Please Touch Museum

Analysis

Please Touch Museum is a registered charity in United States, based in Philadelphia, PA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in November 1979, 47 years ago. Its declared purposes cover arts, culture and humanities, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. The IRS classifies it as a publicly supported organisation (donations from the general public) under section 501(c)(3), and contributions to it are listed as tax-deductible.

In the financial year ending September 2023, Please Touch Museum reported income of $12.9m and spending of $11.4m, spending 89% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from September 2019 to September 2023, income grew from $8.3m to $12.9m (+55%), an average of +12% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to September 2022, when income rose by 130%. Over the whole period it spent 100% of the income it received.

Among 45,478 United States charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, Please Touch Museum sits at the 98th percentile: it is larger than about 98% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile, and in the 95th percentile within PA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Institute for Creation Research ($12.9m), French Institute-Alliance Francaise ($12.9m) and Wqed Multimedia ($12.8m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending September 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 47% and program service revenue 50% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $505k (4.4% of expenses). Other salaries and wages came to $3.9m. At year end it held assets of $36.2m against liabilities of $1.9m, net assets of $34.3m. It reported 107 employees.