Cincinnati Museum Center is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio, registered in 1987, with $33,189,765 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 68% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$33.2M
▲ 23.4% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2023)
$33.4M
Net assets
$318.9M
Employees
246
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Cincinnati Museum Center: 68% to programs · $25 to raise $100 earns a C+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Cincinnati Museum Center: 115 mo reserves · -1% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Cincinnati Museum Center: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Cincinnati Museum Center: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Cincinnati museum center inspires people of all ages to learn more about our world through science, regional history, and educational, engaging and meaningful experiences.
Collections management and research. preservation and conservation of objects in our collections for use by current and future generations of scientists and historians, as well as providing objects and information about them for our museum exhibits. our staff conducts field investigations in paleontology, archaeology and zoology to increase our understanding of life processes, earth and human history. this research provides information and material for exhibits and for articles published in popular and scientific journals. 1.8 million objects, artifacts and documents are curated by cmc , including a number of exclusive and best in class collections.
Educational programs include classes, workshops, day camps, overnight camps, lectures and tours that interpret and expand on museum exhibit themes. one large and two small theater spaces are used for live performances that bring historical events to life, providing reinforcement of topics and an additional avenue for mission delivery. school group programs are provided in our museums and also at school sites. docents are stationed in all museum exhibit areas to interact with visitors and enhance the visitor's learning opportunities.
Revenue grew from $23.6M (FY2013) to $33.2M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-0.6%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$340.8M
Total liabilities
$21.9M
Net assets
$318.9M
Salaries & benefits
$11.5M
34% of expenses
Board members
30
29 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $33,189,765▲23.4% | $33,386,410▲34.5% | $318,879,381▲3.8% | $340,786,064▲5.8% | 990 |
| 2022 | $26,899,097▼20.9% | $24,831,523▲8.0% | $307,061,178▲2.1% | $321,982,380▲4.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $34,020,074▼5.9% | $22,989,698▼42.9% | $300,804,706▼0.3% | $306,991,423▼1.1% | 990 |
| 2020 | $36,167,004▼26.9% | $40,266,675▲81.5% | $301,687,694▲11.0% | $310,486,338▲9.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $49,474,377▼33.9% | $22,180,112▲16.0% | $271,733,307▲11.0% | $282,646,725▼6.8% | 990 |
| 2018 | $74,836,727 | $19,120,342▲56.9% | $244,748,762▲29.4% | $303,430,529▲36.8% | 990 |
| 2017 | $74,838,651▲24.5% | $12,185,175▼31.6% | $189,108,174▲51.7% | $221,744,285▲62.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $60,105,168▲41.0% | $17,814,263▼9.0% | $124,625,607▲60.3% | $136,084,328▲67.1% | 990 |
| 2015 | $42,626,108▲138% | $19,582,642▲4.3% | $77,727,656▲39.3% | $81,435,295▲36.7% | 990 |
| 2014 | $17,887,507▼24.0% | $18,768,133▲0.6% | $55,797,916▼1.3% | $59,567,504▼3.0% | 990 |
| 2013 | $23,551,105 | $18,648,058▼4.0% | $56,524,277▲15.8% | $61,424,642▲6.2% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $19,420,424▲1.9% | $48,812,703▲45.6% | $57,849,764▲29.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $19,049,296▲1.4% | $33,524,508▼28.4% | $44,679,476▼22.4% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $18,779,486▲10.6% | $46,854,066▲8.0% | $57,582,518▲1.4% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $16,980,803 | $43,382,802 | $56,768,349 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Elizabeth Pierce — $355,272 (1.06% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Pierce | President & Ceo | 40 | $355,272 |
| Jill Berkemeier | Cfo | 40 | $271,868 |
| Scott Schuster | Vp of Philanthropy | 40 | $182,835 |
| Whitney Owens | Chief Learning Officer | 40 | $150,843 |
| David Zlatic | Cto | 40 | $149,785 |
| Cody Hefner | Vp of Marketing | 40 | $145,846 |
| Katie Haag | Associate Vp, Philanthropy | 40 | $122,849 |
| Alison Kropp | Vice Chair | 2 | — |
| Anya Sanchez | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Beverly Grant | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Brenden Cull | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Brian Coley | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Brian Sullivan | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Chris Habel | Trustee | 2 | — |
| David Hausrath | Vice Chair | 2 | — |
| Debra Merchant | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Donna Zaring | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Edward Diller | Trustee | 2 | — |
| George Vincent | General Counsel | 2 | — |
| Greg Kenny | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Science Museum of Minnesota | Exhibit Installation | $1,600,000 |
| Kubik Maltbie | Ordovician Exhibit Installation | $899,622 |
| Atomic Data LLC | It Upgrades | $333,503 |
| Accesso Technology Group Plc | Cyber Fees | $224,497 |
| Greenhaus Construction LLC | Eoa Constructions | $220,293 |
57 grants to Cincinnati Museum Center totaling $15.5M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $2,098,979 |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2024 | $2,098,979 |
| Trihealth Inc | General support | 2024 | $20,000 |
| Johnson Charitable Gift Fund | General fund | 2024 | $13,500 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Arts and culture | 2024 | $10,000 |
| Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund | General support | 2024 | $5,125 |
| Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Programatic support | 2023 | $1,462,514 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2023 | $100,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $41,050 |
| Trihealth Inc | Capital support | 2023 | $20,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Arts, culture & humanities | 2023 | $16,100 |
| Johnson Charitable Gift Fund | Gen./exhibits | 2023 | $15,000 |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati Ohio Dtd 01251995 | Capital support | 2023 | $11,172 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Arts and culture | 2023 | $10,000 |
| Bethesda Hospital Inc | Capital support | 2023 | $8,828 |
1 grant totaling $6.9M in FY2023. All grants made by Cincinnati Museum Center →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Museums Foundation | Unrestricted grant | $6,852,623 |
Explore more
Data for Cincinnati Museum Center (EIN 31-1212634) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.