Charles W Bowers Museum Corporation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE BOWERS MUSEUM ENRICHES LIVES THROUGH THE WORLD'S FINEST ARTS AND CULTURES.
- Income
- $7.8 million
- Spending
- $7.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 75%
- Reserves
- 16.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 30%
- Employees
- 70
- Volunteers
- 479
- Highest pay
- $299,514, president and 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 89% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 4% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 18% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1575% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 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: 93 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2527 of 27 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
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 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 (3)
- $3.5 million spent. EXHIBITIONSIN ADDITION TO THE LONG-TERM EXHIBITION OF A SMALL PORTION OF THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION, THE MUSEUM ORGANIZES OR ARRANGES FOR SHORT-TERM CHANGING EXHIBITIONS OF OBJECTS REFLECTING AN ASPECT OF THE MUSEUM'S MISSION TO INCREASE THE VISITOR'S AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION OF THE ARTISTIC TRADITIONS OF OTHER CULTURES.
- $951,335 spent. EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMSTHE MUSEUM OPERATES ITS CHILDREN'S HANDS-ON ART AND ACTIVITIES CENTER KNOWN AS KIDSEUM. IN ADDITION TO COMMUNITY OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, PROGRAMS OCCURRING AT INTRODUCES CHILDREN AND PARENTS TO THE ART AND CUSTOMS OF CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD BOTH PAST AND PRESENT. THE MUSEUM ALSO ATTEMPTS TO MAKE ITSELF MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY BY CONDUCTING IN-CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS AND MAINTAINING A PROGRAM OF TRAVEL TRUNKS AND TREASURE CHESTS FILLED WITH CULTURAL ARTIFACTS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT OBJECTS FOR USE IN THE CLASSROOM. THE MUSEUM ALSO HAS A 300 SEAT AUDITORIUM WHERE MOVIES ARE SHOWN AND LECTURES ARE GIVEN TO COINCIDE WITH THE CURRENT EXHIBITS.
- $1.2 million spent. RESEARCH AND COLLECTIONSTHE MUSEUM MAINTAINS A COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 90,000 OBJECTS. OVER THE YEARS, THE MUSEUM HAS ACQUIRED SIGNIFICANT HOLDINGS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN, PRE-COLUMBIAN, AFRICAN, AND OCEANIC CULTURAL ART AND ARTIFACTS. ACTIVITIES SURROUNDING THIS COLLECTION INCLUDE RESTORATION, PRESERVATION AND REGISTRATION OF ALL RELEVANT DATA ON COMPUTERIZED DATABASE. ONGOING RESEARCH AND CATALOGUING EFFORTS HAVE PRODUCED NUMEROUS PUBLICATIONS AND ARTICLES. THE MUSEUM HOLDS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT COLLECTION OF MCCLOSKEY PAINTINGS IN THE WORLD. THE MUSEUM HAS ESTABLISHED A WEBSITE AND HAS AMBITIOUS PLANS TO MAKE AVAILABLE OVER THAT MEDIUM IMAGES AND INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND SCHOLAR ALIKE.
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 October 1985.
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.
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.