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Mississippi Childrens Museum

EIN 64-0850010 · Jackson, MS

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

WE CREATE UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCES TO INSPIRE EXCELLENCE AND A LIFELONG JOY OF LEARNING.

Income
$6.1 million
Spending
$6.5 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
-0.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 54%
Employees
174
Volunteers
874
Highest pay
$153,464, president/ce

Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 12% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 27% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 9 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 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 25

    21 of 21 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 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 (2)
  1. $5.3 million spent. THE MISSISSIPPI'S CHILDREN'S MUSEUM (MCM) SEEKS TO EMPOWER AND INSPIRE OUR STATE'S CHILDREN, REGARDLESS OF THEIR SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, OR ECONOMIC BACKGROUND. THE MISSION OF MCM IS TO CREATE UNPARALLELED EXPERIENCES TO INSPIRE EXCELLENCE AND A LIFELONG JOY OF LEARNING. THE 40,000 SQUARE FOOT MUSEUM IN THE JACKSON LOCATION AND 25,000 SQUARE FOOT MUSEUM IN THE MERIDIAN LOCATION ARE DESIGNED AROUND FIVE PRIMARY INITIATIVES, WITH CORRELATING EXHIBITS, PROGRAMS, AND OUTREACH EFFORTS. THESE INITIATIVES INCLUDE LITERACY, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS, AND MATH (STEAM); HEALTH AND NUTRITION; CULTURAL ARTS AND MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE - THE KEYS TO HELPING CHILDREN MATURE INTO HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE ADULT LEARNERS.
  2. MCM PROVIDES PLACE-BASED AND OUTREACH EXPERIENCES THAT INCLUDE INTERACTIVE PERMANENT EXHIBITS; WEEKLY AND MONTHLY EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND EVENTS; FIELD TRIPS; PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS; ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE OUTREACH PROGRAMS; SUMMER AND SEASONAL CAMPS; ANNUAL VISITING EXHIBITS FROM OTHER CHILDREN'S MUSEUMS AND SCIENCE CENTERS; COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT SERIES; MCM TRAVELING EXHIBITS; COMMUNITY EVENT OUTREACH; AND ONLINE PROGRAMMING. MCM ALSO OFFERS A CAFE; A MUSEUM STORE; BIRTHDAY PARTIES; FACILITY RENTALS; SEASONAL TEMPORARY EXHIBITS AND EVENTS; THREE ANNUAL FUNDRAISERS; YOUTH AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS; AND A SPLASH PAD AND POLLINATORS GARDEN, BOTH FREE TO THE PUBLIC. AS OUR COMMUNITY WAS REELING FROM CHALLENGES POSED BY COVID-19, MCM RESPONDED TO COMMUNITY NEEDS BY PROVIDING A SAFE SPACE FOR DAILY VIRTUAL SCHOOLING FOR OVER 100 JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE MUSEUM CONTINUES THOSE SERVICES TODAY BY PROVIDING A ROBUST, DAILY AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM SERVING NEARLY 150 STUDENTS FROM SIX JACKSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS ACROSS THE CITY. MCM BELIEVES THAT THIS LEVEL OF CONSISTENT, ONE-ON-ONE, REMEDIAL INSTRUCTION AND RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING WILL HAVE LONG-TERM, POSITIVE IMPACTS ON THE TRAJECTORY OF EACH STUDENT'S ACADEMIC CAREER AND WELL-BEING. ON MARCH 26, 2021, DESPITE A WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC, MCM IN CONCERT WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF EAST MISSISSIPPI OPENED TO THE PUBLIC A STATE-OF-THE-ART, 17 MILLION DOLLAR SATELLITE MUSEUM IN MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI. SINCE OPENING, MCM-MERIDIAN HAS EXCEEDED PROJECTIONS HAVING ALREADY WELCOMED OVER 50,000 VISITORS FROM 40 STATES AND 2 FOREIGN COUNTRIES. MCM-MERIDIAN IS FULLY OPERATIONAL, OFFERING WEEKLY PROGRAMMING, SPECIAL EVENTS, SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS, BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND MORE. AS A TESTAMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE AND RESILIENCE THROUGH THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, THE INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES (IMLS) ANNOUNCED MCM AS A RECIPIENT OF THE 2021 NATIONAL MEDAL FOR MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICE, THE NATION'S HIGHEST HONOR GIVEN TO MUSEUMS AND LIBRARIES THAT MAKE SIGNIFICANT AND EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. OUT OF 30 NATIONAL FINALISTS AND ONE OF ONLY THREE MUSEUMS TO RECEIVE THE HONOR, MCM IS ONE OF THE YOUNGEST MUSEUMS TO BE AWARDED THE IMLS NATIONAL MEDAL.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending May 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending May 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 2004.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. 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.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.