Bruce Museum Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE BRUCE CULTIVATES DISCOVERY AND WONDER, ENGAGING A BROAD AUDIENCE THROUGH THE POWER OF ART & SCIENCE.
- Income
- $7.8 million
- Spending
- $11.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- -2.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 66%
- Employees
- 92
- Volunteers
- 229
- Highest pay
- $313,714, executive director/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
Weak: 35 out of 100. Higher than 7% 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 3% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 45% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 23 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
Good: 83 out of 100. Higher than 35% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2536 of 37 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a 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
0 of 10Did not give 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 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 (1)
- $8.8 million spent. THE BRUCE MUSEUM, LOCATED IN BRUCE PARK, OVERLOOKING THE LONG ISLAND SOUND IN GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT, HARNESSES THE TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL OF ART AND SCIENCE TO SPARK CURIOSITY AND CONNECTION. OPENING IN 1912 WITH A MULTIDISCIPLINARY VISION, THE MUSEUM HOUSES A UNIQUE COLLECTION THAT ENCOMPASSES VISUAL ARTS AS WELL AS WORKS OF SCIENTIFIC, HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE SPANNING MILLENNIA. WITH LEARNING AT ITS CORE, THE BRUCE OFFERS WIDE-RANGING EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS, SERVING AS A DYNAMIC CENTER FOR DISCOVERY THAT WELCOMES AND ENGAGES VISITORS OF ALL AGES.THE BRUCE UNDERWENT A DRAMATIC EXPANSION AND UPGRADE IN 2023 WITH THE OPENING OF A NEW BUILDING THAT DOUBLED ITS SIZE AND TRIPLED ITS GALLERY SPACES. IN ITS NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART HOME, THE BRUCE IS DEEPENING ITS ROLE AS A VITAL RESOURCE FOR LEARNING, COMMUNITY BUILDING AND CONNECTIVITY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.BRUCEMUSEUM.ORG.IN APRIL 2025, DR. MARY-KATE O'HARE BECAME THE NEW SUSAN E. LYNCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO. SHE HAS 25 YEARS OF CURATORIAL AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE AND CAME TO THE BRUCE FROM CITI PRIVATE BANK ART ADVISORY, WHERE SHE SERVED AS HEAD OF ART ADVISORY AND DIRECTOR. PRIOR TO HER TIME AT CITI, O'HARE SPENT 13 YEARS AT THE NEWARK MUSEUM, WHERE SHE ASSUMED INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ROLES FROM ASSISTANT CURATOR TO CURATOR OF AMERICAN ART AND DEPARTMENT HEAD.IN FISCAL 2024/2025 THE MUSEUM HOSTED FOURTEEN CHANGING ART EXHIBITIONS, THREE CHANGING SCIENCE EXHIBITIONS AS WELL AS THREE SEMI-PERMANENT ART EXHIBITIONS AND PERMANENT SCIENCE AND MINERAL EXHIBITIONS. MAJOR EXHIBITIONS INCLUDED:ALASKA ON THIN ICE (MARCH 6 TO OCTOBER 19, 2025)THIS EXHIBIT SHOWCASED ALASKA'S BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES AND MAJESTIC WILDLIFE WHILE EXPOSING THE REALITY OF ITS SHIFTING LANDSCAPE DUE TO TEMPERATURES RISING FASTER THAN ALMOST ANYWHERE IN THE USA.CONSERVATION THROUGH THE ARTS: CELEBRATING THE FEDERAL DUCK STAMP PROGRAM (SEPTEMBER 5 TO NOVEMBER 23, 2024)THIS EXHIBIT INCLUDED THE DONATION OF 72 WORKS BY RENOWNED WILDLIFE ARTISTS DONATED BY TRUSTEE RICHIE PRAGER. THE EXHIBIT CELEBRATED ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS IN USA HISTORY WITH FUNDS RAISED FROM STAMP SALES CONSERVING OVER 6 MILLION ACRES OF WETLANDS IN ALL 50 STATES. THE EXHIBIT COINCIDED WITH THE MUSEUM HOSTING THE SEPTEMBER 2024 FEDERAL DUCK STAMP CONTEST.BLANCHE LAZZELL: BECOMING AN AMERICAN ARTIST (FEBRUARY 6 TO MAY 4, 2025)THIS WAS THE FIRST EXHIBIT OF HER WORKS IN TWO DECADES INCLUDING MORE THAN 60 WORKS FROM THE ART MUSEUM OF WEST VIRGINIA. IT WAS A TRIBUTE TO A FEMALE ARTIST WHO TRANSLATED EUROPEAN MODERNISM INTO A UNIQUELY AMERICAN FORM. LAZZELL CONSIDERED HERSELF PRIMARILY A PAINTER BUT HER TIME IN PROVINCETOWN, MA REVEALED HER INGENUITY AS A PRINTMAKER WITH HER UNIQUE WHITE-LINE AND COLOR WOODCUTS, WHICH EARNED HER CRITICAL APPRECIATION. HER WOODCUTS BECAME FERTILE GROUND FOR GEOMETRIC ABSTRACTION AND CUBIST FRAGMENTATION.JEREMY FREY: WOVEN (JUNE 5 TO SEPTEMBER 7, 2025)THE FIRST MAJOR RETROSPECTIVE OF A WABANAKI ARTIST IN A FINE ART MUSEUM IN THE USA FEATURED 50 BASKETS AND PRESENTED A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF FREY'S CAREER SPANNING MORE THAN TWO DECADES. THE EXHIBIT WAS ORGANIZED BY THE PORTLAND MUSEUM OF ART. FREY IS A SEVENTH GENERATION PASSAMAQUODDY BASKET MAKER AND ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED INDIGENOUS WEAVERS IN THE COUNTRY. IN 2025 FREY RECEIVED THE MACARTHUR FELLOWSHIP, AN $800K AWARD GIVEN TO INDIVIDUALS WHO DEMONSTRATE EXTRAORDINARY CREATIVITY AND POTENTIAL TO IMPACT SOCIETY.
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
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 2026.
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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 2026.
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