Oakland Museum of California
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE MUSEUM'S MISSION IS TO INSPIRE ALL CALIFORNIANS TO CREATE A MORE VIBRANT FUTURE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. THROUGH COLLECTIONS, EXHIBITIONS, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND PUBLIC DIALOGUE, WE INSPIRE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS TO THINK (CONT. ON SCH. O) CREATIVELY AND CRITICALLY ABOUT THE NATURAL, ARTISTIC, AND SOCIAL FORCES THAT CHARACTERIZE OUR STATE AND INFLUENCE ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD.
- Income
- $17.4 million
- Spending
- $20.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 23.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 61%
- Employees
- 127
- Volunteers
- 159
- Highest pay
- $324,771, executive director & 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 61% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 23.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 17% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 8% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 13% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2536 of 36 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
0 of 10Did not give 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)
- $13.2 million spent. CORE GALLERIES AND SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS:IN TOTAL, THE MUSEUM SERVED 180,844 VISITORS THIS YEAR, AND A MEMBERSHIP OF NEARLY 8,000 HOUSEHOLDS. APPROXIMATELY 90% OF THE MUSEUM'S VISITORS ARE RESIDENTS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, WITH 53% IDENTIFYING AS PEOPLE OF COLOR. 50% OF VISITORS EXPERIENCED OMCA AT A FREE OR DISCOUNTED RATE.THE MUSEUM HAS GALLERIES OF CALIFORNIA HISTORY, CALIFORNIA ART, AND CALIFORNIA NATURAL SCIENCES TO DISPLAY THE CORE COLLECTION, AS WELL AS TWO SPACES FOR TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS. THE MUSEUM IS CONTINUALLY ROTATING OBJECTS IN ITS THREE CORE COLLECTIONS (CONT. ON SCH. O) GALLERIES AND TYPICALLY HOSTS TWO TO THREE TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS PER YEAR. INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERPRETATION IS PROVIDED BY OBJECT AND THEMATIC LABELS, AUDIOVISUAL PRESENTATIONS, INTERACTIVE COMPUTER AND VIDEO TERMINALS, SELF-GUIDING BROCHURES, AND FACILITATED EXPERIENCES.IN FY25, OMCA DEVELOPED AND EXHIBITED CALLI: THE ART OF XICANX PEOPLES, WHICH OPENED ON JUNE 14, 2024 AND CLOSED JANUARY 26, 2025. THIS MAJOR EXHIBITION COMBINES PHOTOGRAPHY, SCULPTURE, PAINTING, INSTALLATION, POETRY, AND MORE TO COLLECTIVELY CONSTRUCT A CALLI, OR "XICANX HOME" THAT HOLDS THE SACRED STORIES OF XICANX PEOPLES FROM PAST TO PRESENT DAY. OMCA WORKED CLOSELY WITH SEVERAL CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS TO CREATE SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS FOR THE EXHIBITION, INCLUDING CONSUELO JIMENEZ UNDERWOOD AND RAFA ESPARZA. THESE WORKS ARE PRESENTED ALONGSIDE POSTERS FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF LATE QUEER CHICANA ACTIVIST AND PROFESSOR MARGARET "MARGIE" TERRAZAS-SANTOS. OMCA ACQUIRED SANTOS' POSTER COLLECTION, TITLED CALLI AMERICAS, IN 2022. OMCA ALSO DEVELOPED AND EXHIBITED BORN OF THE BEAR DANCE: DUGAN AGUILAR'S PHOTOGRAPHS OF NATIVE CALIFORNIA, WHICH OPENED ON NOVEMBER 8, 2024 AND CLOSED ON JULY 13, 2025. INDIGENOUS PHOTOGRAPHER DUGAN AGUILAR'S POWERFUL PHOTOGRAPHY DOCUMENTS A RICH ARRAY OF INDIGENOUS EXPERIENCES FROM 1982 TO 2018, FROM BREATHTAKING CALIFORNIA LANDSCAPES TO NATIVE CALIFORNIAN GATHERINGS, CEREMONIES, AND BASKET WEAVING. AGUILAR'S EXTENSIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE WAS GIFTED TO OMCA BY AGUILAR'S FAMILY IN 2022, AND THIS EXHIBITION WAS DRAWN FROM THESE ARCHIVES, WHICH SHOWCASE MOMENTS OF PROFOUND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE AND UNYIELDING VITALITY IN CONTEMPORARY INDIGENOUS CALIFORNIAN LIFE.OMCA UNDERTAKES EXTENSIVE VISITOR EVALUATION TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF ITS PROGRAMMING ON BOTH INDIVIDUAL AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND ON THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE. WHEN SURVEYED, VISITORS RESPOND POSITIVELY BOTH TO THE MUSEUM'S IMPACT ON THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS THEIR SENSE OF SOCIAL COHESION WHILE VISITING.
- $1.1 million spent. COLLECTIONS AND GROUNDS MANAGEMENT:THE OAKLAND MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA (OMCA) HAS LEASE AND GRANT AGREEMENTS IN PLACE WITH THE CITY OF OAKLAND TO CONSERVE, STEWARD, RESEARCH, AND PROVIDE SCHOLARLY AND INTERPRETIVE EXPERTISE IN SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND'S MUSEUM COLLECTIONS, WHICH MAKE UP THE TOTALITY OF THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION, AND TO MANAGE AND MAINTAIN THE CITY'S HISTORIC BRUTALIST BUILDING AND GARDENS OVER SEVEN ACRES AT 1000 OAK STREET AND ITS COLLECTIONS WAREHOUSE IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA (COLLECTIVELY, THE MUSEUM). OMCA MAINTAINS THE BUILDING AND SEVEN ACRES OF GROUNDS AND GARDENS ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND. THE MUSEUM'S TERRACED ROOF GARDENS AND CENTRAL COURTYARD, DESIGNED BY NOTED (CONT. ON SCH. O) LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT DAN KILEY, SERVE AS A VILLAGE GREEN FOR OAKLAND RESIDENTS AND VISITORS FROM THE BAY AREA AND BEYOND.THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS ARE THE MOST COMPLETE RESOURCE ON CALIFORNIA'S NATURAL, ARTISTIC, AND SOCIAL HISTORY ANYWHERE IN THE STATE AND ARE HELD IN PUBLIC TRUST BY THE CITY OF OAKLAND FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD AS ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST VALUABLE ASSETS.THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS OF NEARLY 2 MILLION OBJECTS ARE DEVOTED TO THE ART, HISTORY, AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF CALIFORNIA. FOR THE ART COLLECTION, THE MUSEUM SEEKS WORKS THAT REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF IDENTITIES IN CALIFORNIA AND THAT SPEAK TO THE EXPERIENCE OF UNDER-REPRESENTED PEOPLE SUCH AS WOMEN, PERSONS OF COLOR, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY. IN COLLECTING HISTORY ARTIFACTS, OMCA PLACES A HIGH PRIORITY ON ACQUISITIONS THAT FILL GAPS IN OUR ABILITY TO TELL THE STORIES OF DIVERSE PEOPLE AND CULTURES OF CALIFORNIA, THEIR IDENTITIES AND THE DYNAMICS OF POWER BETWEEN AND AMONG THEM, AND THAT ENSURE THE ABILITY OF TRADITIONALLY UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES. OMCA MAINTAINS THE MUSEUM'S ACCREDITATION WITH THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS (AAM) ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF OAKLAND. OTHER PROGRAM ACTIVITIES THAT OMCA PERFORMS RELATED TO THE CITY OF OAKLAND'S COLLECTIONS INCLUDE: OVERSEE ACQUISITION, CATALOGING, STORAGE, RESEARCH, AND CARE FOR THE CITY OF OAKLAND'S MUSEUM COLLECTIONS MAKE THE CITY OF OAKLAND'S MUSEUM COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH EXHIBITION, LOANS TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS, AND ONLINE PRESENTATION UNDERTAKE PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION EFFECTS FOR THE CITY OF OAKLAND'S MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
- $1.4 million spent. EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS:IN FY25, OMCA SERVED JUST OVER 23,000 STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND CHAPERONES ONSITE, WITH AT LEAST 35% OF STUDENTS COMING FROM OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SCHOOLS AND 49% COMING FROM TITLE I SCHOOLS THAT SERVE LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. ADDITIONALLY, OMCA SERVED OVER 60,000 VISITORS THROUGH ITS PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY FESTIVALS.SCHOOL PROGRAMS: THIS YEAR, OUR EDUCATION TEAM CREATED A NEW NATURAL SCIENCE GUIDE TO SUPPORT SELF-GUIDED GROUPS. THIS PRINTED GUIDE, AVAILABLE IN GALLERIES, ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO ACT AS "SCIENCE SLEUTHS AND DISCOVER EXAMPLES OF PREDATOR AND PREY ANIMALS (CONT. ON SCH. O) THROUGHOUT THE GALLERY. OMCA ALSO INCREASED THE NUMBER OF BUS SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDED TO OUSD CLASSROOMS.PUBLIC PROGRAMMING: OMCA'S PUBLIC PROGRAMMING HELPS TO INCREASE THE MUSEUM'S SOCIAL IMPACT, PROVIDING VISITORS WITH A SENSE OF SOCIAL COHESION. OMCA'S ONSITE PROGRAMS AND EVENTS CELEBRATE CULTURAL TRADITIONS, LIFT UP PERSONAL STORIES, AND PROVIDE INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING. THIS YEAR THE MUSEUM HOSTED "THURSDAY AFTER HOURS AT OMCA" FROM JANUARY TO MARCH, WHICH OFFERS AN ADULT NIGHT OUT AT THE MUSEUM WITH GALLERY ACCESS, PERFORMANCES, AND LIVE DRAWING SESSIONS. ABOUT 1,800 GUESTS ATTENDED THIS EVENT. "FRIDAY NIGHTS AT OMCA WITH OFF THE GRID" EVENTS RUN FROM APRIL TO OCTOBER AND PROVIDE A MULTI-LAYERED, FAMILY-FRIENDLY PROGRAM PLATFORM. THIS PROGRAM DRIVES LARGE-SCALE ATTENDANCE AND ATTRACTS OMCA'S MOST RACIALLY DIVERSE AND YOUNGEST AUDIENCES, WELCOMING 52,000 ATTENDEES IN THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR. OMCA'S TWO ANNUAL CULTURAL FESTIVALS OCTOBER'S DAYS OF THE DEAD COMMUNITY FESTIVAL AND FEBRUARY'S LUNAR NEW YEAR FESTIVAL WELCOMED ABOUT 4,800 PARTICIPANTS COLLECTIVELY. ONCE A MONTH, OMCA HOSTS A COMMUNITY TALK SESSIONS, SPOTLIGHT SUNDAYS, INSPIRED BY OMCA EXHIBITIONS AND CURRENT EVENTS.
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 February 2012.
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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