Madison Childrens Museum Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
MADISON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM CONNECTS CHILDREN WITH THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND THE WORLD BEYOND THROUGH DISCOVERY LEARNING AND CREATIVE PLAY. MADISON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM STRIVES TO BE A WELCOMING, IMAGINATIVE, JOYFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS FAMILIES IN NURTURING CHILDREN'S CREATIVITY AND CURIOSITY. WE FOSTER THE HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT OF ALL CHILDREN SO THAT THEY WILL FULFILL THEIR POTENTIAL AND BECOME ENGAGED COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND GLOBAL CITIZENS. OUR CORE VALUES REFLECT WHAT WE BELIEVE IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF CHILDREN-ALWAYS. WE BELIEVE IN: PLAY, INTEGRITY, CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, RISK, INCLUSIVENESS, LEARNING, AND SUSTAINABILITY.
- Income
- $3.8 million
- Spending
- $5.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 64%
- Reserves
- 5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 95%
- Employees
- 93
- Volunteers
- 303
- Highest pay
- $90,312, president & 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
Weak: 48 out of 100. Higher than 18% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 5.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 9% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 54% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 60% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1564% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 27 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 65% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 14 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 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)
- $1.4 million spent. EXHIBIT ENVIRONMENTS CREATE THE CORE EDUCATIONAL AREAS AND PLAY SPACES WITHIN THE MUSEUM SETTING, PROVIDING INTERACTIVE, ENGAGING PLAY OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, ALONG WITH THEIR ADULT CAREGIVERS. EXHIBITS ARE INTERDISCIPLINARY AND WEAVE TOGETHER THEMES FROM OUR CORE EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES: ART, HISTORY, CULTURE, SCIENCE, PHYSICAL, AND INNOVATION.THE NICE AGE TRAIL OPENED IN JUNE 2024, CREATING AN IMMERSIVE NEW PLAY SPACE FOR MCM VISITORS. THE NICE AGE TRAIL IS A RICH INTERACTIVE AND HANDS ON EXHIBIT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THAT EXPLORES THE SCIENCE BEHIND LIFE'S NATURAL RHYTHMS. THE NICE AGE TRAIL CONNECTS CHILDREN TO NATURE IN PROFOUND WAYS, WHEN THEY LEARN THAT THEY HAVE NATURAL SLEEP AND WAKING CYCLES, OR THAT ANIMALS ADAPT TO THE SEASONS AND TIMES OF DAY, JUST LIKE THEM. THE GOAL OF THE NICE AGE TRAIL IS TO INSPIRE WONDER AND CREATE EMPATHIC CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CHILDREN AND OTHER LIVING BEINGS, THROUGH EXPLORING THE SIMILARITIES WE HAVE WITH OTHER SPECIES, WHILE LEARNING ABOUT THE UNIVERSE AND THE SCIENCE BEHIND OUR SHARED CONNECTIONS. THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES IN A RICH AND IMMERSIVE WORLD THAT GUIDE OUR DAILY LIVES, ROUTINES, RITUALS, AND EXPRESSIONS. THIS STEAM-RICH EXHIBIT INFUSES WONDER AND CURIOSITY ABOUT THE WORLD INTO EVERY EXHIBIT EXPERIENCE, WHILE INTRODUCING CHILDREN TO CORE STEAM CONCEPTS ABOUT EARTH SCIENCE, ASTRONOMY, BIOLOGY, MATHEMATICS, MUSIC, ART, WITH THE WONDERGROUND EXPANSION IN FY22/23, EXHIBITS NOW OCCUPY MORE THAN 40,000 SQUARE FEET OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACE - DESIGNED AND FABRICATED BY A WISCONSIN WORKFORCE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITYINCLUDING MORE THAN 130 LOCAL ARTISTSAND FEATURE THE USE OF LOCALLY OBTAINED MATERIALS. EXHIBIT AREAS PROMOTE LEARNING THROUGH PLAY FOR AGES 5 AND UNDER IN THE WILDERNEST AND URB GARDEN EXHIBITS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE CONSTRUCTED OF NATURAL AND REPURPOSED MATERIALS. THE FOLLOWING AREAS ENGAGE CHILDREN UP TO AGE 12: THE TWO-STORY HODGEPODGE MAHAL CLIMBER AND HUMAN-SIZED GERBIL WHEEL FOR WHOLE-BODY EXERCISE; AND THE ART STUDIO FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION. AN ACCESSIBLE GREEN ROOF, THE ROOFTOP RAMBLE, ENABLES FOUR-SEASON EXPLORATION OF NATURE IN A "PARK IN THE SKY; AN INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT ABOUT LAKES AND WATER QUALITY CALLED SEYMORE'S ADVENTURE; AND AN HISTORICAL EXHIBIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CHILDREN'S SEWING CIRCLES CALLED "A STITCH IN TIME".
- $761,393 spent. EDUCATION PROGRAMMING ENRICHES THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE THROUGH CLASSES, DROP-IN ACTIVITIES, RESIDENCIES, SPECIAL EVENTS, AND FACILITATION OF THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE IN THE MUSEUM'S EXHIBIT GALLERIES. PROGRAMS PROVIDE DEEPER ENGAGEMENT FOR VISITORS IN THE MUSEUM'S CORE INITIATIVES OF ARTS, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION, CULTURE AND HISTORY, HEALTH, SUSTAINABILITY, EARLY LEARNING, AND ACCESSIBILITY. THE MUSEUM USES ITS PROGRAMS TO EXPRESS ITS VALUES, INCLUDING PLAY, INTEGRITY, CREATIVITY, COLLABORATION, RISK, INCLUSIVENESS, LEARNING, AND SUSTAINABILITY. DURING FY24/25, MCM SERVED 195,000 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ON SITE, AND PRODUCED OVER 1000 PROGRAMS.THE MCM ROADSHOW PROVIDED MOBILE OUTREACH EXHIBITS AND PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. EIGHTY-FOUR EVENTS, AT FIFTY-SIX LOCATIONS IN DIVERSE, MULTI-LINGUAL NEIGHBORHOODS WERE SERVED IN FY24/25. WE SERVED 2,932 PEOPLE DIRECTLY WITH OVERALL ATTENDANCE OF ALL COMBINED EVENTS AND POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO APPROXIMATELY 10,000 PEOPLE.THE MUSEUM STRIVES TO SERVE EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF ABILITY, CULTURE, OR ECONOMIC BACKGROUND. THE MUSEUM'S ACCESS FOR EVERYONE PROGRAMS PROVIDE ACCESS FOR NEARLY 1/3 OF ALL VISITORS THROUGH FREE AND LOW-COST ADMISSIONS, MEMBERSHIPS, OUTREACH PROGRAMMING, AND EVENTS. THE MUSEUM INCREASED ITS FREE ADMISSION HOURS IN FY23/24 BY ADDING WEEKLY FREE ADMISSION HOURS ON THURSDAY EVENINGS BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2024, AND WELCOMED MORE THAN 10,000 VISITORS ON FREE THURSDAY NIGHTS.
- $1.6 million spent. MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS HELP THE MUSEUM MEET ITS MISSION BY DEVELOPING AND DELIVERING INFORMATION ABOUT EXHIBITS, PROGRAMS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS TO CONSTITUENTS THROUGHOUT SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND FURTHER OUT. THE MUSEUM USES A VARIETY OF COMMUNICATION METHODS TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT MUSEUM ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING ITS WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL, MEDIA RELATIONS, ADVERTISING, AND PRINTED COLLATERAL MATERIALS . EXHIBIT SIGNAGE AND MANY MUSEUM PUBLICATIONS INCLUDE BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH VERSIONS.THE CENTERPIECE OF THE YEAR'S ADVERTISING PROMOTED THE NICE AGE TRAIL, THE MUSEUM'S NEWEST EXHIBIT. AN INTEGRATED MARKETING PLAN REACHED WELL OVER 100,000 PEOPLE AND RESULTED IN VISITATION AT A RATE OF 16% OVER THE PREVIOUS SUMMER. ADDING FREE THURSDAY EVENING OPEN HOURS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASED ATTENDANCE. THE MUSEUM COLLABORATES WITH ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTING DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS IN ORDER TO EXPAND ITS REACH THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS. THESE ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE THE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT; GREATER MADISON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; GREATER MADISON CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU; AND THE BLACK, LATINO, AND LGBTQ CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.THE DEPARTMENT RESEARCHED VENUE RENTAL PRICING AND POLICIES IN THE AREA AND ADJUSTED ITS OWN FACILITY RENTAL PRICING AND POLICIES ACCORDINGLY. INTEREST IN THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN INCREASING, THOUGH REVENUE LAGS DUE TO ACCRUAL ACCOUNTING. THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES SIGNIFICANT COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT TO THE MUSEUM'S CARETAKERS OF WONDER NATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROJECT AND OTHER SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES. THIS WORK STRENGTHENS THE PROJECT COLLABORATIVE AND ALLOWS PARTNERING MUSEUMS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE IN WAYS THAT SUPPORT FAMILIES IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND MODEL EFFECTIVE WAYS TO MAKE CHANGE.
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 July 1981.
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.
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