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Experience Learning Community
Also known as Museum of Pop Culture (Mopop)
Experience Learning Community reported $21.0 million in revenue and $30.0 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $84.81 went to program services, $13.23 to management and general costs and $1.96 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 82.3% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $425,500 (CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER). 19 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 1% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $30MFor 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 $21MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 84.8% | 78.5% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 13.2% | 13.6% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 2.0% | 6.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.30 | $0.10 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 9.4% | 57.5% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 1.2% | 1.7% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 82.3% | 20.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $425,500 | $385,706 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.42% | 2.03% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 19 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 51.5 | 36.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 11 of 11 | 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 expenseExpenditures related to the curation, development, fabrication, installation, production, and display of exhibitions and installations that advance the museum's mission of connecting our community. As of 2024, mopop has organized 119 exhibits, 24 of which have traveled to artistic centers and learning institutions both internationally and across the U.S. As one of the northwest's foremost cultural exporters, mopop has now reached more than 12 million people in over 10 foreign countries - including upwards of 3/4 million people onsite yearly (on average during a non-COVID year). A diverse…
Mopop operates an iconic, architecturally significant and custom-built museum building, designed by renowned architect frank o. Gehry. Program costs associated with the building include depreciation of $6,819,401 and $6,897,490 and occupancy of $1,866,985 and $2,414,979 respectively for 2024 and 2023. Whereas some museums have a separate legal entity which owns their building and is not consolidated with operations for form 990 reporting purposes, mopop does not. Therefore, mopop's form 990 includes all depreciation expense of its building. Mopop funds the cost of building capital…
Expenditures related to mopop's significant collection of contemporary cultural and historical music archive of over 85,000 artifacts plus our oral history collection, consisting of more than 1,100 interviews with musicians, filmmakers, producers, authors, and innovative luminaries who have shaped the culture of our time and influenced its modern landscape. In addition to a substantial recorded-sound and moving-image inventory, museum collection includes rare music instruments and equipment, photographs and films of live performances, and other objects that document the process of creating…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $407,079 | $0 | $18,421 | $425,500 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $199,548 | $0 | $17,910 | $217,458 |
| CHIEF BUSINESS & OPS OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $195,791 | $0 | $18,893 | $214,684 |
| CHIEF COLLECTIONS & EXHIB. OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $176,132 | $0 | $35,055 | $211,187 |
| VP MARKETING STRATEGY & SPONSORSHIPS Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $170,579 | $0 | $29,683 | $200,262 |
| VP OF MUSEUM OPS. & GOV. AFFAIRS Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $169,077 | $0 | $18,187 | $187,264 |
| DIRECTOR, IT Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $148,990 | $0 | $13,462 | $162,452 |
| DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & PROGRAMS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $133,187 | $0 | $23,009 | $156,196 |
19 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Experience Learning Community (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.5M (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–1b11 · 11 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 4Yes
- 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 5164
- Volunteers Part I, line 6198
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| ALLIANCE BUILDING SERVICES Cleaning services | $1,026,421 |
| POLLINATE INC Marketing/advertising | $995,657 |
| THYSSENKRUPP ELEVATOR CORPORATION Elevator repair/maintenance | $511,278 |
| MITHUNINC Construction | $407,990 |
| IFOUNDED INC Brand/marketing | $357,219 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 16 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
2 private foundations reported grants to Experience Learning Community totaling $27,000 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 Experience Learning Community's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Experience Learning Community, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Experience Learning Community spent in 2024, $84.81 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Fort Worth Art AssociationFort Worth, TX · revenue $21M · programs 68.1% · FY2025
- 5th Avenue Theatre AssociationSeattle, WA · revenue $21M · programs 80.0% · FY2025
- Center for the Collaborative ClassroomAlameda, CA · revenue $21M · programs 80.3% · FY2025
- Kansas City SymphonyKansas City, MO · revenue $21M · programs 82.4% · FY2025
- Conner Prairie MuseumFishers, IN · revenue $21M · programs 82.7% · 2024
All arts, culture & humanities charities · Largest charities in Washington
Questions people ask
How much of Experience Learning Community's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Experience Learning Community reported that 84.8% of its $30.0 million in expenses went to program services, 13.2% to management and general and 2.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Experience Learning Community pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Experience Learning Community reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $425,500, for the role of CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Experience Learning Community get its money?
Of $21.0 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 9.4% came from contributions and grants (including 1.2% from government grants) and 82.3% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Experience Learning Community a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 91-1626784 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202511849349301106 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202411809349301021 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202302009349300740 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202211819349301021 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202131889349301143 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202011749349300036 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 91-1626784: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.