San Diego Childrens Discovery Museum
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SAN DIEGO CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY MUSEUM SPARKS A LOVE OF LEARNING SO ALL CHILDREN CAN DISCOVER THEIR WILDEST DREAMS. OUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE IS TO BE THE LEADERS IN INVENTIVE EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING. OUR VALUES: WE ASPIRE TO SERVE ALL CORNERS OF SAN DIEGO AND ADJACENT COUNTIES. WE BELIEVE IN LEARNING THROUGH HANDS-ON PLAY. WE BELIEVE IN NURTURING KIND HEARTS AND CURIOUS MINDS. WE BELIEVE IN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE INCLUSIVE AND OPEN TO ALL.
- Income
- $2.3 million
- Spending
- $2.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 73%
- Reserves
- -0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 59%
- Employees
- 52
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $135,272, 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
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 24% 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
16 of 20It owes 16% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 2% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1573% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 22 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 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
7 of 7Has a 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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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)
- $1.8 million spent. FOR OVER TWO DECADES, SDCDM HAS SHARED OUR MUSEUM SPACE WITH ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, MANY OF WHOM WOULD HAVE LITTLE TO NO ACCESS TO SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT EXPERIENCES WITHOUT US. THE MUSEUM'S 13,000 SQUARE FEET OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR VITAL GUIDED PLAY AREAS, HANDS-ON LEARNING ACTIVITIES, AND TWICE- DAILY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS CREATE AN IDEAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR DEVELOPING AND REINFORCING CHILDREN'S EARLY FOUNDATIONAL FLUENCIES AND STEM LEARNING. OUR MOBILE MUSEUM ADDRESSES DISPARITIES OF EQUITABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES BY BRINGING SUPPLEMENTAL ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUNG CHILDREN WHERE THEY ARE. THE PROGRAM BUILDS OVER 50 FOUNDATIONAL FLUENCIES AND HELPS DEVELOP CHILDREN'S COGNITIVE SKILLS, SOCIAL ABILITIES, AND PHYSICAL WELL-BEING FROM THE EARLIEST CHILDHOOD YEARS WHEN IT MATTERS THE MOST. MOBILE WORKSHOPS FOCUS ON STEM AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS AND ALIGN WITH PRESCHOOL LEARNING FOUNDATIONS. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CHILDREN WHO ENGAGE IN HIGH-QUALITY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATIONAL ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES LIKE THOSE OFFERED BY SDCDM ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN THE LONG RUN. SDCDM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AIM TO HELP CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, PREPARE TODDLERS FOR KINDERGARTEN, REMOVE TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS, AND IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ALL PARTICIPATING CHILDREN.OVER THE YEARS, SDCDM HAS COLLECTED TESTIMONIALS, FEEDBACK, AND SURVEYS FROM THE COMMUNITY WHICH CITE THAT OUR FUN, SAFE, AND INCLUSIVE MUSEUM HAS BEEN LIKE A SECOND HOME FOR LOCAL FAMILIES. RESPONDENTS FREQUENTLY MENTION THAT THEY ARE VERY IMPRESSED WITH OUR STAFF AND FEEL STRONGLY THAT SDCDM IS HIGHLY ACCESSIBLE, FOCUSED ON COOPERATIVE PLAY, AND CONTRIBUTES TO EARLY SKILLS AND BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. TEACHERS OFTEN EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE FOR SDCDM EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND NOTE THAT WITHOUT US, STUDENTS AT THEIR SCHOOLS WOULD NOT RECEIVE ACCESS TO MUCH-NEEDED STEM RESOURCES AND SUPPLEMENTAL EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES.DURING AN ALREADY CHALLENGING TIME WHERE FAMILIES HAVE EVEN FEWER RESOURCES THAN EVER AND ARE AT GREATER RISK OF MARGINALIZATION, SDCDM SEEKS TO BRIDGE THE GAP IN EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT AND ACCESS BY PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH HIGH-QUALITY, HANDS-ON EARLY STEM ENRICHMENT EXPERIENCES.THIS PAST FISCAL YEAR, THE MUSEUM SERVED 99,411 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ONSITE AND 12,553 CHILDREN THROUGH OUR MOBILE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. WE PROVIDED ACCESS FOR ALL ADMISSION TO 25,262 FAMILIES IN NEED (VALUED AT $306,736), HOSTED 40 ONSITE SPECIAL EVENTS, INCLUDING FUN ANIMAL FRIDAY, BABY STORYTIMES, SPACE NIGHT, NATURE NIGHT, SCIENCE & ENGINEERING NIGHT AND KPBS KIDS' EVENTS. WE DISTRIBUTED 10,300 STEM ACTIVITY KITS. OVER 2,000,000 PEOPLE WERE REACHED THROUGH DIGITAL PLATFORMS, SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WEBSITE INTERACTIONS. THE MUSEUM REPLACED THE ONSITE WATERTABLE EXHIBIT AND ADDED A MOBILE EARTHQUAKE TABLE. FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDED REMODELING MENS, WOMENS, AND FAMILY RESTROOMS, REPAINTING THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, ADDING NEW NAME SIGNAGE. ADDITIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE PAST FISCAL YEAR INCLUDE:- RENAMING AND REBRANDING THE MUSEUM AS CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY AND IMPLEMENTING THE NEW LOGO-CELEBRATING THE 25TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE MUSEUM THROUGH AN ANNIVERSARY/ BIRTHDAY PARTY AND A FINANCIAL CAMPAIGN TO RAISE FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE ACCESS FOR ALL INITIATIVE.-THE MUSEUM TAUGHT TWO, 8-WEEK AFTER-SCHOOL SERIES OF ENGINEERING WORKSHOPS RESULTING IN 5,760 INTERACTIONS AND TEACHING TO 320 UNIQUE STUDENTS. -2,688 STUDENTS SERVED THROUGH ONSITE FIELD TRIPS-HOSTED 1,625 SENSORY FRIENDLY VISITORS-300 INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED 3,434 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 2001.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 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.