Polynesian Cultural Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
EDUCATIONAL & CULTURAL MUSEUM
- Income
- $57.8 million
- Spending
- $56.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 3.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 100%
- Employees
- 587
- Volunteers
- 68
- Highest pay
- $397,734, 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: 80 out of 100. Higher than 56% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
20 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 3.9 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 12% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 3% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
18 of 252 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no 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
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 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)
- $47.4 million spent. THE POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER (THE CENTER) AND ITS NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR, BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY HAWAII(BYUH), WERE BOTH ESTABLISHED BY AND ARE WHOLLY CONTROLLED BY THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS (THE CHURCH). THE POLYNESIAN PEOPLE HAVE SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE CHURCH DOCTRINE, AND THE CHURCH HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN THE POLYNESIAN ISLANDS SINCE VERY SOON AFTER ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE 1830S. IT CONDUCTS MANY ACTIVITIES IN POLYNESIA INTENDED TO IMPROVE, BOTH SPIRITUALLY AND ECONOMICALLY, THE LIVES OF ITS MEMBERS THERE, MOST OF WHOM LIVE IN WHAT ARE COMMONLY TERMED "DISADVANTAGED" COMMUNITIES AND "UNDERDEVELOPED" NATIONS.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)ONE OF THE MAIN THRUSTS OF THE CHURCH IN POLYNESIA IS TO EDUCATE ITS MEMBERS TO ENABLE THEM AND THEIR COMMUNITIES TO ADAPT TO AND BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE ENCROACHING MODERN WORLD AND YET NOT TO ABANDON OR LOSE RESPECT FOR THEIR NATIVE CULTURES OR THEMSELVES. IN FURTHERANCE OF THIS OBJECTIVE, THE CHURCH HAS ESTABLISHED BYUH (INITIALLY KNOWN AS CHURCH COLLEGE OF HAWAII) AND THE CENTER. BYUH WAS OPENED IN 1955. ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE A COLLEGE EDUCATION FOR POLYNESIAN STUDENTS WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. BYUH AND THE CHURCH ACTIVELY RECRUIT POLYNESIAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH COLLEGE POTENTIAL TO ATTEND BYUH, OBTAIN AN EDUCATION AND THEN RETURN TO THEIR HOME NATIONS AND COMMUNITIES AND HELP IMPROVE THEM, ECONOMICALLY AND OTHERWISE. THE CHURCH SUBSTANTIALLY SUBSIDIZES BYUH, WHICH CHARGES TUITION FAR BELOW THAT CHARGED BY MOST PRIVATE COLLEGES. NEVERTHELESS, MOST OF THE STUDENTS HAVE NO MONEY TO PAY LIVING EXPENSES, TRANSPORTATION OR TUITION, HOWEVER LOW. MOST OF THE STUDENTS LACK JOB EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS AND DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY WHEN THEY FIRST ENROLL.THE CENTER WAS OPENED IN 1963 AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE OVERALL CHURCH PROGRAM IN POLYNESIA AND SPECIFICALLY AS AN ADJUNCT TO BYUH. THE CENTER OPERATES AN AUTHENTIC LIVING MUSEUM OF THE NATIVE CULTURES OF SIX MAJOR POLYNESIAN ISLANDS SAMOA, FIJI, NEW ZEALAND (AOTEAROA), TAHITI, TONGA AND HAWAII. IT PROVIDES CONTINUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR HUNDREDS OF BYUH STUDENTS FROM THESE ISLANDS TO WORK IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE CENTER'S OPERATIONS. THIS IS INTENDED TO, AND DOES, ACCOMPLISH THE FOLLOWING WITH RESPECT TO SUCH STUDENTS:TEACHING THEM THE TRADITIONS OF THEIR NATIVE CULTURES WHICH ARE THREATENED BY MODERNIZATION.INSTILLING IN THEM PRIDE AND RESPECT FOR THEIR OWN CULTURES (AND THEMSELVES) AND RESPECT FOR OTHER CULTURES. GIVING THEM A FIRST JOB EXPERIENCE AND ON-THE-JOB TRAINING.GIVING THEM AN EXPERIENCE IN SUSTAINING THEMSELVES IN THE MODERN WESTERN WORLD. ENABLING THEM TO WORK THEIR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE.IN ADDITION, THE BROADER CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY THE CENTER INCLUDE THE PRESERVATION AND EXHIBITION TO THE VISITING PUBLIC OF IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF EACH OF THE POLYNESIAN CULTURES REPRESENTED, INCLUDING: AUTHENTIC REPLICAS OF REPRESENTATIVE VILLAGE STRUCTURES IN TYPICAL SETTINGS, DAILY LIVING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS COOKING, AGRICULTURE, ARTIFACTS, ARTS AND CRAFTS (BOTH THE OBJECTS THEMSELVES AND THE SKILLS), COSTUMES, TRADITIONS, AND SONGS AND DANCES (WHICH HAVE A FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN POLYNESIAN CULTURES THAN IN MOST WESTERN CULTURES).THE CENTER ALSO CONDUCTS, DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY, SCHOLARLY RESEARCH NECESSARY TO ASSURE THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE CENTERS ACTIVITIES AND TO FOSTER THE PRESERVATION AND APPRECIATION OF POLYNESIAN CULTURES. THE REVENUES LISTED IN PART VIII ARE GENERATED PRIMARILY BY ADMISSIONS PAID BY VISITORS TO THE VILLAGE COMPLEX. IN ADDITION, SINCE MANY VISITORS SPEND MOST OF THE DAY AND EVENING AT THE CENTER AND THE LOCATION OF THE CENTER IS SOMEWHAT REMOTE, CAFETERIA-STYLE DINING FACILITIES AND SNACK BARS ARE PROVIDED FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF THE CENTER'S VISITORS. APPROXIMATELY 511,665 GUESTS VISITED THE CENTER IN 2024.
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? Worth knowing.
Not individually listed by the IRS as eligible, which is usual for churches. The master file records contributions to it as deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Worth knowing.
The IRS does not require this organization to file annual returns.
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 July 1941.
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.