Science Museum of Minnesota
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MUSEUM'S MISSION STATEMENT IS "TURN ON THE SCIENCE: INSPIRE LEARNING. INFORM POLICY. IMPROVE LIVES."
- Income
- $40.1 million
- Spending
- $44.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -1.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 42%
- Employees
- 453
- Volunteers
- 158
- Highest pay
- $390,159, 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
Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 20% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 11% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 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 34% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2542 of 43 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 (4)
- $11.3 million spent. MUSEUM EXPERIENCES:THE SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA IS AN ESSENTIAL CULTURAL INSTITUTION IN DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL, ENGAGING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS ANNUALLY IN THE JOY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM). MOST KNOWN FOR ITS EXPANSIVE CAMPUS FULL OF ARTIFACTS, INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, AND STATE-OF-THE-ART DIGITAL OMNITHEATER, THE SCIENCE MUSEUM IS INTERNATIONALLY RESPECTED FOR ITS STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMMING, GROUNDBREAKING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, AND PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN FY25, WE EXPERIENCED MILLIONS OF ENGAGEMENTS THROUGH ONSITE, OFFSITE, AND OUTREACH PROGRAMMING.-414,333 PEOPLE MADE A VISIT TO THE MUSEUM, OF WHICH 64,463 WERE MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE MUSEUM CULTURAL AND INCOME-BASED ACCESS RATES.-11,831 PEOPLE ATTENDED CELEBRATION DAYS, OUR ANNUAL EVENT SERIES HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPACTS AND CAREERS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, ASIAN AMERICANS AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS, NATIVE AMERICANS, LATIN AMERICANS, AND WOMEN AND GIRLS IN STEM.-NEARLY 20,000 MUSEUM FANS ENGAGED THE MUSEUM THROUGH MEMBERSHIP, ALIGNING THEMSELVES WITH OUR FORWARD THINKING MISSION.-NEARLY 1 MILLION PEOPLE LEARNED MORE ABOUT THE MUSEUM'S MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
- $8.2 million spent. THE WORK OF THE SCIENCE MUSEUM'S CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND COLLECTIONS (CRC) MAKES A PROFOUND IMPACT ON MINNESOTA'S UNDERSTANDING AND SCIENCE. SCIENCE MUSEUM SCIENTISTS IN THE FIELD AND IN OUR LABS COLLECT AND ANALYZE SAMPLES AND OBJECTS THAT DRIVE DECISIONS TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY, TEACH US ABOUT OUR CHANGING PLANET, CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE, AND DEVELOP OUR STEM WORKFORCE. CRC SCIENTISTS AND SPECIALISTS ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND US, BRINGING TOGETHER OUR SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES (ANTHROPOLOGY, BIOLOGY, COLLECTIONS STEWARDSHIP, HYDROLOGY, AND PALEONTOLOGY) TO SYNERGISTICALLY AMPLIFY THE IMPACTS OF OUR RESEARCH, PARTNERING WITH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE MUSEUM TO SHARE THEIR FINDINGS WITH A DIVERSE ARRAY OF AUDIENCES.OUR STAFF CARE FOR A COLLECTION OF MORE THAN TWO MILLION OBJECTS. THROUGH THEIR CONTINUED RESEARCH AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THESE OBJECTS, WE CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT OUR CULTURES, OUR CLIMATE, AND OUR WILDLIFE MOVING FORWARD. CONTINUING TO MAKE THESE COLLECTIONS DIGITALLY ACCESSIBLE TO BROAD AUDIENCES WAS A FOCUS OF FY25.KEY PROJECTS:-DIGITIZING THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS IS AN INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGIC PRIORITY. IN FY25, OUR SCIENTISTS DIGITIZED 17,318 OBJECT CATALOG RECORDS, TRIPLING THE NUMBER FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE TEAM WORKED HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH 8,057 IMAGES OF FOSSILS, SEDIMENT CORES, SEEDS, MAYA TEXTILES, MAMMAL SPECIMENS, AND OBJECTS FROM RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEYS, DOUBLING THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S.-HOSTING COMMUNITY VISITS TO THE COLLECTION FOR CONSULTATIONS AND ELEVATING THE AWARENESS OF OUR COLLECTIONS WITH CULTURAL PARTNERS. IN FY25, WE WORKED WITH DAKOTA AND OJIBWE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ELDERS, SCHOLARS, AND TRIBAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICERS.-ADDING TO OUR EXISTING FOSSIL COLLECTIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE MASS EXTINCTION EVENT 66 MILLION YEARS AGO.-STUDYING THE INVASIVE DIATOM DIDYMOSPHENIA IN STREAMS ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR.-UNDERSTANDING HOW HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS FORM IN RELATIVELY PRISTINE ECOSYSTEMS LIKE THE BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA WILDERNESS AND SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST.-STUDYING THE IMPACTS OF RISING SALT LEVELS IN MINNESOTA LAKES.-INVENTORY AND DIGITIZATION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC SEED COLLECTION, FOLLOWING COMMUNITY INTEREST AND FEEDBACK FROM COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS.-INVENTORY AND DIGITIZATION OF TEXTILES AND OTHER ETHNOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS FROM HIGHLAND MAYA COMMUNITIES OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO, AND WORKING WITH CULTURAL ADVISORS LOCALLY AND IN CHIAPAS TO ENSURE THE RECORDS ARE ACCESSIBLE AND USEFUL FOR MAYA WEAVERS.-CONTINUING 20-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE'S GREAT LAKES INVENTORY AND MONITORING NETWORK TO MONITOR WATER QUALITY AND GUIDE AQUATIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN SEVEN UPPER MIDWEST NATIONAL PARK UNITS.OUR ST. CROIX WATERSHED RESEARCH STATION IS CURRENTLY LEADING RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, NUTRIENT POLLUTION, AND ROAD SALT ON THE HEALTH OF OUR LAKES AND RIVERS. THROUGH THIS WORK, AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FEDERAL, INDIGENOUS, AND STATE PARTNERS, WE ARE WORKING TO FIND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ECOLOGICAL ISSUES FACING OUR WATERSHEDS. IN FY25, OUR RESEARCH STATION SCIENTISTS ANALYZED 4,524 WATER SAMPLES, BUILDING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF MINNESOTA'S CHANGING WATERWAYS AND FURTHERING CLIMATE RESEARCH.
- $2.6 million spent. STEM EQUITY & EDUCATION:THE SCIENCE MUSEUM FACILITATES A HOST OF ONSITE PROGRAMS AND OFFSITE OUTREACH TO ADDRESS OPPORTUNITY GAPS IN K-12 STEM EDUCATION, FOSTERING A CHILDHOOD INTEREST IN SUBJECTS THAT EVENTUALLY TRANSLATE TO LIFELONG STEM CAREERS. FY25 CONTINUED TO BUILD ON THIS MISSION THROUGH IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, WITH ENGAGEMENTS INCREASING MOST NOTABLY AMONG SCHOOL OUTREACH AND OFF-SITE PROGRAMMING. K-12 PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS:-STEM EDUCATION INSTRUCTORS TRAVELED STATEWIDE TO DELIVER PROGRAMMING THROUGH MORE THAN 50,000 ENGAGEMENTS, REACHING STUDENTS IN 52 MINNESOTA COUNTIES. THE WILLINGNESS AND CAPABILITY TO TRAVEL REMAINS A UNIQUE PART OF THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING THAT DIRECTLY SUPPORTS EQUITY AND ACCESS TO SCIENCE ACROSS THE STATE.-THE MUSEUM SUPPORTED MORE THAN 81,000 FIELD TRIP ENGAGEMENTS IN FY25 AND IMPLEMENTED NEW EDUCATOR GUIDES TO ASSIST WITH ONSITE LEARNING, INCLUDING AN UPDATED LEARNING TOOL TO ACCOMPANY THE MUSEUM'S INDIGENOUS HISTORY EXHIBIT WE MOVE AND WE STAY.-THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY AWARDS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED ALMOST 4,300 STUDENTS IN FY25. AWARDS CONNECT STUDENTS WITH SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA PROGRAMMING BY PROVIDING FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR BUSES TO ATTEND FIELD TRIPS AND REDUCED PRICING FOR ASSEMBLIES AND RESIDENCIES.-THE MUSEUM'S IDEAL CENTER DELIVERED EQUITY-FOCUSED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR K-12 EDUCATORS, TRANSFORMING THE INCLUSION PHILOSOPHIES OF NEARLY 500 EDUCATORS FROM 12 MINNESOTA COUNTIES IN FY25.-MORE THAN 3,000 YOUTH RECEIVED HANDS-ON STEM INSTRUCTION THROUGH THE KITTY ANDERSEN YOUTH SCIENCE CENTER.MEANWHILE, OUR KITTY ANDERSEN YOUTH SCIENCE CENTER IS AN OFT-EMULATED MODEL FOR HOW TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN STEM. BY CREATING A PATHWAY FOR STUDENTS TO ADVANCE THROUGH OUR PROGRAMMING FROM YOUTH TO ADULTHOOD, WE NOT ONLY INSTILL IN LEARNERS THE SENSE THAT THEY CAN BECOME SCIENTISTS, BUT ALSO BUILD THE SKILLS REQUIRED TO LAUNCH A MEANINGFUL CAREER.
- $15.2 million spent. OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE UNALLOCATED COSTS INCLUDING COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING, VOLUNTEERS, AND EVALUATION AND OTHER ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT MUSEUM MEMBERS AND VISITORS.
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 May 1943.
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.
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