Lynn Meadows Discovery Center inspires children, families and communities through interactive educational experiences and exploration

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$111K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
3 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $53K a year · 4% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 3 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$111K
to officers and key staff · 6% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 6% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
3 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 3.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $14K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$403K
7% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 7% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
16
of 16 voting members
Looks good: 16 of 16 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$2.0M
+44% vs prior year
Spent
$1.9M
To programs
86%
Net assets
$5.3M
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$2.0M
FY2024▲ +44%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$847K
FY2021$1.6M
FY2022$1.8M
FY2023$1.4M
FY2024$2.0M
Expenses
$1.9M
FY2024▲ +13%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$1.2M
FY2021$1.2M
FY2022$1.4M
FY2023$1.6M
FY2024$1.9M
Net assets
$5.3M
FY2024▲ +3%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$4.9M
FY2021$5.2M
FY2022$5.7M
FY2023$5.2M
FY2024$5.3M

From the FY2024 Form 990 · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Dec 1993.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $1.6M Management & general 9% · $170K Fundraising 4% · $81K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

16 people listed on the 990; $111K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Executive Director
$110,845Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Cindy Defrances’s $111K as Executive Director is at the 41st percentile of top reported officer pay among 3924 $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 · 1 named individual · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Cindy Defrances$110,845$100,924$91,869$87,137$84,000

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.

See Lynn Meadows Discovery Center executive salaries →

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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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Inspires children and families through interactive educational experiences and exploration.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $1.6M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

The lynn meadows discovery center is a children's museum thatencourages visitors to touch, talk, learn and have fun. The center hasnumerous exhibits for children to explore. The museum has 15,000SQUARE feet of indoor exhibit space, 6 acres of outdoor play spaceincluding a tree house village and meeting rooms for camps and youththeatre…

$1.0Mprogram expense
02

A variety of entertaining and educational camps and workshops for children and teens are offered during the summer.

$450Kprogram expense
03

Wings performing arts program offers instruction and productions in theperforming arts. On the wings of music, dance and theatre, childrenexplore new worlds and enjoy a better understanding of their own world.

$112Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2025
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$14K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$2.0M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.1M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$698K
Other incomeLn 4–11$109K
Money outPt IX
$1.9M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.6M
Managementcol C$170K
Fundraisingcol D$81K
Owns and owesPt X
$5.3M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$517K
Total assetsLn 16$5.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$403K
PeoplePt VI, VII
16
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a16
IndependentVI 1b16
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$698K
Government grantsLn 1e$96K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$1.1M
Investment incomeLn 3$28K
Other incomeLn 4–11$109K
Gains on assetsLn 7$19K
Total revenueLn 12$2.0M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$469K
SavingsLn 2$48K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$517K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$330K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4.7M
Total assetsLn 16$5.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$403K
Net assetsLn 32$5.3M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 539
VolunteersI 60
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
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
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$449K$517K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$285K$330K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4.8M$4.7M
Total assetsLn 16$5.6M$5.7M
LiabilitiesLn 26$382K$403K
Net assetsLn 32$5.2M$5.3M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$106K$78K$11K$17K
Pay of disqualified personsLn 6$726K$591K$87K$48K
Payroll taxesLn 10$66K$52K$9K$4K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$36K$36K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$12K$12K
Office expensesLn 13$33K$17K$16K
Information technologyLn 14$31K$31K
TravelLn 17$11K$11K
InterestLn 20$5K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$212K$212K
InsuranceLn 23$142K$142K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$411K$406K$6K
All other expensesLn 24e$66K$66K−$237
Total functional expensesLn 25$1.9M$1.6M$170K$81K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest Viewing $2.0M$1.9M$108K$5.3M 990 PDF
FY2023 $1.4M$1.6M−$276K$5.2M 990 PDF
FY2022 $1.8M$1.4M$406K$5.7M 990 PDF
FY2021 $1.6M$1.2M$352K$5.2M 990 PDF
FY2020 $847K$1.2M−$323K$4.9M 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 O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,965,486 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $94,160$698,385
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,130,330$1,130,094
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $10,780$27,902
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $129,976$109,105
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $1,365,246$1,965,486
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 $761,588$897,379
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $879,913$959,722
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $1,641,501$1,857,101
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$276,255$108,385
Part VI · Governance 16 of 16 board members independent, no flags
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body16
VI-1b Independent voting members16
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
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 $1,965,486 across 10 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for $157,855 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1e Government grants$96,000
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$602,385
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$698,385
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $1,067,831$1,067,831
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $9,276$9,276
VIII-6 Net rental income or lossUnrelated business −$11,793−$11,793
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $18,626$18,626
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax $25,304$25,304
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2$2
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $1,130,096 · Unrelated business −$11,793 · Excluded from tax $148,798$1,965,486
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $1,857,101 across 13 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $77,592 · Management $11,084 · Fundraising $17,117$105,793
IX-6 Pay of disqualified personsPrograms $590,886 · Management $86,616 · Fundraising $48,320$725,822
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $52,248 · Management $9,378 · Fundraising $4,138$65,764
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $36,158$36,158
IX-12 Advertising and promotionFundraising $11,784$11,784
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $17,015 · Management $16,465$33,480
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $31,118$31,118
IX-17 TravelPrograms $10,589$10,589
IX-20 InterestManagement $4,610$4,610
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $212,243$212,243
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $142,392$142,392
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $405,547 · Management $5,638$411,185
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $66,400 · Management −$237$66,163
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,606,030 · Management $169,712 · Fundraising $81,359$1,857,101
Part X · Balance sheet $5,714,216 assets, 16 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $400,822$468,893
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $48,023$48,167
X-3 Pledges and grants receivable$96,000
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $28,149$32,358
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $40,533$39,431
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $4,759,399$4,699,637
X-11 Publicly traded securitiesStart of year $284,855$329,730
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $5,561,781$5,714,216
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $49,507$60,121
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $80,332$84,984
X-24 Unsecured notes and loans payableStart of year $186,140$179,500
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $66,295$78,369
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $382,274$402,974
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $5,179,507$5,311,242
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $5,179,507$5,311,242
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $5,561,781$5,714,216
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $5,311,242 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,965,486
XI-2 Total expenses$1,857,101
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$108,385
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$5,179,507
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$23,351
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$5,311,242

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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