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Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

EIN 23-7379280 · Philadelphia, PA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair62 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY, ON INDEPENDENCE MALL IN PHILADELPHIA, PRESENTS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES THAT PRESERVE, EXPLORE, AND CELEBRATE THE HISTORY OF JEWS IN AMERICA. ITS PURPOSE IS TO CONNECT JEWS MORE CLOSELY TO THEIR HERITAGE AND TO INSPIRE IN PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS A GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THE DIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE AND THE FREEDOMS TO WHICH AMERICANS ASPIRE.

Income
$10.3 million
Spending
$9.8 million
Spent on programs
59%
Reserves
0.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 77%
Employees
40
Volunteers
30
Highest pay
$400,081, ceo (thru 9/4/24)

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

Fair: 62 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 8% 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 0% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    58% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 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 (1)
  1. $5.7 million spent. EXHIBITION:THE WEITZMAN WELCOMED NEARLY 43,850 VISITORS TO ITS EXHIBITIONS IN FY25. IN ADDITION TO THE MUSEUM'S CORE EXHIBITION DETAILING 350 YEARS OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY AND CONTINUATION OF A SPECIAL EXHIBITION, FROM TELEGRAM TO HYPERLINK, CELEBRATING THE WORK OF THE SHNEIDERMAN FAMILY, PROMINENT JOURNALISTS EILEEN AND S.L. SHNEIDERMAN, LEGENDARY PHOTOJOURNALIST DAVID SEYMOUR, AND COMPUTER SCIENTIST BEN SHNEIDERMAN. BY SPECIAL INVITATION FROM PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO, THE MUSEUM HOSTED THE MOMENT THE MUSIC STOOD STILL: THE NOVA MUSIC FESTIVAL EXHIBITION POP-UP FOR THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE OCTOBER 7 MASSACRE. THROUGH IMMERSIVE STORIES OF FESTIVAL-GOERS, MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATIONS, AND POWERFUL ARTIFACTS, OVER THE COURSE OF ONE WEEK 4,154 VISITORS BORE WITNESS AND HEARD THE CALL TO ACTION EMBRACED BY SURVIVORS: "WE WILL DANCE AGAIN." PUBLIC PROGRAMS:IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OVER 20 LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE WEITZMAN STAGED 71 PROGRAMS (UP FROM AROUND 50 IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR) PRESENTING ESSENTIAL JEWISH THOUGHT AND CULTURE LEADERS. THE PROGRAMS ATTRACTED OVER 12,000 ATTENDEES IN PERSON AND ONLINE UP ROUGHLY 20% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S NUMBER (AROUND 10,000). HIGHLIGHTED PARTICIPANTS FROM FY25 PROGRAMS INCLUDE PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO, BETCHES MEDIA'S SAMI SAGE, DANIELLE AND GALEET DARDASHTI (CREATORS OF THE AWARD WINNING NIGHTINGALE OF IRAN PODCAST), COMEDIAN JUDY GOLD, JEWISH MUSIC SENSATIONS THE SHVESTERS, AWARD-WINNING RESTAURATEURS MICHAEL SOLOMONOV AND STEVE COOK, SUPERBOWL WINNING GENERAL MANAGER OF THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES HOWIE ROSEMAN, EMMY-NOMINATED CHEF AND COOKBOOK AUTHOR MOLLY YEH, AND MANY MORE. THE MUSEUM ALSO ACTED AS LEAD SPONSOR OF THE PHILADELPHIA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL AND PHILADELPHIA'S ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL- HOSTING 16 EVENTS BETWEEN THE TWO. JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH (JAHM, MAY 2025), WHICH THE WEITZMAN LEADS NATIONALLY, EXCEEDED EDUCATION AND MARKETING GOALS THIS CYCLE. DEEPENED COLLABORATION WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS LED TO INCREASED EDUCATOR ENGAGEMENT WITH JAHM THROUGH COLLECTION ENHANCEMENT GRANTS AND PRINTED POSTERS. THE PREMIER EVENT OF JAHM WAS ONCE AGAIN AN OUTSTANDING CONCERT LIVE FROM THE NATION'S CAPITAL, THIS YEAR HELD AT THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IN WASHINGTON, DC. YEAR-OVER-YEAR, THE NUMBER OF JAHM POSTER REQUESTS INCREASED BY MORE THAN 200%, JAHM EDUCATION WEBSITE PAGEVIEWS INCREASED BY MORE THAN 140%, AND JAHM RESOURCE WEBSITE DOWNLOADS INCREASED BY NEARLY 80%. THANKS TO A NEW FUNDER, THE MARKETING BUDGET GREW BY 70% WHICH, YEAR-OVER-YEAR, LED TO 6+ MILLION IMPRESSIONS (74% INCREASE), 700K ENGAGEMENTS (84% INCREASE), AND 800K VIDEO VIEWS (79% INCREASE). VISITS TO THE JAHM HUB AT JEWISHAMERICANHERITAGE.ORG INCREASED BY 175%. EDUCATION:THE WEITZMAN WELCOMED OVER 250 SCHOOLS, YOUTH GROUPS, SUMMER CAMPS, AND ADULT GROUPS FOR PROGRAMS AND TOURS EXPLORING THE AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE. THIS IS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF GROUPS REACHED IN FY24. GROUPS SELECTED FROM SIGNATURE PROGRAMS INCLUDING GUIDED TOURS THROUGH THE MUSEUM'S CORE EXHIBITION PAIRED WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS/DESCENDANTS, HISTORIC INTERPRETERS, PERFORMANCE ARTISTS, OR FILMS. THE MUSEUM ESTABLISHED RESIDENCY PROGRAMS WITH THE LOWER MERION AND WESTMORELAND SCHOOL DISTRICTS, PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR FACULTY AND STAFF ALONGSIDE IN-CLASS AND IN-MUSEUM LESSONS AND TOURS FOR STUDENTS. THE MUSEUM CONTINUED DEVELOPING "STORIES THAT SHAPED A NATION," A FREE CURRICULUM ON THE AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE, ANTISEMITISM, AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GRATZ COLLEGE, THE MUSEUM WORKED WITH A COHORT OF 10 EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS TO DEVELOP THE FORMATTING AND MISSION OF THE CURRICULUM.

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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since September 1974.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 October 7, 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.