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Cranbrook Educational Community

EIN 38-2015048 · Bloomfield Hills, MI

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE CRANBROOK EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY PROVIDES EXTRAORDINARY EDUCATION, ENCOURAGES CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION, AND VALUES LEARNERS OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS. CRANBROOK DEVELOPS PEOPLE WHO WILL LIVE WITH PURPOSE AND INTEGRITY, CREATE WITH PASSION, EXPLORE WITH CURIOSITY, AND STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE.

Income
$99.9 million
Spending
$102.5 million
Spent on programs
66%
Reserves
8.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 68%
Employees
1,337
Volunteers
593
Highest pay
$830,555, coo and treasurer - part year

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

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 8.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 17% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 15% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    66% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 40 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 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    31 of 31 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 (4)
  1. $51.2 million spent. CRANBROOK SCHOOLS ARE INDEPENDENT DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOLS THAT PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A CHALLENGING AND COMPREHENSIVE COLLEGE PREPARATORY EDUCATION. WE MOTIVATE STUDENTS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS TO STRIVE FOR INTELLECTUAL, CREATIVE, AND PHYSICAL EXCELLENCE, TO DEVELOP A DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THE ARTS AND DIFFERENT CULTURES, AND TO EMPLOY THE TECHNICAL TOOLS OF OUR MODERN AGE. OUR SCHOOLS SEEK TO INSTILL IN STUDENTS A STRONG SENSE OF PERSONAL AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY, THE ABILITY TO THINK CRITICALLY, AND THE COMPETENCE TO COMMUNICATE AND CONTRIBUTE IN AN INCREASINGLY GLOBAL COMMUNITY. FALL 2024 ENROLLMENT WAS 1,661 STUDENTS, 818 STUDENTS WERE GRADES 9TH THRU 12TH, OF THOSE 257 WERE BOARDING STUDENTS. LOWER SCHOOL PRE-K THRU 5TH GRADE, 507 STUDENTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 6TH THRU 8TH WERE 336 STUDENTS.
  2. $11.5 million spent. CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART IS AN INDEPENDENT GRADUATE DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTION OFFERING AN INTENSE STUDIO-BASED EXPERIENCE WHERE ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE MENTOR STUDENTS IN ART, ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN TO CREATIVELY INFLUENCE CONTEMPORARY CULTURE. FALL ENROLLMENT WAS 112 STUDENTS. CRANBROOK ART MUSEUM ACTIVELY ENGAGES THE VIEWER TO DISCOVER RELEVANT, TRANSFORMATIVE, AND SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS IN MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND DESIGN. WE BRING TOGETHER PEOPLE FROM DETROIT AND OUR REGION, THE CRANBROOK COMMUNITY, AND SOCIETY AT LARGE TO PROVOKE NEW IDEAS. WE ACHIEVE THIS AT CRANBROOK EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY, A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, WHERE THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION IS PARAMOUNT. THE ART MUSEUM MEMBERSHIP CONSISTS OF 5,986 MEMBERS.
  3. $3.9 million spent. THE CRANBROOK INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE MISSION IS TO ADVANCE SCIENTIFIC LITERACY, NURTURE CURIOSITY AND ENCOURAGE ADVOCACY FOR THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL WORLDS IN WHICH WE LIVE. THE SCIENCE MUSEUM MEMBERSHIP CONSISTS OF 1,560 MEMBERS.
  4. $1.2 million spent. THE CRANBROOK CENTER FOR COLLECTIONS AND RESEARCH REVEALS THE CRANBROOK STORY AND OFFERS INTELLECTUAL AND EXPERIENTIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS LEGACY. BY SUSTAINING AND INTERPRETING THE COMMUNITY'S UNPARALLELED LANDSCAPE, ARCHITECTURE, COLLECTIONS, AND ARCHIVES, THE CENTER PROVIDES MEMORABLE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES AND MEANINGFUL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR REGIONAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES.

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 June 1973.

    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.