Holocaust Memorial Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MISSION OF THE HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER, KNOWN AS THE ZEKELMAN HOLOCAUST CENTER (THE HC) IS TO ENGAGE, EDUCATE AND EMPOWER BY REMEMBERING THE HOLOCAUST.
- Income
- $7.3 million
- Spending
- $7.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 67%
- Reserves
- 38.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 62%
- Employees
- 61
- Volunteers
- 80
- Highest pay
- $462,270, ceo
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 68% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 38.7 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 47% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1567% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 23 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
10 of 10Reports 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 (5)
- $2.8 million spent. IN 2024, WE HAD 54,000 VISITORS WHO LEARNED ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST THROUGH OUR EXHIBITS. OF THESE, 35,000 WERE STUDENTS AND ADULTS WHO VISITED THE HC WITH THEIR SCHOOLS, COMPANIES OR COMMUNITY GROUPS AND WERE EDUCATED THROUGH GUIDED TOURS AND PRESENTATIONS BY HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS OR CHILDREN OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS. 11,500 OTHERS TOURED THE HC WITH THEIR FAMILIES OR MADE USE OF OUR LIBRARY ARCHIVE. THESE VISITORS CAME FROM THROUGHOUT THE STATE, AS WELL AS MANY FROM OHIO, INDIANA, AND ONTARIO, AND FROM ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THE 50 STATES. THEY REFLECTED THE DIVERSE RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS COMPOSITION OF OUR REGION.
- $1.2 million spent. WE OPERATED OUR STATEWIDE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM IN RESPONSE TO THE STATE MANDATE THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROVIDE SIX HOURS OF HOLOCAUST AND GENOCIDE EDUCATION TO STUDENTS IN GRADES 8-12. SINCE 2018, 2,400 TEACHERS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN OUR HOLOCAUST EDUCATION TRAINING SEMINARS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS. THIS YEAR, 425 INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS REPRESENTING 62 MICHIGAN COUNTIES RECEIVED TRAINING. IN 2024, THESE EDUCATORS REACHED OVER 400,000 STUDENTS. OUR OUTREACH EMPOWERS TEACHERS TO USE THE LESSONS OF THE HOLOCAUST TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF UNCHECKED HATRED AND ANTISEMITISM, AND TO RECOGNIZE THAT THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHOICES MATTER IN COMBATTING THEM.
- $712,331 spent. WE PRESENTED A WIDE ARRAY OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS ON EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS FEATURING MOVIES, LECTURES, AUTHOR PRESENTATIONS, AND TALKS BY HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS. TOPICS COVERED IN 2024 INCLUDED A MUSICAL PROGRAM MEMORIALIZING A HOLOCAUST VICTIM, THE STORY OF A WWII-ERA JEWISH CHAMPIONSHIP SOCCER TEAM, A PROGRAM ABOUT ANTISEMITISM YESTERDAY AND TODAY, THE HISTORY OF THE NAZI PERSECUTION OF LGBTQ+ PEOPLE, A PRESENTATION ABOUT A COOKBOOK BY AUSCHWITZ SURVIVORS, AND A VIRTUAL GUIDED TOUR OF THE AUSCHWITZ MEMORIAL IN POLAND. SOME PROGRAMS WERE HELD VIRTUALLY OR AS A HYBRID, REACHING 1,600 PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD, AND OTHERS WERE IN-PERSON, REACHING ANOTHER 3,424 PEOPLE.
- IN 2024, WE PRESENTED A SPECIAL EXHIBIT, "SWEET HOME SWEET: A STORY OF SURVIVAL MEMORY, AND RETURNS". THIS TRAVELING EXHIBIT, ON LOAN FROM THE GALICIA JEWISH MUSEUM IN POLAND, FEATURED THE WORK OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD ORES. HIS PHOTOS RECORDED HIS LIFE BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST, AND HIS IMPRISONMENT IN THE KRAKOW GHETTO AND PLASZOW LABOR AND CONCENTRATION CAMP. AFTER THE WAR, HE UNEARTHED HIS HIDDEN PHOTOS, TACTILE REMINDERS OF THE PEOPLE AND PLACES HE MISSED WHILE HE BUILT AND PHOTOGRAPHED HIS NEW LIFE IN AMERICA. THE OPENING PROGRAM FOR THIS EXHIBIT FEATURED TOMASZ STRUG, THE CHIEF CURATOR OF THE GALICIA JEWISH MUSEUM. IN RESPONSE TO THE TOXIC UPTICK IN ANTISEMITIC ACTIVITY ON U.S. COLLEGE CAMPUSES FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER 7, 2023 ATTACK BY HAMAS ON ISRAEL, WE EXPANDED OUR STATEWIDE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE IN 2024. ITS GOAL IS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS AND FACULTY ON CAMPUSES ACROSS THE STATE ABOUT THE LESSONS OF THE HOLOCAUST, FOSTERING A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. HOLOCAUST EDUCATION IS A PROVEN BULWARK AGAINST ANTISEMITISM, AS IT SIGNIFICANTLY TRACKS WITH REDUCED BELIEF IN ANTISEMITIC TROPES.
- IN 2024, WE PRESENTED A SPECIAL EXHIBIT, "SWEET HOME SWEET: A STORY OF SURVIVAL MEMORY, AND RETURNS". THIS TRAVELING EXHIBIT, ON LOAN FROM THE GALICIA JEWISH MUSEUM IN POLAND, FEATURED THE WORK OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD ORES. HIS PHOTOS RECORDED HIS LIFE BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST, AND HIS IMPRISONMENT IN THE KRAKOW GHETTO AND PLASZOW LABOR AND CONCENTRATION CAMP. AFTER THE WAR, HE UNEARTHED HIS HIDDEN PHOTOS, TACTILE REMINDERS OF THE PEOPLE AND PLACES HE MISSED WHILE HE BUILT AND PHOTOGRAPHED HIS NEW LIFE IN AMERICA. THE OPENING PROGRAM FOR THIS EXHIBIT FEATURED TOMASZ STRUG, THE CHIEF CURATOR OF THE GALICIA JEWISH MUSEUM. IN RESPONSE TO THE TOXIC UPTICK IN ANTISEMITIC ACTIVITY ON U.S. COLLEGE CAMPUSES FOLLOWING THE OCTOBER 7, 2023 ATTACK BY HAMAS ON ISRAEL, WE EXPANDED OUR STATEWIDE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY INITIATIVE IN 2024. ITS GOAL IS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS AND FACULTY ON CAMPUSES ACROSS THE STATE ABOUT THE LESSONS OF THE HOLOCAUST, FOSTERING A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. HOLOCAUST EDUCATION IS A PROVEN BULWARK AGAINST ANTISEMITISM, AS IT SIGNIFICANTLY TRACKS WITH REDUCED BELIEF IN ANTISEMITIC TROPES.
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
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 October 13, 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 December 2024.
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 July 1982.
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 October 21, 2026.
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