The Modesto children's Museum enriches the lives of all children by nurturing creativity, critical thinking and a love for lifelong learning.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
77¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Run by 40 volunteers and 32 employees.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · People: Part I, lines 5–6

Before you give

FY2025 · 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
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
4 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.4M a year · 54% of revenue · last 5 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
77%
of spending
Looks good: 77% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$115K
to officers and key staff · 5% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 5% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
2 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $528K in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 1.6 months of spending in cash; 1 to 3.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
5
named funders · $411K
Looks good: 5 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$2.3M
24% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 24% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
12
of 12 voting members
Looks good: 12 of 12 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$1.5M
-66% vs prior year
Spent
$2.2M
To programs
77%
Net assets
$7.0M
By yearFY2021–FY2025
Revenue
$1.5M
FY2025▼ -66%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2021$769K
FY2022$2.7M
FY2023$3.6M
FY2024$4.5M
FY2025$1.5M
Expenses
$2.2M
FY2025▼ -25%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2021$61K
FY2022$546K
FY2023$408K
FY2024$2.9M
FY2025$2.2M
Net assets
$7.0M
FY2025▼ -8%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2021$711K
FY2022$2.9M
FY2023$6.0M
FY2024$7.7M
FY2025$7.0M

From the FY2025 Form 990 (year ending June 2025) · 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: FY2025. IRS ruling in Dec 2019.

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

Where the money goes

77 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 77% · $1.7M Management & general 20% · $432K Fundraising 3% · $56K

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

13 people listed on the 990; $115K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2024); the FY2025 filing did not itemize Part VII
$115,154Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Chelsie Webster’s $115K as CEO is at the 44th 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

NameFY2025FY2024
Chelsie Webster$115,154$115,493

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 Modesto Childrens Museum INC 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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and a love for learning in children.

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1 program · $1.7M · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

Operation of a children's museum to provide a place for education and learning for children.

$1.7Mprogram 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 · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 5 funders$411K
See all 5 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2025 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$1.5M
Ln 12
Fees for servicesLn 2g$951K
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$583K
Investment incomeLn 3$31K
Money outPt IX
$2.2M
Ln 25
Programscol B$1.7M
Managementcol C$432K
Fundraisingcol D$56K
Owns and owesPt X
$7.0M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$284K
Total assetsLn 16$9.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.3M
PeoplePt VI, VII
13
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a12
IndependentVI 1b12
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$583K
Fundraising eventsLn 1c$101K
Fees for servicesLn 2g$951K
Investment incomeLn 3$31K
Total revenueLn 12$1.5M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$132K
SavingsLn 2$152K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$284K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$528K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$7.4M
Other assetsLn 15$101K
Total assetsLn 16$9.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.3M
Net assetsLn 32$7.0M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 532
VolunteersI 640
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
LineStart FY25End FY25
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$498K$284K
InvestmentsLn 11–13$501K$528K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$8.0M$7.4M
Total assetsLn 16$10.5M$9.3M
LiabilitiesLn 26$2.9M$2.3M
Net assetsLn 32$7.7M$7.0M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$128K$128K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$739K$610K$78K$52K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$44K$44K
Payroll taxesLn 10$70K$50K$16K$4K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$3K
Accounting feesLn 11c$42K$42K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$14K$14K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$53K$53K
Office expensesLn 13$5K$4K$478
Information technologyLn 14$16K$14K$2K
OccupancyLn 16$87K$79K$9K
TravelLn 17$824$824
InterestLn 20$87K$87K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$638K$638K
InsuranceLn 23$51K$51K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$143K$99K$44K
All other expensesLn 24e$42K$33K$9K
Total functional expensesLn 25$2.2M$1.7M$432K$56K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest Viewing $1.5M$2.2M−$619K$7.0M 990 PDF
FY2024 $4.5M$2.9M$1.6M$7.7M 990 PDF
FY2023 $3.6M$408K$3.2M$6.0M 990 PDF
FY2022 $2.7M$546K$2.1M$2.9M 990 PDF
FY2021 $769K$61K$708K$711K 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 FY2025 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $1,543,097 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $3,442,093$582,818
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $1,079,315$951,275
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $2,755$30,841
I-11 Other revenuePrior year −$31,322−$21,837
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $4,492,841$1,543,097
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 $851,113$980,624
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $2,023,135$1,181,452
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $2,874,248$2,162,076
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $1,618,593−$618,979
Part VI · Governance 12 of 12 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body12
VI-1b Independent voting members12
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 $1,543,097 across 8 lines filed
Lines not itemized here account for −$821 of total revenue; see the IRS return.
VIII-1c Fundraising events$101,440
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$481,378
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$582,818
VIII-2a-f Program service revenue, itemized rows (sum of 2a–2f as filed)Related to mission $951,275$951,275
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $30,841$30,841
VIII-8 Net income from fundraising eventsExcluded from tax −$23,877−$23,877
VIII-11a-d Other revenue, itemized rows (sum of 11a–11d as filed)Related to mission $2,861$2,861
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $954,136 · Unrelated business −$821 · Excluded from tax $6,964$1,543,097
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $2,162,076 across 17 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffManagement $127,808$127,808
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $609,538 · Management $77,802 · Fundraising $51,510$738,850
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $43,558$43,558
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $49,990 · Management $16,194 · Fundraising $4,224$70,408
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $2,742$2,742
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $41,677$41,677
IX-11g Other fees for servicesManagement $14,194$14,194
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $52,987$52,987
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $4,300 · Management $478$4,778
IX-14 Information technologyPrograms $13,952 · Management $1,550$15,502
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $78,535 · Management $8,726$87,261
IX-17 TravelPrograms $824$824
IX-20 InterestManagement $87,373$87,373
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $638,199$638,199
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $50,889$50,889
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $98,778 · Management $44,064$142,842
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $32,795 · Management $9,389$42,184
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $1,674,345 · Management $431,997 · Fundraising $55,734$2,162,076
Part X · Balance sheet $9,302,525 assets, 17 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $304,669$131,796
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $193,243$152,234
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $1,350,613$945,342
X-4 Accounts receivableStart of year $17,794$12,288
X-8 Inventories for sale or useStart of year $17,060$18,416
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $18,155$29,496
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $8,022,369$7,384,172
X-12 Other securitiesStart of year $501,251$528,065
X-15 Other assetsStart of year $100,716$100,716
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $10,525,870$9,302,525
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $116,455$73,561
X-19 Deferred revenueStart of year $81,444$39,938
X-25 Other liabilitiesStart of year $98,623$97,358
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $2,867,544$2,263,178
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $7,658,326$7,039,347
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $7,658,326$7,039,347
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $10,525,870$9,302,525
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $7,039,347 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$1,543,097
XI-2 Total expenses$2,162,076
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$618,979
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$7,658,326
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$7,039,347

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2025 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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