Bay Area Discovery Museum

Analysis

Bay Area Discovery Museum is a registered charity in United States, based in Sausalito, CA. It received its IRS tax-exemption ruling in December 1984, 42 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 August 2023, Bay Area Discovery Museum reported income of $7.6m and spending of $10.0m, spending 131% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from August 2019 to August 2023, income fell from $12.7m to $7.6m (-40%), an average of -12% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to August 2021, when income dropped by 32%. Over the whole period it spent 88% of the income it received.

Among 45,478 United States charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, Bay Area Discovery Museum sits at the 97th percentile: it is larger than about 97% of them. Against every charity in United States with reported income it ranks in the 94th percentile, and in the 94th percentile within CA. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Sphinx Organization Inc ($7.6m), Army Historical Foundation Inc ($7.6m) and Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Inc ($7.6m).

On its Form 990 for the period ending August 2023, revenue came from contributions and grants 29% and program service revenue 66% of the total. Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees was $639k (6.4% of expenses). Other salaries and wages came to $4.2m. At year end it held assets of $23.5m against liabilities of $2.5m, net assets of $21.0m. It reported 146 employees.