Arts, Culture & Humanities (A520) IRS Verified DX Registered 990 on File

THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM

EIN: 04-2103993 · BOSTON, MA 02210-1016 · United States · FY 2023 Data

3 out of 5 57 / 100 Based on 2+ years of filings

Financial strength (30%) 72/100

Reliability (20%) 55/100

Effectiveness (25%) 100/100

Impact (25%) No data yet

Financial data: FY 2023 · Scored 9/13/2026

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Mission Statement

Boston Children’s Museum is the second oldest, and one of the most influential children’s museums in the world. It was founded in 1913 by the Science Teachers’ Bureau, a group of visionary educators dedicated to providing new resources for both teachers and students, as a center for the exchange of materials and ideas to advance the teaching of science. For over 100 years it has been engaging children in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning.

Financial Overview — FY 2023

$9.5M

Total Revenue

$9.6M

Total Expenses

$50.2M

Net Assets

113

Employees

Revenue Sources

Expense Breakdown

Program Expense Ratio 76.3%

Fundraising Efficiency 816.0%

Operating Reserve 62.81x

Liability-to-Asset 18.4%

Revenue Diversification 49.9%

Executive Compensation $537K

Compared with Peers

FY 2023

Compared with 4,647 similar organizations (United States, Arts, Culture & Humanities, $1M–$10M in expenses), FY 2023.

This organization Middle half of peers (P25–P75) Peer median

Ratio	This org	Peer median	Position (P10 → P90)
Program expense ratio Program expenses / total expenses · higher is better	76.3%	77.9%	P10P90	Below median
Admin expense ratio Management and general / total expenses · lower is better	15.0%	14.6%	P10P90	Below median
Fundraising expense ratio Fundraising expenses / total expenses · lower is better	8.7%	5.5%	P10P90	Below median
Fundraising efficiency Fundraising expenses / gross fundraising income · lower is better	816.0%	251.0%	P10P90	Bottom quarter
Operating reserve Months of expenses covered by net assets · higher is better	62.8 mo	16.8 mo	P10P90	Top quarter
Liabilities to assets Total liabilities / total assets · lower is better	18.4%	10.7%	P10P90	Below median
Revenue concentration Share of revenue from the largest source · lower is better	49.9%	74.6%	P10P90	Top quarter
Revenue growth Year over year revenue growth	-39.0%	3.5%	P10P90
Expense growth Year over year expense growth	13.4%	13.1%	P10P90
Surplus margin Surplus as a share of revenue	-1.1%	-0.9%	P10P90

Financial History

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Net Assets	Program %	Staff
2023	$9.5M	$9.6M	$50.2M	76.3%	113
2022	$15.5M	$8.4M	$48.9M	76.6%	99
2021	$9.2M	$7.8M	N/A	—	107

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Organization Details

EIN: 04-2103993
State: MA
City: BOSTON
ZIP: 02210-1016
Classification: A520
Category: Arts, Culture & Humanities
Rating: 3★
Coverage: A
Last Updated: Aug 2026
IRS Ruling Year: 1913
Foundation Code: 16
Form 990: On File

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CharityAI™ rates charities from 0 to 100 using public filings (IRS Form 990 and the equivalent registries outside the US) together with the information the charity itself provides on DonationX. Ratings are recalculated every quarter, without human bias, and shown as stars.

Four pillars

Financial strength30%

Program expense ratio, fundraising efficiency, operating reserves, liabilities and revenue diversification, compared with similar organizations.

Reliability20%

Standing with the registry, filing history, verification and how complete the profile is.

Effectiveness25%

How much goes to programs and how consistently the organization delivers them.

Impact25%

The outcomes the charity reports on DonationX: people served, cost per service and results.

Stars

★★★★★ 80–100 ★★★★☆ 60–79 ★★★☆☆ 40–59 ★★☆☆☆ 20–39 ★☆☆☆☆ 1–19

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The coverage grade (A to D) says how much filing data the score rests on; NONE means there is not enough to rate.
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"Compared with peers" places the charity's key ratios against organizations of the same country, sector and size.

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