Arizona Science Center

Phoenix, AZ · EIN 86-0390558 · 501(c)(3) · Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
Latest filing: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 (tax year 2024) · View the filing · Correct or respond

Arizona Science Center reported $16.6 million in revenue and $12.6 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $69.80 went to program services, $24.43 to management and general costs and $5.77 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 69.9% of the total. Government grants made up 7.9%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $313,946 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 71% 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 $13M

Program services$69.80 $8.8M
Management & general$24.43 $3.1M
Fundraising$5.77 $725K

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 $17M

Contributions & grants (non-government)$62.00 $10M
Government grants$7.88 $1.3M
Program service revenue$20.78 $3.5M
Investment income$3.27 $544K
Other revenue$6.07 $1.0M

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)	69.8%	78.5%
Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A)	24.4%	13.6%
Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A)	5.8%	6.0%
Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h	$0.06	$0.10
Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12	69.9%	57.5%
Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12	7.9%	1.7%
Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12	20.8%	20.8%
Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F	$313,946	$385,706
Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A)	2.50%	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	44.7	36.6
Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b	40 of 40	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

$8.8M expenses · 100.0% of program spending · grants $40,000 · revenue $3.7M

Arizona Science Center impacts more than 800,000 students, families, educators and visitors across the state in its mission to inspire, educate, and engage curious minds through science. Arizona Science Center is one of the most popular cultural and educational attractions in arizona and is the only resource of its kind in the state. Arizona Science Center features a full complement of informal science programming including more than 300 hands-on exhibits, a giant screen theater, dorrance planetarium, featured exhibitions, live demonstrations, camps and workshops, adult lectures, and school…

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	$299,944	$0	$14,002	$313,946
SENIOR VP OF STRATEGIC PROJECTS Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$172,556	$0	$4,121	$176,677
CHIEF OF STAFF Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$148,880	$0	$9,082	$157,962
CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$138,096	$0	$8,029	$146,125
CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$108,765	$0	$8,356	$117,121
SENIOR ANALYTICS OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$107,682	$0	$7,939	$115,621
SENIOR VP OF FINANCE Officer, 40.00 hrs/week	$105,573	$0	$442	$106,015
CHIEF OF SCIENCE AND CURIOSITY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week	$101,846	$0	$3,430	$105,276

8 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Arizona Science Center (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $585K (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 ⓘ	$17M	$13M	69.8%	$47M	$313,946
FY2024 ⓘ	$17M	$14M	72.8%	$42M	$287,384
FY2023 ⓘ	$14M	$14M	72.0%	$41M	$354,502
FY2022 ⓘ	$12M	$9.0M	64.4%	$41M	$284,719
FY2021 ⓘ	$8.6M	$7.8M	68.2%	$41M	$333,814
FY2020 ⓘ	$9.7M	$11M	68.1%	$37M	$582,276

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–1b40 · 40 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 14bNo
Employees Part I, line 5206
Volunteers Part I, line 6438

Largest outside contractors

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

EVANS AND SUTHERLAND COMPUTER CORP Entertainment/media/technology	$3,660,000
RYAN COMPANIES US INC Construction	$701,788
MERCHANTS BUILDING MAINTENANCE LLC Janitorial maintenence	$395,266
ANDERSON ADVERTISING & PUBLIC RELATIONS Marketing	$252,630
FLYING FISH EXHIBITS PTY LTD Travel services	$186,393

Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 10 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.

Private foundation grants it received

21 private foundations reported grants to Arizona Science Center totaling $1.2M 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 Arizona Science Center's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Arizona Science Center, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.

Report a correction Respond as Arizona Science Center How this works

Similar-sized charities in this cause

High Desert Museum
Bend, OR · revenue $17M · programs 82.7% · FY2025
Signature Theatre
Arlington, VA · revenue $17M · programs 87.5% · FY2025
Arts for Learning Maryland
Baltimore, MD · revenue $17M · programs 93.6% · FY2025
The Haven Gallery (the School of Arts and Enterprise)
Pomona, CA · revenue $17M · programs 86.0% · FY2025
San Francisco Ballet Endowment Foundation
San Francisco, CA · revenue $17M · programs 94.3% · FY2025

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

Questions people ask

How much of Arizona Science Center's spending goes to programs?

In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Arizona Science Center reported that 69.8% of its $12.6 million in expenses went to program services, 24.4% to management and general and 5.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).

How much does Arizona Science Center pay its top executive?

The largest total compensation Arizona Science Center reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $313,946, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).

Where does Arizona Science Center get its money?

Of $16.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 69.9% came from contributions and grants (including 7.9% from government grants) and 20.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).

Is Arizona Science Center a registered charity?

The IRS lists EIN 86-0390558 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 June 30, 2025, object 202641359349314319 · read the filing
FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202510599349300436 · read the filing
FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202440799349301519 · read the filing
FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202331289349301813 · read the filing
FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202211309349305251 · read the filing
FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202101049349300400 · read the filing

All filings for EIN 86-0390558: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.