The Colorado Museum of Natural History
76% goes to programs $9 to raise $100 Growing revenue
The Colorado Museum of Natural History is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Denver, Colorado, registered in 1939, with $55,709,331 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 76% of spending to programs.
2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, CO, 80205 EIN 84-0518447 Since 1939
Revenue (FY2023)
$55.7M
▲ 8.6% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2023)
$59.6M
Net assets
$25.8M
Employees
681
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
BProgram efficiency40% of the rating76% to programs · $9 to raise $100
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 The Colorado Museum of Natural History: 76% to programs · $9 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating5 mo reserves · -7% margin
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 The Colorado Museum of Natural History: 5 mo reserves · -7% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
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 The Colorado Museum of Natural History: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
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 The Colorado Museum of Natural History: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
Be a catalyst! ignite our community's passion for nature and science.
What they do
Educational programs & community engagement: in 2023, diverse program offerings for people of all ages include exciting science facilitations, lectures, documentary film screenings, school break camps, and family activity programs. programs included after hours virtual lectures, in-person facilitated family programs, numerous virtual program offerings, themed celebrations focused on inclusion, scientists in action broadcasts from the field, and many more. exciteed programs for schools included teacher professional development classes, field trips and overnight stays at the museum, virtual science labs, summer and school break camps and offsite programs. our museum on wheels: curiosity cruiser and the community engagement team connected nearly 29,800 people with nature and science by going to their events and communities.
Science division: museum scientists contribute knowledge about the earth, its inhabitants, and beyond by conducting research across multiple scientific disciplines including anthropology, earth sciences, health sciences, space sciences, and zoology. staff also manage, curate, and provide access to the museum's collection of 4.3 million objects and specimens. in 2023, science division staff published 37 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters, produced 21 popular books, book chapters, articles, and were cited 1,920 times. during this time, staff also hosted 196 researchers and fielded 253 research requests from the scientific community. the science division also engaged in abundant educational outreach by communicating science to almost 45,000 members of the public through courses, events, tours, lectures, and field trips. 6,557 of those guests attended collection open houses or behind-the-scenes tours of the avenir collections center. science staff supervised 35 interns, hosted 20 teen science scholars, and mentored 15 undergraduate and graduate students. the division's volunteer program continued to rebound following the pandemic and in 2023, 900 volunteers contributed over 104,638 hours.
Contact & location
- Address
- 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver, CO, 80205
- City
- Denver
- State
- Colorado
- Category
- Arts, Culture & Humanities
- Subcategory
- Museums
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $45.3M (FY2013) to $55.7M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $8.6MNet assets $25.8M
Operating margin
-7.1%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$34.4M
Total liabilities
$8.6M
Net assets
$25.8M
Salaries & benefits
$34.2M
57% of expenses
Board members
28
28 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $55,709,331▲8.6% | $59,642,200▲21.5% | $25,769,934▼13.2% | $34,399,828▼7.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $51,308,274▼8.1% | $49,100,036▲17.5% | $29,702,803▲8.0% | $37,001,421▲9.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $55,828,700▲34.9% | $41,793,898▼18.9% | $27,494,565▲30.0% | $33,823,512▼0.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $41,393,270▼27.1% | $51,503,688▼10.1% | $21,152,441▼32.3% | $33,907,845▼7.1% | 990 |
| 2019 | $56,788,653▼10.1% | $57,316,308▲12.9% | $31,262,859▼1.7% | $36,497,005▲3.8% | 990 |
| 2018 | $63,137,531▲39.2% | $50,756,370▲12.8% | $31,790,514▲63.8% | $35,168,717▲59.4% | 990 |
| 2017 | $45,373,004▲15.3% | $44,979,731▲0.1% | $19,410,170▲2.1% | $22,064,156▼0.9% | 990 |
| 2016 | $39,335,666▼12.6% | $44,944,015▲3.9% | $19,016,969▼22.8% | $22,266,322▼18.5% | 990 |
| 2015 | $45,003,999▲5.2% | $43,265,131▲0.2% | $24,621,338▲7.6% | $27,320,571▲6.1% | 990 |
| 2014 | $42,764,113▼5.6% | $43,185,665▼31.1% | $22,887,590▼1.8% | $25,738,424▼11.3% | 990 |
| 2013 | $45,319,512 | $62,704,314▲18.9% | $23,307,070▼42.7% | $29,015,575▼40.2% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $52,751,221▲12.1% | $40,676,683▲11.8% | $48,525,524▲16.7% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $47,061,055▲15.6% | $36,394,207▲17.0% | $41,577,497▲22.6% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $40,693,486 | $31,110,226 | $33,902,676 | 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.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
Highest-paid: George Sparks — $487,202 (0.82% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Sparks | President & Ceo | 40 | $487,202 |
| Freeda Warren | Senior Vice President, Development | 40 | $339,355 |
| Edward Scholz | Executive Vice President, Finance & Business Opera | 40 | $311,355 |
| Nancy Walsh | Executive Vice President, Experiences & Partnershi | 40 | $266,353 |
| Ashley Bassim | Vice President, Finance & Revenue | 40 | $187,704 |
| Christina Fritts | Vice President, Development | 40 | $187,419 |
| Nicole Lucero-holub | Vice President, Human Resources | 40 | $179,123 |
| John Demboski | Senior Vice President, Science | 40 | $179,021 |
| Eric Boen | Vice President, Technology | 40 | $178,954 |
| Jeffrey Joplin | Vice President, Operations | 40 | $177,463 |
| Elizabeth Davis | Vice President, Exhibitions, Experiences & Innovat | 40 | $164,076 |
| Alice Jackson | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Bruce Oreck | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Christine Marquez-hudson | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Christopher S Chavez | Board Member | 1 | — |
| David L Liniger | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Don Law | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Donna Lynne | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Happy Haynes | Board Member | 1 | — |
| Harold R Logan Jr | Board Member | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Eci Site Construction Mgmt Inc | Construction | $2,283,312 |
| Vertix Builders Inc | Construction | $2,086,257 |
| Vladimir Jones | Marketing | $1,364,054 |
| Local Projects LLC | Exhibit Design | $895,308 |
| Open Studio Architecture LLC | Architecture | $874,670 |
Grants received · $8.7M total
133 grants to The Colorado Museum of Natural History totaling $8.7M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Foundation | Natural history & natural science museums | 2024 | $1,094,000 |
| Colorado Gives Foundation | General purpose, general operating support | 2024 | $108,243 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Community & human services | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Rose Community Foundation | General operating support, event support | 2024 | $18,250 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $10,299 |
| Columbus Foundation | Arts and humanities | 2024 | $8,000 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $5,625 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $5,000 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Arts, culture & humanities | 2023 | $275,742 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $141,479 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2023 | $100,000 |
| National Geographic Society | Research grant | 2023 | $100,000 |
| Colorado Gives Foundation | General purpose | 2023 | $84,768 |
| Denver Foundation | Natural history & natural science museums | 2023 | $83,000 |
| The New York Community Trust | For program support. | 2023 | $77,000 |
Grants made · $1.0M in FY2016
1 grant totaling $1.0M in FY2016. All grants made by The Colorado Museum of Natural History →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dmns Foundation | General operating support | $1,000,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is The Colorado Museum of Natural History a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. The Colorado Museum of Natural History is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 84-0518447, based in Denver, Colorado. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is The Colorado Museum of Natural History's EIN?
- The Colorado Museum of Natural History's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 84-0518447.
- How much revenue does The Colorado Museum of Natural History report?
- The Colorado Museum of Natural History reported $55,709,331 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of The Colorado Museum of Natural History's spending goes to programs?
- The Colorado Museum of Natural History spends about 76% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does The Colorado Museum of Natural History have?
- CharityIndex grades The Colorado Museum of Natural History B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does The Colorado Museum of Natural History's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on The Colorado Museum of Natural History's latest Form 990 is $487,202, paid to George Sparks (President & Ceo).
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Data for The Colorado Museum of Natural History (EIN 84-0518447) 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.