Sciencenter Discovery Museum
Inspires science excitement through interactive exhibits and programs. For fiscal year 2024 it reported $4.7M in revenue, $3.4M in expenses, and $11.5M in net assets.Pt I
- Type
- Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Arts & Culture
- Location
- Ithaca, NY
- Website
- www.sciencenter.org
- Filings
- 5 on file (2020–2024)
More identity details & actions ⌄
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Summary of the Filing
Where the work happens
Exhibits
The sciencenter discovery museum is a hands-on museum, offering over 250 interactive science exhibits that invite families to explore topics like engineering, physics, live animals, and phenomena like weather.
Museum Admissions and Membership
The sciencenter welcomes over 100,000 visitors to explore exhibits and education programs at the museum. More than 2,600 families have an annual membership to the sciencenter. The sciencenter welcomes over 20,000 individuals through access programs that provide freeor deeply discounted admission for low-income families.
Educational Programs
The sciencenter offers robust educational programs for families, camps for children, field trips for elementary schools throughout central ny and northern pa, and professional development for educators in the region. The sciencenter also develops collaborative informal education programs for a national audience.
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Identity & Classification
Governance & Policies
Officers, Directors & Key Employees
Michelle Kortenaar’s $163K as Executive Director is at the 72nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 3916 $1–10M arts & culture nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Kortenaar | $163,458 | $160,556 | $150,709 | $142,422 | $145,433 |
| Chris Fagan | $112,692 | $114,956 | $101,581 | — | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Statement of Revenue
Statement of Functional Expenses
Balance Sheet
Financial Metrics
Same NTEE category, revenue band, and state where available. Descriptive — not a grade.
| Metric | This org | Peer median | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program ratio | 73% | — | — |
| Overhead ratio | 21% | — | — |
| Fundraising cost ratio | 7% | — | — |
| Revenue growth | 36% | — | — |
| Legal fee ratio | 0.09% | — | — |
| Accounting fee ratio | 1% | — | — |
Straight from the Form 990 — descriptive, not an evaluation. A ratio is hidden when its base is zero or too small to be meaningful; the dollars are always shown.
Grants
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Filings & Schedule Manifest
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Sources
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