Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium

EIN 27-1089153 · Missoula, MT

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceGood79 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

To inspire an appreciation and understanding of insects and their relatives.

Income
$1.3 million
Spending
$1.6 million
Spent on programs
82%
Reserves
29.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 45%
Employees
17
Volunteers
50
Highest pay
$68,364, exec. director

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 29.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 1% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 22% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 2% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    82% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 17 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 79 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (animals, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    6 of 7 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no 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

    9 of 15

    Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

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

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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. $1.3 million spent. The Missoula Butterfly House and Insectariums (MBHI) mission is to inspire an appreciation and understanding of insects and their relatives. MBHI envisions generations ignited by lifelong curiosity and awe for the natural world.Throughout 2023, MBHI worked to prepare for the long-awaited opening of our new facility, creating the new exhibits, interpretive information, and systems for to run our new facility and our back-end operations. We proudly held our grand opening on December 5, 2023.2024 was an incredibly busy year on all fronts, marking our first full year of operations. Some of the highlights of our education efforts and programs included:Visitation: In 2024 we welcomed 74,517 visitors through our doors.School Field Trips: Utilizing a combination of online and in-person learning, we conducted a total of 252 programs for 5,696 students.Field Trip Scholarships: Thanks to the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, the Jane S. Heman Foundation, and Melody and Richard Zajdel, we were able to provide field trip scholarships for 125 classes from Title 1 / low-income schools, reaching 2,086 students. We were also able to provide a total of $4,318 in transportation assistance.Online Bug Encounters: Throughout the past year, we conducted 37 Online Bug Encounters reaching 59,230 Facebook and Instagram viewers. Archives at www.missoulabutterflyhouse.org/online-bug-encounters/. These 10 to 15 minute videos have been introducing learners of all ages to some amazing species and insect-focused topics for more than five years.Whats Buzzin: 2024 marked our 10th season of Whats Buzzin over email and social media. This weekly, seasonal report spotlights some of the insect and arthropod species currently being found across western Montana. In 2024 we shared 29 reports identifying 258 unique species across the state.Notes from the Lab: This seasonal (not produced during the summer field season) report is shared on our email list. Covering topics that have ranged from insect folklore to deep dives into the interesting lives of specific species, this series is proof that theres always something new to learn. In 2024 we shared 17 Notes from the Lab reports reaching 38,201 social media followers (and a few thousand more via our email list).Community Science Research: 2024 was our 5th year participating in two national Community Science research projects looking at insect species diversity and abundance. Throughout the year, we were able to engage 15 community participants in these hands-on research projects, providing unique learning opportunities that covered everything from field research to DNA analysis. We also became a partner in the Western Firefly Project, a community science project based out of the Natural History Museum of Utah to document populations of flashing fireflies in the western states. Thanks to our efforts, three new locations were identified with one new species that has never been documented before in Montana.Bugs & Brews Lectures: In 2024 we held 7 lectures for 735 attendees covering a wide variety of insect-related topics.Bug Bytes Podcast: Throughout 2024 we continued to collaborate with Montana Public Radio in producing and airing episodes of our Bug Bytes podcast(https://www.mtpr.org/podcast/bug-bytes).Summer Camps: In 2024 we held 6 week-long summer day camps for 71 campers.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 October 13, 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 December 2024.

    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 February 2011.

    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 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.