The Wende Museum of the Cold War Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $5.6 million
- Spending
- $5.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- -41.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 71%
- Employees
- 53
- Volunteers
- 21
- Highest pay
- $453,954, president & executive dire
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 87% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 19 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 38% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2517 of 18 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 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 (3)
- $2.2 million spent. COLLECTIONS AND EXHIBITIONS:COLLECTIONS: THE WENDE MAINTAINS MULTIPLE STORAGE LOCATIONS IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA AND IN GERMANY, WHICH TOGETHER HOUSE ITS COLLECTION OF MORE THAN 200,000 COLD WAR CULTURAL ARTIFACTS FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND THE SOVIET UNION, AS WELL AS ARCHIVES AND ARTWORK FROM RENOWNED PERSONS.FISCAL YEAR 2025 BROUGHT WITH IT HUNDREDS OF IMPORTANT ACQUISITIONS. SOME HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:- COLLECTIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM DMITRI BALTERMANTS AND ERICH LESSING- MATERIALS RELATED TO THE 1980 MOSCOW OLYMPICS- POSTERS RELATED TO REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENTS AND NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT IN AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST, SOUTHEAST ASIA, LATIN AMERICA, AND EASTERN EUROPE- HANDMADE DEMOBILIZATION ALBUMS CREATED BY SOVIET SOLDIERS SHORTLY BEFORE THE END OF THEIR MILITARY SERVICE; THESE ALBUMS CONTAIN PHOTOGRAPHS, DRAWINGS, OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS, LETTERS, AND OTHER ITEMS FROM THEIR PERIOD OF SERVICE- HUNGARIAN ARTWORK AND CERAMICS- A LARGE COLLECTION OF UKRAINIAN PAINTINGSDONATIONS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL COLLECTIONS: THE SOVIET JEWRY ARCHIVE AND THE POLISH UNDERGROUND ARCHIVE.EXHIBITIONS: THE WENDE PRESENTED THREE EXHIBITIONS: INTERSECTIONS: THE ARCHITECTURE OF VICTOR ADEGBITE AND CHARLES POLNYI IN GHANA, UNDERCURRENTS II: ARCHIVES AND THE MAKING OF SOVIET JEWISH IDENTITY, COUNTER/SURVEILLANCE: CONTROL, PRIVACY, AGENCY. IN ADDITION TO THESE FULL-SCALE EXHIBITIONS IN THE WENDE GALLERIES, THE MUSEUM ALSO DISPLAYED SEVERAL ART INSTALLATIONS IN THE GARDEN ALONG WITH ONGOING OPEN-STORAGE DISPLAYS OF ITEMS AND ARTWORK FROM THE COLLECTION.
- $912,206 spent. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS:PUBLIC ACCESS: THE WENDE MUSEUM OFFERS FREE PUBLIC ACCESS TO ITS GALLERIES AND GARDENS ON FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, AND SUNDAYS FROM 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M., AND MONDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS BY APPOINTMENT. THE MUSEUM WELCOMES APPROXIMATELY 19,000 VISITORS PER YEAR. THE WENDE ALSO PROVIDES FREE GLOBAL ACCESS TO ART AND ARTIFACTS THROUGH ITS ONLINE COLLECTIONS, AND HOSTS AN ARRAY OF ONLINE EVENTS ATTENDED BY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.EDUCATION PROGRAMS OFFERED IN FISCAL YEAR 2025:- VOICES OF DEFIANCE: SOVIET JEWRY AND THE REFUSENIKS (SYMPOSIUM, ARCHIVES OPEN HOUSE, FILM SCREENING)- POLISH ARCHIVES OPEN HOUSE- CRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY WORKSHOPS- INTERGENERATIONAL WRITING WORKSHOPS- BUMDOG SCHOOL OF FILM WORKSHOPS- CAMP GESHER PROGRAM - SOVIET JEWISH ARCHIVES- ZINE FEST / PERSONAL ARTIFACT ZINE PROGRAM- OTIS COLLEGE TRUE STORIES INTERVIEWS AND PRESENTATIONS- EISNER INTERGENERATIONAL BIG BAND PERFORMANCE- SUMMER CAMP AT THE STEVIE (WATERCOLOR, PLANT WEAVING, NATURAL DYE)- A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR UNDERSERVED YOUTH- SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS- ARTS WORKSHOPS- FAMILY DAY ACTIVITIES- THE WENDE TEEN COUNCIL- DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM BASED ON THE RUSSIAN-SPEAKING JEWRY ARCHIVESTHE MUSEUM ALSO TRAINED 9 COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY INTERNS IN MUSEUM SKILLS: 6 COLLECTIONS INTERNS, 2 CURATORIAL INTERNS, AND 1 EDUCATION INTERN.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: THE WENDE PRIORITIZES COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS CORE TO THE MUSEUM'S MISSION. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:- INTERGENERATIONAL ART ACTIVITIES TAUGHT BY MUSEUM STAFF OR TEACHING ARTISTS- AN ANNUAL GATHERING OF CULVER CITY NONPROFITS AT THE WENDE, CULMINATING IN THE PRESENTATION OF THE WENDE NONPROFIT TRANSFORMATION PRIZE TO A LOCAL NONPROFIT THAT IS INNOVATIVELY SERVING THE COMMUNITY- WELLNESS OFFERINGS SUCH AS A WEEKLY MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CLASS, INTERGENERATIONAL PROMPT-BASED WRITING CLASSES, MOVEMENT CLASSES, AND YOGA- PUBLIC DIGITIZATION DAYS WHEN VISITORS CAN BRING IN THEIR OWN ITEMS TO PHOTOGRAPH OR SCAN USING THE WENDE'S EQUIPMENT- PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS WITH NUMEROUS LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS- THE WENDE PRESENTED DOZENS OF OTHER FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS IN FY2025, SUCH AS LIVE MUSIC, DANCE PERFORMANCES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND ARTIST TALKS.
- $455,193 spent. AUXILIARY ACTIVITIES: ALONG WITH VISITOR ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, THE WENDE OPERATES A GIFT SHOP TO SELL PROGRAM-RELATED MERCHANDISE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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 October 13, 2026.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since November 2002.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.