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Sesame Workshop

EIN 13-2655731 · New York, NY

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SESAME WORKSHOP'S MISSION IS TO HELP KIDS GROW SMARTER, STRONGER AND KINDER. (SEE SCHEDULE O)

Income
$180.7 million
Spending
$169.7 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
33.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 45%
Employees
798
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$1.1 million, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 33.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 12% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 30% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 17 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (5)
  1. $83.6 million spent. CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL MEDIA SESAME WORKSHOP CREATES EDUCATIONAL CONTENT FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND DISTRIBUTES THAT CONTENT IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD, ACROSS VARIOUS MEDIA PLATFORMS INCLUDING TELEVISION, DIGITAL STREAMING, ONLINE, RADIO, PRINT, MOBILE, AND HOME ENTERTAINMENT. THE CONTENT FOLLOWS A WHOLE CHILD CURRICULUM AND IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND HEALTH NEEDS YOUNG CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY THOSE VULNERABLE TO EQUAL AND EARLY ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL LEARNING. SESAME WORKSHOP IS MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR ITS FLAGSHIP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM "SESAME STREET." SESAME STREET'S SEASON 55 CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON HELPING CHILDREN DEVELOP FOUNDATIONAL EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING SKILLS, IN PARTICULAR INCREASING THEIR (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O) EMOTIONAL VOCABULARY. THE STORY NARRATIVES SUPPORT THE NOTICING AND NAMING EMOTIONS, VALIDATING EMOTIONS, AND MODELING A STRATEGY TO REDUCE THE EMOTION SO NOT TO IMPEDE WITH THE CHILD'S ACTIVITIES. AND DO SO IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. SEASON 56 EXTENDS PRESCHOOLERS UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND APPLIES THEIR EMOTIONAL REGULATION SKILLS TO SOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN ORDER TO SOLVE CONFLICTS WITH PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND INCREASE THEIR SKILLS IN: PERSPECTIVE TAKING, LISTENING, COOPERATION, COLLABORATION, SHARING, AND TURN-TAKING ALL IN SERVICE OF DEVELOPING, MAINTAINING, AND REPAIRING FRIENDSHIPS. THESE STORIES SUPPORT CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT OF A HEALTHY AND POSITIVE SENSE OF WHO THEY ARE, DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS, AND MODEL ACTING WITH KINDNESS, FAIRNESS, AND RESPECT. SESAME STREET IS DRIVEN BY A SCHOOL READINESS CURRICULUM WHICH IS TAUGHT THROUGH A PRESCHOOL FRIENDLY TOPIC. THE SHOW CURRENTLY BROADCASTS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY IN THE U.S. ON THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE (PBS), WHICH IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE IN 98% OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH TELEVISIONS. IN ADDITION TO ITS PRESENCE ON PBS AND OTHER TELEVISION AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS, "SESAME STREET" VIDEOS, INTERACTIVE GAMES AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ARE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE FOR USERS ON WWW.SESAMESTREET.ORG, WWW.PBSKIDS.ORG AND WWW.YOUTUBE.COM. INCLUDING ITS DISTRIBUTION ON BROADCAST, STREAMING VOD AND CABLE TV AND ITS PRESENCE ON VARIOUS DIGITAL PLATFORMS. "SESAME STREET" REACHES 11.6 MILLION KIDS AGES 0-8 IN THE U.S. ON A MONTHLY BASIS. ITS CONTINUED POPULARITY PLACES IT AS THE #1 KIDS SHOW ON PBS LINEAR TV FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 2025, REACHING 2.7 MILLION US HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING 17 MILLION VIEWS. ON HBO MAX IN THE US, SESAME STREET RECEIVED 58 MILLION VIEWS AND WAS WATCHED FOR 24 MILLION HOURS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025. SESAME STREET'S FREE YOUTUBE CHANNEL RECEIVED OVER 1.4 BILLION VIEWS DOMESTICALLY IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 (AND 3.3 BILLION VIEWS WORLDWIDE). RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT CHILDREN WHO WATCH "SESAME STREET" CONSISTENTLY PERFORM BETTER ACADEMICALLY AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND HAVE MORE DEVELOPED SOCIAL SKILLS."SESAME STREET" IS ALSO SEEN IN OVER 150 COUNTRIES THROUGH DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS WITH LOCAL PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS. IN ADDITION, LOCAL ADAPTATIONS OF "SESAME STREET" ARE PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED IN GERMANY, MIDDLE EAST NORTH AFRICA, THE NETHERLANDS, LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, BANGLADESH, SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA AND AFGHANISTAN. THE PROGRAM REACHES 150 MILLION KIDS ON A WORLDWIDE BASIS.
  2. $19.4 million spent. HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAY TO LEARN: LAUNCHED IN 2019 AND LED BY SESAME WORKSHOP IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH BRAC, THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC), AND NYU GLOBAL TIES FOR CHILDREN, PLAY TO LEARN (PTL) SET OUT TO TRANSFORM HOW THE HUMANITARIAN SECTOR APPROACHES EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN CRISIS AND CONFLICT SETTINGS. BY BLENDING DIRECT SERVICES, MASS MEDIA, RIGOROUS RESEARCH, AND STRATEGIC ADVOCACY, THE CONSORTIUM WORKED TO PLACE YOUNG CHILDREN AT THE CENTER OF HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE. OVER SIX YEARS, PLAY TO LEARN REACHED 3,692,465 CHILDREN, CAREGIVERS, AND FACILITATORS ACROSS SIX COUNTRIES - FROM ROHINGYA REFUGEE CAMPS IN BANGLADESH TO URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)IN THE PROGRAM'S FINAL YEAR, 1,191,174 PEOPLE WERE REACHED.AS THE PROGRAM CONCLUDED, ISI PRIORITIZED THE DISSEMINATION OF EVIDENCE AND TOOLS TO BENEFIT THE BROADER HUMANITARIAN FIELD. KEY RESOURCES DEVELOPED INCLUDE THE WATCH, PLAY, LEARN TOOLKIT - AN ADAPTABLE RESOURCE PACKAGE ENABLING FRONTLINE ECD PRACTITIONERS ACROSS SECTORS (PROTECTION, HEALTH, NUTRITION) TO INTEGRATE EVIDENCE-BASED PLAY PROGRAMMING INTO EXISTING WORK - AND THE PLAY TO LEARN RESOURCE HUB, A PLATFORM SHARING PROGRAM AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES, CONTENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS FROM BANGLADESH, LEBANON, JORDAN, AND BEYOND. THESE RESOURCES WERE SHARED AT EVENTS INCLUDING THE "PLAY WITH A PURPOSE" ROADSHOW IN BANGLADESH IN JANUARY 2025, WHERE 180 POLICYMAKERS, UN AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES, AND INGO LEADERS ENGAGED WITH SIX YEARS OF PLAY TO LEARN EVIDENCE, DISCUSSED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINING THE MODEL'S IMPACT, AND AND EXPLORED FIRSTHAND THE MATERIALS AND MODELS DEVELOPED OVER SIX YEARS OF IMPLEMENTATION.AHLAN SIMSIM-IRAQ: DURING YEAR 4 OF THE AHLAN SIMSIM-IRAQ PROJECT, SESAME WORKSHOP ADVANCED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ACROSS SIX GOVERNORATES IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH USAID, IRAQ'S MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, AND NGO AND PRODUCTION PARTNERS. THE PROGRAM PRIORITIZED ACCESS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN - INCLUDING DISPLACED POPULATIONS AND MINORITY GROUPS - WITH KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT WEIGHTED TOWARD CHILDREN WITH LOWER IDELA BASELINE SCORES.FEMALE EDUCATORS RECEIVED TRAINING IN EMERGENT LITERACY, NUMERACY, AND ANTI-BIAS PRACTICES. PARENT ENGAGEMENT DEEPENED THROUGH PTA COMMITTEES AND CAREGIVER SESSIONS CENTERED ON LEARNING-THROUGH-PLAY. YOUTH HUBS PROVIDED SAFE SPACES FOR SKILL-BUILDING AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE GAINING SOFT SKILLS AND PRODUCING ORIGINAL FILMMAKING PROJECTS. CONTENT PRODUCTION EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NEW VIDEOS FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND FATHERS, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS WORKED TO INTEGRATE AHLAN SIMSIM MATERIALS INTO GOVERNMENTAL KINDERGARTEN CURRICULA - A CRITICAL STEP TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY INDEPENDENT OF PROJECT FUNDING.THE PROGRAM CONCLUDED IN FY25 FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF USAID FUNDING. CLOSE-OUT WAS MANAGED RESPONSIBLY AND TRANSPARENTLY: STAFF DEMOBILIZATION COMPLIED WITH IRAQI LABOR LAW, ASSETS WERE DONATED TO LOCAL NGOS, AND PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION WAS COMPREHENSIVELY ARCHIVED. OVER FOUR YEARS, AHLAN SIMSIM DEMONSTRATED THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF CULTURALLY TAILORED PROGRAMMING IN IRAQ - USING BELOVED CHARACTERS, BASMA AND JAD, TO PROMOTE EMPATHY, DIVERSITY, AND RESILIENCE - AND LEAVES A LASTING FOUNDATION FOR EARLY LEARNING AS A MEANS OF HEALING AND CONNECTION IN COMMUNITIES DEEPLY AFFECTED BY DISPLACEMENT AND CONFLICT.WELCOME SESAME: INCLUSION AND BELONGING FOR DISPLACED LEARNERS: WELCOME SESAME, SUPPORTED BY THE HILTON FOUNDATION, IS A GLOBAL SOCIAL COHESION INITIATIVE DELIVERING A 16-SESSION INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES TRANSFORMED BY MIGRATION. OPERATING IN UGANDA, COLOMBIA, AND ECUADOR, THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL), POSITIVE IDENTITY, AND SENSE OF BELONGING THROUGH BOTH PRINT AND MEDIA CONTENT.IN FY25, THE PROGRAM COMPLETED ITS SECOND IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE AND LAUNCHED ITS THIRD. THE SECOND CYCLE REACHED 5,236 CHILDREN, 4,016 GUARDIANS, AND 218 EDUCATORS ACROSS 185 CLASSROOMS. MONITORING DATA SHOWED MEANINGFUL EDUCATOR GROWTH IN SEL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE, INCLUDING STRONGER IDENTIFICATION OF POSITIVE EMOTION-REGULATION STRATEGIES AND INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN FOSTERING INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS.AS THE PROGRAM ENTERED ITS THIRD AND FINAL IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE IN JANUARY 2025, SESAME WORKSHOP AND PARTNERS DEEPENED ENGAGEMENT WITH MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION IN ALL THREE COUNTRIES AND COMMITTED TO SCALING TO ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS. THROUGH ITERATIVE REFINEMENT AND STRONG LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS, WELCOME SESAME IS BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE, ADAPTABLE SEL MODEL THAT STRENGTHENS EARLY LEARNING ECOSYSTEMS ACROSS DIVERSE CRISIS-AFFECTED CONTEXTS.TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE: IN FY25, SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHED THE UKRAINE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE COUNTRY'S ECD WORKFORCE AMID PROTRACTED CONFLICT AND WIDESPREAD DISRUPTION TO EDUCATION. THE PROGRAM EQUIPS ASPIRING EDUCATORS WITH ROBUST SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, INCLUSIVE, AND PLAY-BASED TEACHING SKILLS ALIGNED WITH UKRAINE'S NATIONAL EDUCATION PRIORITIES.TO GROUND THE PROGRAM IN REAL NEED, SESAME CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT ENGAGING 678 SURVEY RESPONDENTS AND 15 IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS TO IDENTIFY URGENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GAPS. A CURRICULUM ADVISORY CONVENING BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS IN LVIV, PRODUCING A VALIDATED DRAFT FRAMEWORK FOR A THREE-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE FINALIZED AND IMPLEMENTED IN FY26. SESAME HAS FORMALIZED A PARTNERSHIP WITH IZMAIL UNIVERSITY AND IS ACTIVELY EXPANDING TO ADDITIONAL UNIVERSITIES TO SUPPORT REGIONAL ROLLOUT AND LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONAL ADOPTION OF THE MODEL.
  3. $19.2 million spent. INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL IMPACTSESAME WORKSHOP'S (SW) INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL IMPACT (ISI) GROUP ADVANCES EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD WELL-BEING GLOBALLY IN SERVICE OF OUR CORE MISSION: HELPING KIDS GROW SMARTER, STRONGER, AND KINDER. WORKING ACROSS SOUTH ASIA, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST, LATIN AMERICA, AND CRISIS-AFFECTED CONTEXTS WORLDWIDE, ISI COLLABORATES WITH MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION, NGOS, PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO DELIVER CULTURALLY RELEVANT CONTENT, STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, AND EMBED SUSTAINABLE EARLY LEARNING MODELS WITHIN NATIONAL SYSTEMS. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)FY25 WAS A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND STRATEGIC ADAPTATION. THE CONCLUSION OF SEVERAL USAID-SUPPORTED INITIATIVES IN BANGLADESH, INDIA, AND IRAQ REQUIRED A THOUGHTFUL REALIGNMENT OF RESOURCES AND PRIORITIES. AS A RESULT OF THE SUDDEN SHIFT IN THE FUNDING LANDSCAPE, WE MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO CLOSE OUR OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND BANGLADESH. WE ARE FURTHER POSITIONING THE DEPARTMENT FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH BY SHARPENING OUR THEMATIC FOCUS TO ALIGN MORE CLOSELY WITH CONTENT STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES, WHILE MANAGING A STREAMLINED PORTFOLIO OF FUNDED PROJECTS FOR BOTH U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL UPTAKE. WE ARE REPLICATING PROVEN PROGRAM MODELS THROUGH EFFICIENT, COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESSES; RESPONDING TO EVOLVING CHILD AND FAMILY NEEDS USING RESEARCH, DATA, AND PARTNER INSIGHT; AND INVESTING IN TARGETED PILOTS AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO DRIVE INNOVATION, SCALE, AND EXPANDED REACH.ACROSS OUR REGIONAL OFFICES AND GLOBAL PROGRAMS, WE CONTINUED TO EXPAND OUR MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA CONTENT AND EVIDENCE-BASED DIRECT SERVICES, SUSTAINING STRONG REACH AND MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND ENSURING A MORE RESILIENT ORGANIZATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE WORK AHEAD. REGIONAL AND COUNTRY PROGRAMS:BANGLADESH: FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SISIMPUR - SESAME WORKSHOP'S BANGLADESHI CO-PRODUCTION - HAS BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD MEDIA IN THE COUNTRY, REINFORCING FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY, NUMERACY, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, GENDER EQUITY, AND DISABILITY INCLUSION FOR MILLIONS OF CHILDREN. IN FY25, SISIMPUR SEASONS 15 AND 16 AIRED NATIONALLY, GENERATING OVER 249 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS AND MORE THAN 13 MILLION CUMULATIVE WATCH HOURS. THE SERIES WILL CONTINUE AIRING ON MULTIPLE BROADCAST CHANNELS THROUGH 2027. THE USAID-FUNDED SISIMPUR DIRECT-SERVICE PROJECT REACHED 34,606 CHILDREN, 1,251 EDUCATORS, AND 11,624 PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS ACROSS 250 SCHOOLS, STRENGTHENING INCLUSIVE TEACHING PRACTICES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AN ADDITIONAL 17,342 STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERNET-SMART GENERATION INITIATIVE, WHICH PROMOTED DIGITAL LITERACY AND SAFE INTERNET PRACTICES THROUGH STRUCTURED CLASSROOM SESSIONS, TEACHER TRAINING, AND CAREGIVER AWARENESS PROGRAMMING.THROUGH THE LEGO FOUNDATION-FUNDED PLAY TO LEARN PROJECT, SESAME WORKSHOP BANGLADESH DEVELOPED AND DISSEMINATED AN "ECD HOMEKIT", CONTAINING PLAY AND LEARNING MATERIALS CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES TO USE AT HOME, REACHING 1430 ROHINGYA CHILDREN AND 570 CHILDREN FROM THE HOST COMMUNITY. SESAME WORKSHOP BANGLADESH ALSO DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED 20 NEWLY DEVELOPED ROHINGYA STORYBOOKS THAT WERE INTEGRATED INTO PROGRAMS OF 11 PARTNERS AND INTO 62 GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS. FINALLY, IN THE REPORTING PERIOD, SESAME WORKSHOP BANGLADESH PARTNERED WITH SAVE THE CHILDREN TO INTEGRATE SW CONTENT INTO THE MYANMAR KG CURRICULUM FOR ROHINGYA CHILDREN IN 20 LEARNING CENTERS OF ROHINGYA CAMPS, REACHING AROUND 795 KG-GRADE STUDENTS.THE CONCLUSION OF USAID FUNDING HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BANGLADESH OFFICE'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. FOLLOWING CAREFUL REVIEW, SESAME WORKSHOP MADE THE DECISION TO WIND DOWN ITS BANGLADESH COUNTRY OFFICE IN FY26. THE TEAM CONCLUDED ITS WORK HAVING DELIVERED MEASURABLE IMPACT AND EXPANDED ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATIONAL MEDIA ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ALL DEVELOPED MATERIALS REMAIN ACCESSIBLE THROUGH BROADCAST AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS, ENSURING CONTINUED BENEFIT TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BEYOND OUR OPERATIONAL PRESENCE.INDIA: IN FY25, SESAME WORKSHOP INDIA OPERATED ACROSS 8 STATES, DIRECTLY REACHING OVER 446,000 CHILDREN AND ENGAGING 9 MILLION INDIVIDUALS THROUGH DIGITAL PLATFORMS - ALL WHILE NAVIGATING A SIGNIFICANT FUNDING TRANSITION. A USAID-FUNDED GRANT FOCUSED ON FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND WASH BEGAN IN AUGUST 2024 AND CONCLUDED EARLY IN JANUARY 2025, PROMPTING A REASSESSMENT OF THE INDIA OFFICE'S FUNDING MODEL AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY. DURING THIS PERIOD, LOCAL PHILANTHROPY GREW 13% YEAR-ON-YEAR, WITH 68% OF FUNDING MOBILIZED THROUGH DOMESTIC CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SOURCES.PROGRAMMING SPANNED EDUCATION, WELL-BEING, HEALTH AND HYGIENE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THE CHALO! SESAME STREET LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT APP ACHIEVED OVER 100,000 DOWNLOADS, 11,000 REGISTERED USERS, AND A 26% MONTHLY RETENTION RATE, REFLECTING STRONG ADOPTION AND SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT AMONG CAREGIVERS AND YOUNG LEARNERS. NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND HIGH-VISIBILITY EVENTS EXTENDED BRAND REACH TO OVER 50 MILLION PEOPLE.A MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL MILESTONE WAS ACHIEVED WHEN THE INTEGRATED EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) PACKAGE - COMPRISING OVER 100 CONTENT RESOURCES ACROSS FIVE LANGUAGES - WAS FORMALLY LAUNCHED BY THE HONORABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF MEGHALAYA, REFLECTING SESAME WORKSHOP'S ROLE AS A TRUSTED PARTNER IN INDIA'S EARLY LEARNING ECOSYSTEM.SOUTH AFRICA: SESAME WORKSHOP'S SOUTH AFRICA OFFICE CONTINUED TO DELIVER INTEGRATED EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMMING THROUGH TAKALANI SESAME, ITS LOCALLY CO-PRODUCED SERIES, ALONGSIDE DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES. BROADCAST AND DIGITAL CONTENT, REINFORCING FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY, NUMERACY, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, HEALTH, AND INCLUSION THEMES, REACHED AN AVERAGE OF 18.6 MILLION VIEWERS MONTHLY, GENERATING 35.8 MILLION DIGITAL VIEWS AND OVER 915,000 HOURS OF WATCH TIME ACROSS FIVE LOCAL LANGUAGES.DIRECT-SERVICE PROGRAMMING REACHED 18,083 CHILDREN AND 3
  4. $11.7 million spent. U.S. SOCIAL IMPACTIN ADDITION TO DISTRIBUTING ITS EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ON MASS MEDIA PLATFORMS, SESAME WORKSHOP CREATES AND DISTRIBUTES, WITH PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT, BILINGUAL MULTIMEDIA EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES AND RESOURCES THAT SERVE THE MAJORITY OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WHILE INTENTIONALLY REACHING THOSE WHO ARE MOST UNDER-RESOURCED OR WHO FACE SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL NEEDS. IN FY 2025, SESAME WORKSHOP CONTINUED TO ADDRESS EMERGING AND PERSISTENT CHALLENGES FACING MARGINALIZED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.EMOTIONAL WELL-BEINGBUILDING UPON SESAME WORKSHOP'S ONGOING, ORGANIZATIONAL-WIDE COMMITMENT RESPONDING TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, IN FY 2025, WE LAUNCHED NEW RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES AND PROVIDERS TO HELP CHILDREN BUILD A FOUNDATION OF EMOTIONAL WELLNESS. IN AUGUST 2024, SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHED FIVE MINDFUL MONSTERS PODCAST EPISODES, ACCOMPANIED BY TWO PRINTABLE GUIDES OFFERING STRATEGIES FOR INCORPORATING MINDFULNESS PRACTICES INTO EVERYDAY ROUTINES IN BOTH EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS AND HOME-BASED SETTINGS. ACROSS THE FIVE EPISODES, SESAME STREET MUPPETS GUIDE CHILDREN THROUGH DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE MINDFULNESS STRATEGIES SUCH AS WHOLE-BODY LISTENING, BODY SCANS, AND BUBBLE BREATHING BODY LISTENINGAS OF FEBRUARY 2026, THE PODCASTS HAVE A COMBINED 47 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS, INCLUDING: - WHOLE BODY LISTENING WITH ELMO - 8.5M VIEWS - SELF-LOVE MANTRAS WITH GROVER - 5.3M VIEWS LOVE MANTRAS WITH GROVER - BUBBLE BREATHING WITH ABBY - 5.2M VIEWS - LOOK AND NOTICE WITH COOKIE MONSTER - 15M VIEWS - BODY SCAN WITH BIG BIRD - 13M VIEWSWE ALSO PUBLISHED TWO NEW ARTICLES ON SESAMEWORKSHOP.ORG - ONE AN INTERVIEW WITH FOUR NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS (NAMI) PSYCHIATRISTS ABOUT ANXIETY IN YOUNG CHILDREN (WHAT MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS WANT PARENTS TO KNOW ABOUT ANXIETY), AND ONE FOR PARENTS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR YOUNG CHILD'S MENTAL HEALTH (WHEN YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S MENTAL HEALTH). THE INTERVIEW INCLUDED FOUR CHILD MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS: DEVIKA BHUSHAN, MD, CHRISTINE CRAWFORD, MD, NEHA NAVSARIA, PHD, AND MARIAN WILLIAMS, PHD, ABOUT CHILDHOOD ANXIETY. THE ARTICLES LAUNCHED ON OCTOBER 1, 2024, IN ADVANCE OF WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2024. THE ARTICLES RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 255 SESSIONS AND 1,637 SESSIONS, RESPECTIVELY, ON OUR WEBSITE. DURING FY 2025, SESAME WORKSHOP ALSO DEVELOPED TWO ORIGINAL WEBINARS ON EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING FOR SERVICE PROVIDERS, INCLUDING EDUCATORS, MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, HEALTHCARE WORKERS, ETC. THE FIRST WEBINAR, COMPONENTS OF COMMUNITY: CREATING SOCIAL CONNECTIONS TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH, LAUNCHED ON OCTOBER 21, 2024, AND FEATURED DR. JULIE RADLAUER-DOERFLER LMHC WHO IS A LEADING EXPERT IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CONNECTIONS. THE WEBINAR EXPLORED THE WAYS SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECT OUR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND PROVIDED HANDS-ON TOOLS AND INTERVENTIONS TO BUILD KINDNESS AND RESILIENCE IN CHILDREN. AS OF JUNE 30, 2025, 1,434 USERS HAVE LAUNCHED 1,984 SESSIONS OF THE WEBINAR. OUR SECOND WEBINAR, COMPONENTS OF COMMUNITY: THE SCIENCE OF KINDNESS, WAS HELD ON MAY 12, 2025, WITH DR. JULIE RADLAUER-DOERFLER AND DR. KELLI HARDING, WHO COVERED THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS. THIS DISCUSSION EXPANDED UPON TOPICS AND STRATEGIES FROM THE FIRST WEBINAR, EMPHASIZED COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION, AND EXPLORED WAYS TO CONNECT AND FOSTER KINDNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE. AS OF JUNE 30, 2025, 562 USERS HAVE LAUNCHED 722 SESSIONS OF THE WEBINAR. THE EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING TOPIC PAGE HAD A TOTAL OF 153,202 TOTAL SESSIONS AND 148,403 TOTAL USERS DURING FY 2025 AND WAS THE NUMBER ONE TOPIC PAGE ACROSS ALL OF SESAMEWORKSHOP.ORG.TOUGH TOPICSIN FY 2025, SESAME WORKSHOP EXPANDED ITS LONG STANDING COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES NAVIGATING PARENTAL ADDICTION. WITH SUPPORT FROM THE FOUNDATION FOR OPIOID RESPONSE EFFORTS (FORE) AND THE DAVID R. CLARE AND MARGARET C. CLARE FOUNDATION, NEW BILINGUAL RESOURCES WERE LAUNCHED BEGINNING IN JANUARY AND MAY 2025. ACROSS FY 2025, THESE RESOURCES WERE VIEWED 59,543 TIMES BY 40,747 USERS ON SESAMEWORKSHOP.ORG.IN JANUARY 2025, THE FORE LAUNCH INCLUDED TWO NEW PRINTABLES TO HELP EQUIP CHILDREN WITH WAYS TO REACH OUT TO THE ADULTS IN THEIR CIRCLE OF CARE WHEN THEY NEED HELP, COMFORT, OR SUPPORT, AND USE PLAY AS A TOOL FOR FOSTERING CONNECTION AND JOY. THIS LAUNCH ALSO INCLUDED A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE, HAND IN HAND: SUPPORTING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IMPACTED BY PARENTAL ADDICTION, FOR PROVIDERS THAT INTEGRATES EXISTING AND NEW PRINTABLE MATERIALS AS WELL AS VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH REAL PROFESSIONALS SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES AND EXPERTISE. THIS COURSE IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS CREATED FOR PROVIDERS AND PROFESSIONALS WORKING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN (AGES 2-8) AND THEIR FAMILIES. TAKING A STRENGTHS-BASED, TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH, THE COURSE OFFERS TALKING POINTS, STRATEGIES, AND RESOURCES AIMED AT BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND AND COPE WITH THE IMPACTS OF PARENTAL ADDICTION, NOURISH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES' EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND BUILD HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. IN FY 2025, THE COURSE HAD 22,766 SESSIONS AND 20,418 TOTAL USERS. THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR THIS LAUNCH FEATURED EACH OF THESE RESOURCES, PROMOTED RECOGNITION FOR CHILDREN OF ADDICTION (COA) AWARENESS WEEK, AND GARNERED 281,383 IMPRESSIONS. PAID MEDIA CAMPAIGNS FOR THIS LAUNCH GARNERED 490,355 IMPRESSIONS.IN MAY 2025, THE CLARE FOUNDATION LAUNCH CONTINUED TO EXPAND THE PARENTAL ADDICTION TOPIC AND FEATURED RESOURCES DESIGNED TO PROVIDE PRACTICAL ADVICE AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO BOTH CHILDREN AND PARENTS, HELPING THEM NAVIGATE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE JOURNEY OF RECOVERY AND REUNIFICATION, FILLING A UNIQUE GAP IN RESOURCES THAT ARE NOT TYPICALLY AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES NAVIGATING RECOVERY. THESE RESOURCES INCLUDED A NEW DIGITAL STORYBOOK, ALL ABOUT KARLI: A STORY ABOUT RECONNECTING, ABOUT 6 -YEAR-OLD MUPPET KARLI AND HER MOM AS THEY GROW AND RECONNECT IN MEANINGFUL WAYS AFTER HER MOM'S TIME AWAY GETTING HELP FOR HER ADDICTION. THE STO
  5. SESAME STREET FOR MILITARY FAMILIES (SS4MF) SESAME WORKSHOP HAS BEEN SUPPORTING MILITARY FAMILIES FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS. WE CONTINUED THIS COMMITMENT IN FY2025 WITH THE 2024 SS4MF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EVENT IN NOVEMBER 2024 AND THE LAUNCH OF NEW EVERYDAY PARENTING RESOURCES IN JANUARY 2025. THE 2024 SS4MF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EVENT PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE UPDATES ON THE WORK THAT CAME AFTER THE 2023 STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT, AND FEATURED A CEREMONIAL OPENING, LEADERSHIP REMARKS, A MODERATED PANEL WITH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN EXPERTS DISCUSSING FAMILY SUPPORT INITIATIVES, AND CONCLUDED WITH AN AUDIENCE Q&A. THROUGH THE SS4MF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EVENT, WE WERE ABLE TO: - STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, MILITARY SERVICE LEADERS, AND FAMILIES TO ENHANCE CONTENT AND SUPPORT TOOLS, WHILE HIGHLIGHTING THE HISTORY AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE DOD AND SESAME WORKSHOP. - DISCUSS THE STATE AND TOP NEEDS OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND MILITARY FAMILIES NOW AND HOW IT HAS CHANGED OVER TIME. - RAISE AWARENESS ON RESOURCES FOR MILITARY FAMILIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AND HOW THAT LOOKS LIKE AT A FAMILY LEVEL. BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR 2024 SESAME STREET FOR MILITARY FAMILIES STAKEHOLDER SUMMIT WITH OUR MILITARY PARTNERS - PARTICULARLY THE CALL TO COLLABORATE ON BEST PRACTICES AND IDENTIFY EMERGING NEEDS - AND INFORMED BY ONTHEGROUND RESEARCH, WE LAUNCHED NEW EVERYDAY PARENTING RESOURCES IN JANUARY 2025 ON SESAMESTREETFORMILITARYFAMILIES.ORG (SS4MF.ORG). THESE RESOURCES OFFER PRACTICAL TIPS FOR STRONGER FAMILY CONNECTIONS AND IDEAS TO HELP CAREGIVERS SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN'S EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING, AS WELL AS THEIR OWN. THESE NEW RESOURCES INCLUDE FOUR MUPPET VIDEOS, FIVE ARTICLES, FIVE PRINTABLES, AND ONE ONLINE ACTIVITY. SINCE THE RESOURCES LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2025 TO JUNE 2025, THE EVERYDAY PARENTING TOPIC PAGE ON SS4MF.ORG HAS BEEN VIEWED 35,428 TIMES BY 24,794 USERS. COMMUNITY BUILDING SESAME WORKSHOP CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION TO SUPPORT FAMILY, FRIEND, AND NEIGHBOR CAREGIVERS (FFNCS). NEW RESOURCES LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2024 EMPHASIZED DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES, HEALTHY HABITS, AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS AND INCLUDED THREE ARTICLES, FOUR PRINTABLES, FOUR SOCIAL MEDIA APPRECIATION CARDS AND USER-GENERATED SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN CELEBRATING THE WORK FFNCS DOES FOR THEIR COMMUNITY AND FAMILIES THEY SERVE. OUR GROWING A LANGUAGE GARDEN: EVERYDAY LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT PRINTABLE ACTIVITY WAS A TOP 10 PRINTABLE ACROSS SESAMEWORKSHOP.ORG DURING THIS TIME, GARNERING A TOTAL OF 2,565 SESSIONS AND 2,278 USERS. IN ADDITION, WE LAUNCHED A NEW WEBINAR TITLED, THE HEART OF COMMUNITIES: SUPPORTING AND CELEBRATING FAMILY, FRIEND, AND NEIGHBOR CAREGIVERS, WHICH HAD A TOTAL 5,951 SESSIONS AND 5,489 USERS DURING FY 2025. THE LAUNCH IN OCTOBER OF 2024 CONTRIBUTED TO THE CHILDCARE TOPIC PAGE AND RESOURCES BEING VIEWED 37,829 TIMES BY 29,067 USERS DURING FY 2025. THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR THIS LAUNCH FEATURED EACH OF THESE RESOURCES AND GARNERED 358,127 IMPRESSIONS DURING FY 2025. AS PART OF SESAME WORKSHOP'S SEE AMAZING IN ALL CHILDREN INITIATIVE, SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHED NEW DIGITAL AND PRINT RESOURCES TO FURTHER OUR MISSION TO HELP FOSTER AUTISTIC CHILDREN'S SENSE OF CREATIVITY AS WELL AS SUPPORT PARENTS AND PROVIDERS IN HELPING DISCOVER AND SUPPORT CHILDREN'S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AND PERSONALITIES. THESE RESOURCES INCLUDE A STORYBOOK, AMAZING TO ME, TWO PRINTABLES, TWO ARTICLES, AND A WEBINAR. WE WERE ABLE TO PRINT 30,000 COPIES OF THE AMAZING TO ME STORYBOOK, WHICH CENTERS ON JULIA, AN AUTISTIC 4-YEAR-OLD MUPPET, AS SHE LEARNS A NEW CREATIVE SKILL OF POTTERY FROM HER MOM - A SKILL HER MOM LEARNED FROM HER GRANDMOTHER MANY YEARS BEFORE. AS THEY CREATE, JULIA EXPLORES AT HER OWN PACE AND FINDS A NEW WAY TO EXPRESS HERSELF, ADDING HER OWN AMAZING TOUCH. WE DISTRIBUTED OVER 2,000 FREE COPIES OF THE STORYBOOK TO OUR PARTNERS DURING FY 2025 AND THE DIGITAL VERSION HAD A TOTAL 1,802 SESSIONS AND 1,658 TOTAL USERS. THIS STORYBOOK CONTINUES TO BE DISTRIBUTED NATIONWIDE TO OUR PARTNERS AS WELL AS VARIOUS AUTISM PROGRAMS, CHILD HEALTH SPECIALTY CLINICS, LOCAL CHILDCARE CENTERS, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, COMMUNITY CENTERS AND MORE. THIS LAUNCH IN APRIL OF 2025 CONTRIBUTED TO THE AUTISM TOPIC PAGE AND LAUNCHED RESOURCES BEING VIEWED 45,702 TIMES BY 24,411 USERS DURING FY 2025. THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR THIS LAUNCH FEATURED EACH OF THESE RESOURCES AND GARNERED 3,955,551 IMPRESSIONS DURING FY 2025. OUR AUTISM TOPIC PAGE CONTINUES TO BE UPON THE TOP 5 RESOURCES ON SESAME.ORG, WITH 32,538 SESSIONS AND 20,926 TOTAL USERS DURING FY 2025.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since April 1970.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.

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