Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$6,428,778

Total expenses

$7,452,262

Contributions and grants received

$4,056,976

Grants paid

$6,000

Program service revenue

$1,832,022

Investment income

$135,479

Other revenue

$404,301

Total assets, end of year

$14,591,390

Total liabilities, end of year

$348,303

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$14,243,087

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$5,390,327

Management and general expenses

$1,125,827

Fundraising expenses

$936,108

Program service expenses (Part III)

$5,390,327

Program services were 72.3% 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

• WILDLIFE HABITATS:CURIODYSSEY HOUSES NEARLY 70 ANIMALS- FROM NEWTS AND MILLIPEDES TO EAGLES AND RIVER OTTERS. THESE ANIMALS ALLOW CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTAND THE NATURAL WORLD. ALL OF THE ANIMALS HOUSED AT CURIODYSSEY ARE CONSIDERED BY THE STATE TO BE UNABLE TO BE RELEASED INTO THE WILD. SOME DO NOT HAVE THE SKILLS TO CARE FOR THEMSELVES, WHILE OTHERS CANNOT AVOID PREDATION IN THE WILD. OUR ANIMALS REINFORCE THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION BY TAKING CENTER STAGE IN OUR WILDLIFE HABITATS, SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMS, AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS. CURIODYSSEY IS ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS (AZA). THE AZA ACCREDITS FEWER THAN 10% OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS NATIONWIDE.

  Expenses $1,149,686 · Grants $6,000 · Revenue $74,904

• EXHIBITS/PUBLIC PROGRAMS:THIS YEAR WE COMPLETED THE THIRD YEAR OF THE STEMCORPS MENTOR PROGRAM, CONNECTING 50 STUDENTS AND MENTORS IN BIWEEKLY VIRTUAL 1:1 MENTOR SESSIONS WHERE DIFFERENT STEM CONCEPTS WERE EXPLORED THROUGH HANDS-ON STEM ACTIVITIES. THE STEMCORPS INITIATIVE WAS CREATED TO CONNECT A CURIODYSSEY TRAINED TEAM OF EDUCATORS, MENTORS, CAREGIVERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO SUPPORT YOUTH FROM UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES AND EMPOWER THEM TO PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) LEARNING. CAMP CURIODYSSEY CONTINUES TO BE OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM. IT ENGAGES CAMPERS IN AN IMMERSIVE JOURNEY EXPLORING NATURAL PHENOMENA THROUGH SCIENCE AND IN THE NATURAL WORLD. THE CAMP PROGRAM FOSTERS CREATIVITY, IMAGINATION AND APPRECIATION FOR NATURE. EACH CAMP PROVIDES PERSONAL, INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES FOR PRESCHOOL THROUGH FOURTH GRADE YOUTH. ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSION EFFORTS INCREASED BY 80% THROUGH OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO REDUCE FINANCIAL BARRIERS TO ACCESS. THIS YEAR 3,264 CHILDREN RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT AND 72 ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT FOR FIELD TRIPS, SCIENCE WORKSHOPS, OR WILDLIFE PROGRAMS. CURIODYSSEY'S CAMP INCLUSION PROGRAM SUPPORTED 126 CHILDREN WITH NEEDS AND ACCOMMODATIONS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SENSORY SUNDAYS, A QUARTERLY EVENT WELCOMING VISITORS WITH SENSORY ACCESS NEEDS TO CURIODYSSEY FOR A FREE AFTERNOON OF SCIENCE ACTIVITIES, ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS, POP-UP EXHIBITS, WELCOMED OVER 1,300 ATTENDEES THIS YEAR. FOUR SEASONAL INTERACTIVE EXHIBITIONS WERE LAUNCHED. 23 NEW PHENOMENON BASED SCIENCE EXHIBITS, AND MANY RETURNING FAVORITES, WERE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THESE EXHIBITIONS. THIS INCLUDED THE RETURN OF OUR AUTUMN EXHIBITION, FALL INTO SCIENCE, AND OUR POPULAR WINTER LIGHTS EXHIBITION, ILLUMINODYSSEY, AS WELL AS TWO BRAND NEW SEASONAL EXHIBITIONS. THIS REPRESENTS A RECORD NUMBER OF NEW EXHIBITS RELEASED IN A SINGLE YEAR.

  Expenses $1,439,863 · Revenue $632,793

• COMMUNITY OUTREACH/GUEST SERVICES:COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS PART OF CURIODYSSEY'S PRACTICE AND ALLOWS US TO ENACT OUR VALUE OF CENTERING MARGINALIZED VOICES. WE DO THIS THROUGH ONGOING EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR REGIONAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. WE INCREASED ACCESS BY EXPANDING QUALIFYING CRITERIA FOR FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS TO RECEIVE FREE OR REDUCED ADMISSION AND PROGRAM FEES. THROUGH THE MUSEUMS FOR ALL PROGRAM, 4,700 VISITORS RECEIVED FREE ADMISSION AND 505 QUALIFIED FAMILIES ACCESSED FREE MEMBERSHIP. CURIODYSSEY ALSO PROVIDES FREE ADMISSION FOR CASA VOLUNTEERS AND THE CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE. WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE FREE ADMISSION FOR A CHILD WITH THE DISCOVER & GO PROGRAM THROUGH LOCAL LIBRARIES.WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY DEVELOPING OUR WEBSITE AS A RESOURCE FOR SCIENCE INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS. MARKETING PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN INFORMING TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND CHILDREN ABOUT OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITS AND ENCOURAGING A SCIENTIFIC MINDSET. CURIODYSSEY'S RENTAL SPACES PROVIDE A NATURAL SETTING FOR A VARIETY OF EVENTS, INCLUDING BIRTHDAY PARTIES, WEDDINGS, COMPANY RETREATS, AND OTHER CELEBRATIONS. FOR EVENING EVENTS, GUESTS HAVE ACCESS TO OUR BEAUTIFUL GARDENS AND OUR MAIN BUILDING, WHICH HOUSES A VARIETY OF FASCINATING INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS. WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT WITH OUR WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT, EVENTS MAY INCLUDE AN UP-CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH ONE OF OUR MANY ANIMAL AMBASSADORS.

  Expenses $1,146,783 · Revenue $1,014,722

• SCHOOL/SERVICE VOLUNTEERS - CURIODYSSEY OFFERS AN ACTIVE SCHOOL SERVICES PROGRAM TO BAY AREA SCHOOLS THAT INCLUDES ON-SITE AND CLASSROOM-BASED PROGRAMS AND FIELD TRIPS. THE MUSEUM MAKES A SPECIAL EFFORT TO ACCOMMODATE SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO ENJOY THE CURIODYSSEY PROGRAMS.VOLUNTEERS PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING CURIODYSSEY'S MISSION. DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD, OVER 400 VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED 11,255 HOURS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION. THIS MARKS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OVER THE PRIOR YEAR OF NEARLY 2,500 VOLUNTEER HOURS, MADE POSSIBLE BY THE SUCCESSFUL RECRUITMENT OF NEW VOLUNTEERS AND ONGOING PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS.GARDENS - CURIODYSSEY'S 1.3 ACRES OF GARDENS PROVIDE A BEAUTIFUL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR VISITORS YEAR-ROUND. THE GARDENS ALSO SERVE AS AN OUTDOOR LABORATORY FOR OUR CLASSES AND PROGRAMS TO INVESTIGATE PLANTS, INSECTS, AND BIRDS.MUSEUM STORE - THE CURIODYSSEY SHOP FULFILLS ANOTHER PART OF THE ORGANIZATION'S EDUCATIONAL GOAL BY ALLOWING VISITORS AND MEMBERS TO PURCHASE BOOKS, SCIENCE KITS, AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL MERCHANDISE THAT DIRECTLY RELATE TO ITS MISSION.CAPITAL PROGRAMS - IN FISCAL 2024, THE ORGANIZATION COMPLETED THE SCHEMATIC DESIGN PHASE FOR A NEW NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER EXHIBIT.

  Expenses $1,653,995 · Revenue $229,162

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. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

6 February 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202520379349301692

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