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Museum of the Bible Inc

EIN 27-3444987 · Oklahoma City, OK

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong97 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE IS AN INNOVATIVE, GLOBAL, AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO INVITE ALL PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE BIBLE. WE DO SO THROUGH 4 MAIN INITIATIVES: OUR PERMANENT MUSEUM IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TRAVELING EXHIBITIONS, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. THESE ARE FURTHER DESCRIBED AT WWW.MUSEUMOFTHEBIBLE.ORG/OUR-HISTORY.

Income
$78.7 million
Spending
$78.0 million
Spent on programs
75%
Reserves
12.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 73%
Employees
350
Volunteers
121
Highest pay
$543,194, ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 97 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 12.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 3% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 25% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    75% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 12 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 December 31, 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)
  1. $52.0 million spent. MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE INVITES ALL PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE BIBLE. LOCATED JUST THREE BLOCKS FROM THE U.S. CAPITOL IN WASHINGTON, D.C., THE STUNNING 430,000-SQUARE-FOOT MUSEUM SHOWCASES RARE AND FASCINATING ARTIFACTS SPANNING 4,000 YEARS OF HISTORY AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES EXPLORING THE BIBLE'S IMPACT, NARRATIVE AND HISTORY. MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE HAS WELCOMED ALMOST FOUR MILLION GUESTS SINCE OPENING IN 2017 AND WAS TRIPADVISOR'S TRAVELERS' CHOICE WINNER IN 2025. IN ADDITION TO ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, EXHIBITS AND EXPERIENCES, MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE HOSTS THE BEAUTIFUL 476-SEAT WORLD STAGE THEATER AND EXTENDS ITS REACH THROUGH DIGITAL CONTENT, INCLUDING A PODCAST, ONLINE MAGAZINE, EVENTS AND MORE.
  2. $4.7 million spent. MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE'S WORLD STAGE THEATER BRINGS BIBLICALLY BASED PERFORMANCES TO WASHINGTON, D.C. THROUGH MULTIPLE PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDING LOGOS THEATRE, PART OF THE ACADEMY OF ARTS, AND CREATR, A CONSORTIUM OF WORSHIP LEADERS AND SONGWRITERS. THE LOGOS THEATRE HAS SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT TO LIFE MULTIPLE C.S. LEWIS STORIES FROM THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA SERIES, INCLUDING "THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, AND "PRINCE CASPIAN" WILL BE RETURNING IN 2026 AND 2027. OTHER PERFORMANCES WILL INCLUDE "THE GENERAL'S PRAYER," TO HONOR AMERICA'S FIRST PRESIDENT, GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, MUSICAL GUESTS CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE EVERLASTING LIGHT CHRISTMAS CONCERT SERIES, FILM PREMIERES AND MORE.
  3. $1.5 million spent. RESEARCH AND EDUCATION: MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE SPONSORS RESEARCH THROUGH ITS SCHOLARS INITIATIVE, THE MISSION OF WHICH IS TO FACILITATE RESEARCH (PRIMARILY ON ARTIFACTS IN THE MUSEUM COLLECTION) AND TO HELP PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SCHOLARS. TO THESE ENDS, IT PROVIDES GRANTS TO SCHOLARS TO PURSUE RESEARCH TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP AS SCHOLARS THROUGH SCHOLAR/MENTOR RELATIONSHIPS. IN THE 2024-2025 ACADEMIC YEAR, SCHOLARS INITIATIVE COLLABORATED WITH MULTIPLE PROFESSIONAL RESEARCHERS AND GRADUATE FELLOWS ON A VARIETY OF RESEARCH PROJECTS. CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE OTORAH SCROLLS PROJECT THE TORAH SCROLLS PROJECT, LARGELY CONDUCTED THROUGH IN-HOUSE CURATORIAL WORK, IS DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF THE TORAH SCROLLS COLLECTION CURATED BY THE MUSEUM. THE PROJECT HAS THREE MAJOR GOALS: THE FIRST IS THE PRODUCTION OF A COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE DATABASE OF THE ENTIRE TORAH SCROLL COLLECTION. A TORAH SCROLL IMAGING RIG WAS COMPLETED IN 2024 TO HELP ADVANCE THE ONLINE DATABASE. THE SECOND IS THE CREATION OF A NEW BODY OF SCHOLARLY LITERATURE IN MEDIEVAL AND MODERN TORAH SCROLL RESEARCH, AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN LARGELY NEGLECTED. THE THIRD IS THE RESTORATION OF SUCH SCROLLS AS HAVE NO LONG-TERM RESEARCH VALUE TO A CONDITION WHERE THEY WOULD BE FIT FOR RITUAL USE, AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF THESE SCROLLS TO JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN NEED OF TORAH SCROLLS. THE PROJECT HAS RECEIVED A GRANT FOR PROVENANCE RESEARCH. IMAGING LABORATORY TO AID IN THE CONSERVATION, RESEARCH, AND ACCESIBILITY OF THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS, WE ARE CONSTRUCTING AN IMAGING LABORATORY AFTER AN INITIAL GRANT FROM THE M. J. MURDOCK CHARITABLE TRUST. THIS LABORATORY WILL BE BUILT TO A MULTI-SPECTRAL STANDARD, SO THE MOST ACCURATE DATA CAN BE GATHERED FROM THE ITEMS IN THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION. THESE IMAGES WILL BE HOSTED PUBLICLY ON A WEBSITE AND WILL ENABLE BOTH SCHOLARS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO BETTER ACCESS THE ITEMS IN THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS. THE RENOVATIONS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITH THE FIRST OF TWO CAMERA SYSTEMS OPERATIONAL. THE IMAGING LAB WAS COMPLETED IN 2024. A DIRECTOR OF THE IMAGING LAB AND AN INTERN TECHNICIAN HAVE BEEN HIRED. CODEX CLIMACI RESCRIPTUS SYRIAC PROJECTTHE PRESENT PROJECT INVOLVES STUDENTS IN THE STUDY OF THE FAMOUS CODEX CLIMACI RESCRIPTUS (CCR; MOTB.MS.000149), FOCUSING ON TWO SYRIAC TEXTS BY JOHN CLIMACUS. PARTICIPANTS INTERACT WITH CODICOLOGY, PALEOGRAPHY, TRANSLATION TECHNIQUE AND THE TEXTUAL AND RECEPTION HISTORIES OF THESE SYRIAC TRANSLATIONS. THE PRIMARY GOAL IS THE PRODUCTION OF A CRITICAL EDITION OF THE RELEVANT SYRIAC TEXTS WHICH CRITICALLY ENGAGES THE GREEK TEXT. THE EDITION WILL EXPLORE THE ROLE OF THE SYRIAC TRANSLATION AS A WITNESS TO THE ARAMAIC WORLD IN WHICH THE SYRIAC TEXT HAD BEEN CREATED AND WOULD FLOURISH FOR CENTURIES. THE CCR ENJOYS A CENTRAL ROLE, BUT THE PROJECT ALSO TRANSCRIBES AND INCORPORATES PARALLEL TEXTS IN GREEK AND SYRIAC. AS OF THE CONCLUSION OF THE INITIAL CONTRACT IN THE SUMMER OF 2019, THE PROJECT HAS IDENTIFIED ALL MANUSCRIPTS TO BE UTILIZED, STRUCTURED DIGITAL INDICES, ESTABLISHED IMAGE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES, LAUNCHED A DESIGNATED ONLINE TRANSCRIPTION TOOL, PREPARED A SYRIAC BASE TEXT, DRAFTED A GREEK BASE TEXT, AND CREATED DIGITAL TRANSCRIPTION GUIDELINES FOR THE SYRIAC LANGUAGE. THE PROJECT HAS PROPOSED A SECOND PHASE IN WHICH THE TOOLS DEVELOPED FOR EDITING SYRIAC TEXTS DEVELOPED IN THE FIRST PHASE WILL BE USED IN THE STUDY OF THE SYRIAC TEXT OF CLIMACUS' WORKS. THE PROPOSED OUTCOMES ARE A DIGITAL EDITION, A CONFERENCE AND SUBSEQUENT VOLUME, AND THEN A PRINTED CRITICAL EDITION OF THE SYRIAC LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT. THE MUSEUM HAS ALSO BEEN INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN A SPECIAL RESEARCH IMAGING PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE SLAC NATIONAL ACCELERATOR LABORATORY. THIS IS A JOINT LAB SPONSORED BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY AND THE US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. EL-ARAJ ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGTHIS ARCHAELOGICAL DIG, DIRECTED BY DR. R. STEVEN NOTLEY OF THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF ANCIENT JUDAISM AND CHRISTIAN ORIGINS, IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY THE MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE, AND IS CURRENTLY TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS THAT EL-ARAJ IS THE LOCATION OF THE BIBLICAL CITY OF BETHSAIDA. THE FINDINGS ARE CONFIRMING THE HYPOTHESIS. TEL SHIMRON ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG THIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG, DIRECTED BY DANIEL MASTER OF WHEATON COLLEGE AND MARIO MARTIN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA, IS PARTIALLY SUPPORTED BY THE MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE. THE 2023 DIG SEASON UNCOVERED A MIDDLE BRONZE AGE GATE THAT WILL BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED IN COMING SEASONS. JIM ELLIOT BIBLES PROJECTRESEARCH ON THE JIM ELLIOT BIBLES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WHEATON COLLEGE. IN 2024, THE COMPLETE SET OF JIM ELLIOT BIBLES WERE DIGITIZED (4 TOTAL; 1 IN THE MUSEUM COLLECTION, 3 IN WHEATON COLLEGE COLLECTION). THIS SET OF DIGITAL IMAGES WILL BE THE BASIS FOR AN EXHAUSTIVE REVIEW OF THE CONTENTS, NOTES, AND ANNOTATIONS INCLUDED IN THE BIBLES.HUNGARIAN SCHOLARS PROGRAMTHIS IS A PROGRAM BETWEEN MUSEUM OF THE BIBLE IN WASHINGTON, DC, AND THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND INNOVATION IN HUNGARY. THIS PARTNERSHIP WAS FORMED TO HELP DEVELOPING SCHOLARS INTERACT WITH THE HISTORY, STORIES, AND IMPACT OF THE BIBLE. THIS PROGRAM WILL BRING EIGHT SCHOLARS TO THE MUSEUM FOR INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH AND GENERAL MUSEUM TRAINING. TRAINING WILL FOCUS ON COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT, CONSERVATION, AND CURATING EXHIBITS.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 May 2011.

    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.