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Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture
Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture reported $103.0 million in revenue and $404,803 in expenses for the 8-month short period ending August 31, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $84.29 went to program services, $9.50 to management and general costs and $6.21 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.8% of the total. Government grants made up 19.3%. Source: Form 990, FY2025 (8 mo.).
Where $100 of spending went
The 8-month short period ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $405KFor 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 8-month short period ending August 31, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $103MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 (8 mo.) | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 84.3% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 9.5% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.2% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.8% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 19.3% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | Not reported | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | Not reported | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 0 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 3,957.9 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 8 of 9 | 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 (8 mo.) · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense1 filings since FY2025 (8 mo.)
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked| Filing | Revenue | Expenses | Programs | Net assets | Top pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 (8 mo.) ⓘ | $103M | $405K | 84.3% | $134M | — |
Governance answers, as filed
FY2025 (8 mo.) · 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–1b9 · 8 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 15aNo
- 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 50
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 (8 mo.) · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| THINC DESIGN Construction services | $4,383,520 |
| KUBIK MALTBIE INC Construction services | $3,293,273 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture spent in FY2025 (8 mo.), $84.29 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- New York City BalletNew York, NY · revenue $102M · programs 87.4% · FY2025
- Perot Museum of Nature & ScienceDallas, TX · revenue $103M · programs 75.9% · FY2025
- San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtSan Francisco, CA · revenue $102M · programs 80.8% · FY2025
- The Royal Shakespeare CompanyUnited Kingdom, · revenue $104M · programs 93.5% · FY2025
- The Carnegie Hall CorporationNew York, NY · revenue $102M · programs 72.8% · FY2025
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Wisconsin
Questions people ask
How much of Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture's spending goes to programs?
In the 8-month short period ending August 31, 2025, Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture reported that 84.3% of its $404,803 in expenses went to program services, 9.5% to management and general and 6.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
Where does Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture get its money?
Of $103.0 million in revenue in the 8-month short period ending August 31, 2025, 99.8% came from contributions and grants (including 19.3% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Wisconsin Museum of Nature and Culture a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 87-2028034 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 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025 (8 mo.): Form 990 for the 8-month short period ending August 31, 2025, object 202640849349300039 · read the filing · XML
All filings for EIN 87-2028034: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.