 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 5130
- Volunteers Part I, line 6400
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| A R MAYS CONSTRUCTION INC Construction services | $3,071,328 |
| LANE TERRALEVER Advertising & promotion | $552,766 |
| PHX ARCHITECTURE Architectural design services | $320,818 |
| AFFIRMATIVE TECHNOLOGY GROUP Information technology services | $290,458 |
| HACI SERVICE LLC Mechanical contracting services | $186,237 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 8 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
37 private foundations reported grants to The Heard Museum totaling $1.6M 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 Heard 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 Heard Museum, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 The Heard Museum spent in FY2025, $69.17 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of The Heard Museum's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, The Heard Museum reported that 69.2% of its $14.1 million in expenses went to program services, 19.7% to management and general and 11.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Heard Museum pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Heard Museum reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $423,238, for the role of DIRECTOR AND CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Heard Museum get its money?
Of $23.2 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 78.1% came from contributions and grants (including 0.7% from government grants) and 11.7% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Heard Museum a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 86-0107517 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 September 30, 2025, object 202601329349306675 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202530949349301413 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202412089349300921 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202332279349303408 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202212279349304131 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202141529349301119 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 86-0107517: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.