Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$3,093,269

Total expenses

$1,690,550

Contributions and grants received

$2,679,961

Grants paid

$0

Program service revenue

$312,233

Investment income

$33,647

Other revenue

$67,428

Total assets, end of year

$13,432,597

Total liabilities, end of year

$228,862

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$13,203,735

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$1,453,138

Management and general expenses

$176,024

Fundraising expenses

$61,388

Program service expenses (Part III)

$1,453,138

Program services were 86.0% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• RIVER CITY NATURE IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR THEMES IN A CHILDREN'S MUSEUM, WITH MANY VISITORS ENGAGED IN THE PROMISE OF A RENEWED CONNECTION TO THE NATURAL WORLD. THROUGH IMAGINATIVE PLAY AND SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, THE ARTS AND MATHEMATICS (STEAM) ACTIVITIES,THE RIVER GALLERY INVITES VISITORS TO UNCOVER THE WILD AND WONDERFUL NATURE OF THE OHIO RIVER, ITS IMPORTANCE TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE MANY ANIMALS AND PLANTS WHO CALL THIS AREA HOME. - CELEBRATE PARKERBURG AS A RIVER CITY AND HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OHIO RIVER IN SHAPING THE COMMUNITY. - CONNECT VISITORS TO NATURE THROUGH THE LOCAL ECOSYSTEM BY SHOWCASING FLORA, FAUNA, AND NATURAL PROCESSES SPECIFIC TO THE REGION. - INVITE VISITORS TO DISCOVER AND EXPERIMENT WITH THE POWER OF WATER THROUGH OPEN-ENDED AND REPEATABLE CAUSE-AND-EFFECT EXPERIENCES. - EVOKE A UNIQUE SENSE OF PLACE THAT ENGAGES MULTIPLE SENSES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SOUNDS, AND IMMERSIVE VISUALS AND LIGHTING. - PROVIDE AMENITIES THAT SUPPORT A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH WATER PLAY, SUCH AS SMOCKS, DRYERS, AND CHANGING AREAS. BALL FACTORY/EARLY CHILDHOOD THE FACTORY FEATURES A CENTRAL CLIMBING STRUCTURE THAT PROVIDES CHILDREN WITHA GRADUATED SERIES OF SAFE YET CHALLENGING PHYSICAL OBSTACLES THAT ENCOURAGE VISITORS OF VARYING ABILITIES. THIS STRUCTURE IS ENRICHED WITH WHIMSICAL DESIGN ELEMENTS AND SURROUNDED BY KINETIC BALL ACTIVITIES THAT DRAW INSPIRATION FROM FACTORY PROCESSES AND PARKERSBURG'S INDUSTRIAL HISTORY. TOGETHER, THE CLIMBER AND INTERSPERSED BALL-DRIVEN CONTRAPTIONS CREATE AN OPEN-ENDED AND IMAGINATIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO PLAY AND GROW TOGETHER. - INVITE VISITORS AND CAREGIVERS TO PLAY TOGETHER. - ENCOURAGE VISITORS TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS COMMON GOALS BY EMPHASIZING COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, AND COMMUNITY. - EMPOWER VISITORS TO BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THEIR OWN ABILITIES AND TAKE RISKS THROUGH LARGE-MOTOR PHYSICAL CHALLENGES. - PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL LEVELS OF PHYSICAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL ABILITIES. - DRAW INSPIRATION FROM MANUFACTURING PROCESSES AND HONOR PARKERSBURG'S HISTORY BY CONNECTING VISITORS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF INDUSTRY IN THE REGION - DESIGN LABIN THE DESIGN STUDIO, VISITORS EXPLORE MAKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING WITHA VARIETY OF MATERIALS, CREATIVE PLATFORMS AND TESTING APPARATURES. AS A HANDS-ON ENTRY POINT FOR STEAM CONCEPTS AS WELL AS EXPERIMENTATION AND DESIGN-THINKING, THE ACTIVITIES GUIDE YOUNG VISITORS THROUGH CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL PROCESSES WHILE PROVIDING AUTHENTIC ENCOUNTERS WITH MATERIALS, TOOLS, AND TECHNOLOGY. EXPERIENCES RANGE FROM OPEN-ENDED MATERIAL EXPLORATION TO CHALLENGES AND PROJECTS VISITORS CAN RETURN TO, VISIT AFTER VISIT, HELPING AUDIENCES OF ALL ABILITIES BUILD PRACTICAL SKILLS, CREATE TANGIBLE OUTCOMES, AND BEGIN TO SEE THEMSLEVES AS DESIGNERS, MAKERS, THINKERS, AND DOERS. - NURTURE DESIGN THINKING AND ENGAGE VISITORS IN EXPERIENCES THAT ELEVATE THE DESIGN PROCESS RATHER THAN FOCUS ON "RIGHT" OUTCOMES. - ENTICE CHILDREN AND CAREGIVERS TO MAKE OBSERVATIONS, AS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD AND SEEK ANSWERS TOGETHER. - CELEBRATE SELF-EXPRESSION AND CREATIVITY BY PROVIDING OPPRTUNITIES TO EXPERIMENT WITHA VARIETY OF TOOLS, MATERIALS, AMD PLATFORMS THAT TEST AND SHOWCASE VISITOR CREATIONS. - INSPIRE VISITORS TO DREAM BIG AND IMAGINE THEMSELVES AS SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS AND ARTISTS OF THE FUTURE. - SERVE ALL LEARNERS WITH ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO APPEAL TO ALL GENDERS.

  Expenses $934,786 · Revenue $325,613

• EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING PROGRAMMING WILL TAKE PLACE IN HANDS-ON CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH THE MAKERSPACES. PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE ITEMS THAT EXPANDS ON THE EXHIBITS DISCUSSED ABOVE. THE PROGRAMMING EXPANDS ON THE YOUTH EXPERIENCE AND LEARNING TAKES PLACE THROUGH THE EXHIBITS. FOR INSTANCE, THE YOUTH MAY LEARN HOW TO BUILD MODEL ROCKETS THAT EXPAND ON OUR ROCKETS EXHIBIT THAT THEY CAN TAKE HOME.

• COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS TWO OF THE ROOMS WITHIN THE BUILDING WILL OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO HOST EVENTS. THIS WILL BE A SECONDARY COMPONENT OF THE FACILITY. THERE WILL ALSO BE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE AROUND THE EXHIBIT FLOOR SPACE. THESE WILL BE MORE FOR GATHERINGS THAT SHOWCASE THE COMMUNITY AND TARGETED AUDIENCES ABOUT WHAT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM HAS TO OFFER. THE ROOMS DEDICATED FOR EVENTS WILL BE FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES AND COMMNUNITY GATHERINGS FOR THE YOUTH. THERE WILL ALSO BE A THEATER ON THE TOP FLOOR OF THE BUILDING. THIS WILL BE USED FOR EVENTS AND THEATRICAL PROGRAMMING FOR THE YOUTH THAT WILL COMPLEMENT WITH THE PROGRAMMING AND EXHIBITS FOR THE COMMUNITY.

  Expenses $74,910 · Revenue $43,603

• Expenses $443,442

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

• ROSS FOUNDATION

  501(C)(3) · NONPROFIT · WV

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

15 August 2024

IRS schema version

2023v5.1

Source object

202402299349301660

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