Adler Planetarium
Connects people to the universe and each other through shared sky experiences. For fiscal year 2025 it reported $22.0M in revenue, $17.5M in expenses, and $42.9M in net assets.Pt I
- Founded
- 1930
- Type
- Public charity (501(c)(3)) · Arts & Culture
- Location
- Chicago, IL
- Website
- www.adlerplanetarium.org
- Filings
- 6 on file (2020–2025)
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Summary of the Filing
Identity & Classification
Governance & Policies
Officers, Directors & Key Employees
Michelle B Larson PHD’s $546K as Former President & CEO (thru 3/25) is at the 82nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 749 $10–100M 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle B Larson PHD | $545,930 | $517,793 | $422,733 | — | — | — |
| Michelle B Larson | — | — | — | $417,804 | $406,234 | $425,988 |
| Marcia J Heuser | — | — | — | $231,116 | $223,950 | $222,519 |
| Audris Wong | $230,448 | $222,529 | $61,005 | — | — | — |
| Cathleen Brueggemann | — | — | $182,558 | $229,211 | $223,107 | $220,157 |
| Ryutaro Mizuno | $223,920 | $217,252 | $207,246 | $188,578 | $181,328 | $178,835 |
| Laura Trouille | $196,413 | $186,534 | $156,919 | $158,903 | $151,041 | $148,363 |
| Andrew Johnston | $186,797 | $178,334 | $156,457 | $158,566 | $151,207 | $149,363 |
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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Where the work happens
Whether the adler planetarium is introducing a guest to the ring nebula, a neighborhood school to a community partner, a research team to a network of citizen scientists, or one staff member to another, the museum's focus on meaningful connections dates back nearly a century.
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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 | 71% | — | — |
| Overhead ratio | 22% | — | — |
| Fundraising cost ratio | 12% | — | — |
| Revenue growth | 27% | — | — |
| Investment management fee ratio | 0.09% | — | — |
| Legal fee ratio | 0.5% | — | — |
| Accounting fee ratio | 0.8% | — | — |
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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