Museum Associates
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $235.4 million
- Spending
- $124.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -19.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 52%
- Employees
- 594
- Volunteers
- 144
- Highest pay
- $2.1 million, ceo and wallis annenberg director
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: 55 out of 100. Higher than 24% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 42% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 47% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 51% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 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 31% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2556 of 59 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)
- $52.3 million spent. EXHIBITION, CURATORIAL, CONSERVATION & ART PROGRAMS:LACMA PRESENTED 16 EXHIBITIONS AND PERMANENT COLLECTION INSTALLATIONS IN FISCAL 2024-2025, FEATURING ARTWORKS FROM ITS OWN COLLECTION AND FROM LENDERS AROUND THE WORLD. PUBLIC PROGRAMS, FILMS, AND CONCERTS ARE DEVELOPED IN COORDINATION WITH SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS. MANY WORKS FROM THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION OF OVER 150,000 OBJECTS ARE TREATED BY CONSERVATORS, WHILE THE MUSEUM'S RESEARCH LIBRARY AND SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS PROVIDE REFERENCE SUPPORT TO MUSEUM STAFF AND OUTSIDE SCHOLARS. ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES SERVE TO MEET THE GOALS OF CONSERVATION, EXHIBITION AND INTERPRETATION OF ART INTO MEANINGFUL AESTHETIC, INTELLECTUAL, AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES.
- $18.4 million spent. FACILITY ENHANCEMENT:IN FISCAL 2024-2025, LACMA CONTINUED WORK TOWARDS A MAJOR, NEW MUSEUM BUILDING. MOST OF THESE COSTS WERE CAPITALIZED AND ARE NOT REFLECTED ON THIS LINE. THIS CATEGORY OF EXPENSE ALSO REFLECTS FINANCING AND DEPRECIATION EXPENSE REPRESENTING AMORTIZATION OF THE CAPITALIZED COSTS OF CONSTRUCTING THE MUSEUM'S PHYSICAL FACILITIES, AN ACTIVITY THAT IS ONE OF THE CORE REASONS MUSEUM ASSOCIATES WAS FOUNDED.
- $15.5 million spent. ART ACQUISITION:WORKS OF ART IN ALL MEDIA, FROM EVERY HISTORICAL PERIOD, AND FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE ARE PURCHASED TO ENHANCE THE MUSEUM'S PERMANENT COLLECTION. SUCH ADDITIONS CONTRIBUTE TO THE MUSEUM'S GOAL OF COLLECTING SIGNIFICANT WORKS OF ART FROM A BROAD RANGE OF CULTURES AND ERAS.EXPENSES REFLECT FUNDS PAID BY THE MUSEUM FOR THE ACQUISITION OF ARTWORK DURING THE YEAR, BUT DO NOT REFLECT THE VALUE OF GIFTS OF ART. REVENUES REPRESENT THE PROCEEDS OF DEACCESSIONS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION RECEIVED DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, WHICH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH MUSEUM POLICY, ARE RESTRICTED FOR THE FUTURE ACQUISITION OF ARTWORKS.
- $19.0 million spent. THE MUSEUM COLLECTS WORKS OF ART IN ALL MEDIA, FROM EVERY HISTORICAL PERIOD, AND FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE TO ENHANCE ITS PERMANENT COLLECTION. EXPENSES REFLECT FUNDS PAID BY THE MUSEUM FOR THE ACQUISITION OF ART WORKS, BUT DO NOT REFLECT THE VALUE OF IN-KIND GIFTS OF ART. THE MUSEUM OFFERS MANY EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN LOCAL SCHOOLS AND ON-SITE FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS AS WELL AS CLASSES AND OTHER PROGRAMS AND INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS AND ADULTS.
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 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 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 September 1944.
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.
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.