National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It reported loans to or from officers, directors or other insiders.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM AT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BEARS SOLEMN WITNESS TO THE TERRORIST ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, AND FEBRUARY 26, 1993. LOCATED AT A SITE MADE SACRED THROUGH LOSS, THE MEMORIAL & MUSEUM REMEMBERS AND HONORS THE 2,983 VICTIMS OF THESE
- Income
- $93.3 million
- Spending
- $112.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 7.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 74%
- Employees
- 411
- Volunteers
- 242
- Highest pay
- $856,216, president & 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: 78 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 7.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 7% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 20% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 34 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: 90 out of 100. Higher than 12% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2552 of 54 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
0 of 10Reports at least one of: diversion of assets, excess benefits, 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 (1)
- $86.3 million spent. THE MEMORIAL, DEDICATED IN 2011, WELCOMED NEARLY 82 MILLION LIFETIME VISITORS THROUGH THE END OF 2024. THE MUSEUM WELCOMED MORE THAN 25 MILLION PEOPLE SINCE IT OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN MAY 2014 THROUGH THE END OF 2024. 2024 MARKED THE MUSEUM'S TENTH YEAR OF OPERATION. IN ADDITION TO SERVING VISITORS THROUGH ITS CORE EXHIBITIONS, THE MUSEUM PRESENTED A WIDE SLATE OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AND ROTATED BOTH INDIVIDUAL OBJECTS AND ENTIRE EXHIBITIONS. THOSE ROTATIONS EXPAND THE MUSEUM'S STORYTELLING CAPACITY, ACCOMMODATE CONSERVATION REQUIREMENTS, AND ANTICIPATE LOAN EXPIRATIONS. OVER 11,000 STUDENTS TOOK PART IN OUR ONSITE AND VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS, NEARLY 600 TEACHERS TOOK PART IN OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS, AND OVER 950,000 STUDENTS, FROM ALL 50 STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD, PARTICIPATED IN OUR ANNIVERSARY DIGITAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE, OUR SIGNATURE ANNUAL PROGRAM. OVER 600 INDIVIDUALS ENGAGED WITH THE ART CART, OUR SEASONAL ONSITE YOUTH & FAMILY PROGRAM. OUR GUIDED TOUR PROGRAM SERVED NEARLY 110,000 MUSEUM VISITORS AND OUR AUDIO GUIDE REACHED AN ADDITIONAL 375,000 VISITORS. OUR PUBLIC PROGRAMS, WHICH FOCUSED PRINCIPALLY ON DEEPENING UNDERSTANDING OF 9/11'S CONNECTION TO CURRENT EVENTS AND THE ATTACKS' ONGOING RESONANCE THROUGH ELEVEN DISTINCT PROGRAMS, WERE ATTENDED BY OVER 1,600 GUESTS. THE 9/11 MEMORIAL & MUSEUM CONTINUED ITS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMS, WHICH PROVIDE AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF 9/11 FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, INTELLIGENCE, MILITARY, AND FIRST RESPONDER AGENCIES TO RECOGNIZE THE SPECIAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN 9/11 AND THEIR WORK. EACH PROGRAM IS GEARED TOWARD MEETING THE UNIQUE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF THE AGENCY IN ATTENDANCE. IN 2024, WE SERVED OVER 14,000 PARTICIPANTS IN 74 ONSITE AND VIRTUAL PROGRAMS. MUSEUM VISITORS HELPED TO GROW THE DIGITAL RESOURCES USED IN THE CORE EXHIBITIONS WITH APPROXIMATELY 163,000 SIGNATURES AND MESSAGES IN THE DIGITAL GUEST BOOK, MORE THAN 200 NEW PROFILES IN THE REGISTRY OF RESCUE AND RECOVERY WORKERS, AND 12 NEW PROFILES IN THE REGISTRY OF PUBLIC MEMORIALS CREATED AROUND THE WORLD IN COMMEMORATION OF 9/11. DRAWING FROM THESE AND OTHER VISITOR CONTRIBUTIONS, THE MUSEUM UPDATED APPROXIMATELY 40 PROFILES IN THE MEMORIAL EXHIBITION. THROUGH DONATIONS, PURCHASES, AND ORAL HISTORIES CONDUCTED BY STAFF, MUSEUM ACQUISITIONS BY THE END OF 2024 NUMBERED 28,181 OBJECTS AND ARTWORKS, 47,118 PRINT AND DIGITAL IMAGES, 384 MOVING IMAGES, AND 3,833 ORAL RECORDINGS. AMONG THE NEW ACQUISITIONS ARE A CORRIDOR WALL MAP THAT HUNG IN THE PENTAGON NEAR THE IMPACT AREA OF HIJACKED FLIGHT 77; A COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON AND AFTER 9/11 BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL LORENZINI, WHO ALSO SERVED AS RECORDS MANAGER AT THE NEW YORK CITY'S MUNICIPAL ARCHIVES, AND REMEMBRANCE 911, A SCULPTURE INSPIRED BY THE UPRIGHT SKELETAL STEEL THAT SURVIVED THE COLLAPSE OF THE TWIN TOWERS BY THE LONDON-BASED ARTIST CHRISTY SYMINGTON. IN 2024, 100 NEW, ILLUSTRATED OBJECT ENTRIES WERE ADDED TO THE ONLINE COLLECTION CATALOG, INSIDE THE COLLECTION. ADDITIONALLY, A NEW FEATURE GALLERY WAS CREATED TO COINCIDE WITH THE MUSEUM'S ANNUAL "SALUTE TO SERVICE." ALSO UPDATED WERE TWO FEATURE GALLERIES FOR "HISPANIC HERITAGE AND "FACES OF GROUND ZERO" IN PREPARATION FOR A NEW EXHIBITION OF LIFE-SIZE PORTRAITS OF 9/11 RESPONDERS BY PHOTOGRAPHER JOE MCNALLY. THE INSTITUTION CONTINUED TO PROCEED WITH CRITICAL REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE IN 2024, INCLUDING REFURBISHMENT OF THE MEMORIAL'S NORTH POOL.
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 September 2016.
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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