Adler Planetarium: FY2023 Nonprofit Profile & Form 990 (EIN 36-6210902)

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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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Connects people to the universe and each other through shared sky experiences.

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1 program · $11.6M · in their own filed words · FY2022

01

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.

$11.6Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid

Grants received · FY2025

Ulta Beauty Charitable FoundationFY2025$150K

Canmann Family FoundationFY2025$180

Total grants receivedfrom 2 funders$150K

Grants paid · 13 grants · $66K · 2023–2024

Unitemized GrantFY2024$9,900

Unitemized GrantFY2024$7,800

Unitemized GrantFY2024$6,850

Unitemized GrantFY2024$2,500

Unitemized GrantFY2024$2,486

Unitemized GrantFY2024$2,000

Unitemized GrantFY2024$660

Unitemized GrantFY2023$11,215

Unitemized GrantFY2023$9,540

Unitemized GrantFY2023$7,930

Unitemized GrantFY2023$2,250

Unitemized GrantFY2023$2,000

Unitemized GrantFY2023$450

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

Download 990

from philanthropy.org

1The main four

Money inPt VIII

$18.8M

Ln 12

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.8M

Fees for servicesLn 2g$6.2M

Other incomeLn 4–11$1.7M

Money outPt IX

$16.0M

Ln 25

Programscol B$11.6M

Managementcol C$3.4M

Fundraisingcol D$1.1M

Owns and owesPt X

$36.2M

net assets · Ln 32

Cash and savingsLn 1–2$10.5M

Total assetsLn 16$67.1M

LiabilitiesLn 26$31.0M

PeoplePt VI, VII

75

listed · VII A

PaidVII A12

Voting boardVI 1a54

IndependentVI 1b54

2In more detail

Revenue in detailPt VIII

Gifts and grantsLn 1h$9.8M

Government grantsLn 1e$3.2M

Noncash giftsLn 1g$141K

Fundraising eventsLn 1c$1.1M

Fees for servicesLn 2g$6.2M

Investment incomeLn 3$1.0M

Other incomeLn 4–11$1.7M

Gains on assetsLn 7−$3K

Total revenueLn 12$18.8M

Assets in detailPt X, end of year

CashLn 1$154K

SavingsLn 2$10.3M

Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$10.5M

InvestmentsLn 11–13$34.3M

Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$19.8M

Total assetsLn 16$67.1M

LiabilitiesLn 26$31.0M

Net assetsLn 32$36.2M

OperationsPt I, VI

EmployeesI 5278

VolunteersI 6354

Fiscal year endsHeaderJune

Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes

Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes

Records policyVI 14Yes

3Year over year

Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B

Line	Start FY23	End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2	$6.4M	$10.5M
InvestmentsLn 11–13	$30.8M	$34.3M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c	$21.1M	$19.8M
Total assetsLn 16	$62.1M	$67.1M
LiabilitiesLn 26	$32.6M	$31.0M
Net assetsLn 32	$29.5M	$36.2M

4Every line

Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line

Line	Total	Programs	Management	Fundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5	$1.4M	$590K	$527K	$269K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7	$6.4M	$4.4M	$1.6M	$494K
Pension plan contributionsLn 8	$291K	$113K	$166K	$12K
Other employee benefitsLn 9	$674K	$428K	$183K	$63K
Payroll taxesLn 10	$591K	$390K	$148K	$52K
Legal feesLn 11b	$67K		$67K
Accounting feesLn 11c	$125K		$125K
Investment management feesLn 11f	$60K		$60K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g	$1.1M	$642K	$344K	$125K
Advertising and promotionLn 12	$23K	$16K	$7K	$9
Office expensesLn 13	$470K	$418K	$44K	$7K
Information technologyLn 14	$205K	$157K	$35K	$13K
OccupancyLn 16	$463K	$450K	$10K	$3K
TravelLn 17	$77K	$65K	$8K	$4K
InterestLn 20	$679K	$679K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22	$2.1M	$2.1M	$11K	$3K
InsuranceLn 23	$220K	$211K	$7K	$2K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24	$905K	$841K	$52K	$12K
All other expensesLn 24e	$136K	$83K	$51K	$2K
Total functional expensesLn 25	$16.0M	$11.6M	$3.4M	$1.1M

Filing history

Year	Money in	Money out	In minus out	Net assets	Download
FY2025 Latest	$22.0M	$17.5M	$4.5M	$42.9M	990 PDF
FY2024	$17.3M	$19.0M	−$1.7M	$39.0M	990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing	$18.8M	$16.0M	$2.7M	$36.2M	990 PDF
FY2022	$24.2M	$14.5M	$9.8M	$29.5M	990 PDF
FY2021	$11.5M	$13.1M	−$1.6M	$23.7M	990 PDF
FY2020	$15.9M	$19.3M	−$3.4M	$16.5M	990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support M · Noncash J · Pay O · Explanations

See the full FY2023 990 (6 parts)

Part I · Summary $18,774,196 revenue, 12 lines filed

I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $15,348,637$9,837,130

I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $2,902,530$6,176,636

I-10 Investment incomePrior year $4,708,809$1,035,581

I-11 Other revenuePrior year $1,282,982$1,724,849

I-12 Total revenuePrior year $24,242,958$18,774,196

I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0

I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0

I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $7,971,879$9,369,139

I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0

I-17 Other expensesPrior year $6,491,999$6,663,634

I-18 Total expensesPrior year $14,463,878$16,032,773

I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $9,779,080$2,741,423

Part VI · Governance 54 of 54 board members independent, 1 to look at

VI-1a Voting members of the governing body54

VI-1b Independent voting members54

VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes

VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes

VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes

VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes

VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Part VIII · Statement of revenue $18,774,196 across 13 lines filed

VIII-1b Membership dues$396,956

VIII-1c Fundraising events$1,143,073

VIII-1e Government grants$3,239,662

VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,057,439

VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$141,236

VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$9,837,130

VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $6,176,636$6,176,636

VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $1,039,069$1,039,069

VIII-6 Net rental income or lossExcluded from tax $1,386,973$1,386,973

VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax −$3,488−$3,488

VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$185,289−$185,289

VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Excluded from tax $523,165$523,165

VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $6,176,636 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $2,760,430$18,774,196

Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $16,032,773 across 19 lines filed

IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $589,991 · Management $527,404 · Fundraising $269,236$1,386,631

IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $4,364,464 · Management $1,568,447 · Fundraising $493,835$6,426,746

IX-8 Pension plan contributionsPrograms $112,530 · Management $166,314 · Fundraising $12,411$291,255

IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $427,898 · Management $183,068 · Fundraising $62,863$673,829

IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $390,476 · Management $148,477 · Fundraising $51,725$590,678

IX-11b Legal feesManagement $66,814$66,814

IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $124,800$124,800

IX-11f Investment management feesManagement $60,485$60,485

IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $641,835 · Management $343,770 · Fundraising $124,832$1,110,437

IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $15,661 · Management $6,909 · Fundraising $9$22,579

IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $418,100 · Management $44,465 · Fundraising $7,454$470,019

IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $156,860 · Management $34,951 · Fundraising $12,700$204,511

IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $449,679 · Management $10,002 · Fundraising $2,827$462,508

IX-17 TravelPrograms $65,252 · Management $8,355 · Fundraising $3,675$77,282

IX-20 InterestPrograms $678,666$678,666

IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $2,110,788 · Management $10,535 · Fundraising $2,977$2,124,300

IX-23 InsurancePrograms $211,335 · Management $6,710 · Fundraising $1,896$219,941

IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $840,640 · Management $52,196 · Fundraising $12,439$905,275

IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $83,070 · Management $51,263 · Fundraising $1,684$136,017

IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $11,557,245 · Management $3,414,965 · Fundraising $1,060,563$16,032,773

Part X · Balance sheet $67,133,417 assets, 18 lines filed

X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $954,945$153,562

X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $5,415,060$10,337,573

X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $3,110,585$1,821,396

X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $363,762$356,091

X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $323,827$324,732

X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $21,101,575$19,824,650

X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $29,203,580$32,150,648

X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $1,587,373$2,164,765

X-16 Total assetsStart of year $62,060,707$67,133,417

X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $1,375,107$1,667,050

X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $1,229,705$998,247

X-20 Tax-exempt bond liabilitiesStart of year $27,000,000$27,000,000

X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $2,981,574$1,289,521

X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $32,586,386$30,954,818

X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $19,594,466$24,445,100

X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $9,879,855$11,733,499

X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $29,474,321$36,178,599

X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $62,060,707$67,133,417

Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $36,178,599 net assets at year end

XI-1 Total revenue$18,774,196

XI-2 Total expenses$16,032,773

XI-3 Revenue less expenses$2,741,423

XI-4 Net assets at start of year$29,474,321

XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$1,912,941

XI-9 Other changes in net assets$2,049,914

XI-10 Net assets at end of year$36,178,599

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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Adler Planetarium FY2023 filing

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