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← MUSEUM OF PRAIRIEFIRE FOUNDATION

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by MUSEUM OF PRAIRIEFIRE FOUNDATION.

Totals

Total revenue
$1,038,281
Total expenses
$1,833,470
Contributions and grants received
$409,193
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$625,729
Investment income
$21
Other revenue
$3,338
Total assets, end of year
$18,883,362
Total liabilities, end of year
$4,562,964
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$14,320,398
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,621,801
Management and general expenses
$203,313
Fundraising expenses
$8,356
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,621,801

Program services were 88.5% 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.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $17,893

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $391,300

  • 2a · Program service revenue: STEAM ACADEMY

    total $297,068 · related or exempt $297,068

  • 2b · Program service revenue: ADMISSIONS

    total $229,602 · related or exempt $229,602

  • 2c · Program service revenue: EVENT INCOME

    total $78,809 · related or exempt $78,809

  • 2d · Program service revenue: MEMBERSHIPS

    total $20,250 · related or exempt $20,250

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $21 · excluded $21

  • 6a · Gross rents

    real property $3,000

  • 6b · Less rental expenses

    real property $0

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $3,000

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $3,000 · excluded $3,000

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $338

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $0

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $338 · related or exempt $338

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $137,038 · program services $135,310 · management and general $1,728

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $496,830 · program services $490,565 · management and general $6,265

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $17,896 · program services $17,670 · management and general $226

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $34,233 · program services $33,801 · management and general $432

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $1,626 · management and general $1,626

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $41,984 · management and general $41,984

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $16,171 · program services $16,171

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $3,563 · program services $2,332 · fundraising $1,231

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $47,027 · program services $8,831 · management and general $31,071 · fundraising $7,125

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $5,121 · management and general $5,121

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $300,718 · program services $229,669 · management and general $71,049

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $4,586 · program services $4,586

  • 20 · Interest

    total $41,971 · management and general $41,971

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $674,334 · program services $674,334

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $1,840 · management and general $1,840

  • 24a · Other expenses: STEAM ACADEMY

    total $4,935 · program services $4,935

  • 24b · Other expenses: DISCOVERY ROOM

    total $3,597 · program services $3,597

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $78,724 · end of year $112,931

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $9,833 · end of year $354

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $3,750 · end of year $6,453

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $1,089

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $9,111 · end of year $1,286

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $26,722,563

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $7,964,814

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $19,426,020 · end of year $18,757,749

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $3,500 · end of year $3,500

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $822,367 · end of year $1,068,672

  • 22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

    beginning of year $1,545,027 · end of year $1,522,773

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $2,047,957 · end of year $1,971,519

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $15,115,587 · end of year $14,320,398

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE MUSEUM AT PRAIRIEFIRE IS COMMITTED TO INNOVATIVE LEARNING IN SCIENCE, THE ARTS, AND NATURAL HISTORY. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THROUGH A FOUNDING COLLABORATION WITH THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY IN NEW YORK CITY, AS WELL AS WITH OTHER CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE NATION, THE MUSEUM AT PRAIRIEFIRE IS A PLACE THAT PROVIDES ACCESS FOR ALL TO UNDERSTAND AND CELEBRATE NATURAL HISTORY, THE ARTS, AND SCIENCE IN OUR REGION AND AROUND THE WORLD. THE MUSEUM ENGAGES VISITORS AND STUDENTS OF ALL AGES WITH WORLD-CLASS EXHIBITIONS, IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING, AND SIGNIFICANT EDUCATIONAL AND STEAM OPPORTUNITIES.

Activities or mission (Part I)

OPEN THE DOOR FOR BRIGHT FUTURES BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO UNIQUE STEAM EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.

  • THE MUSEUM AT PRAIRIEFIRE IS COMMITTED TO INNOVATIVE LEARNING IN SCIENCE, THE ARTS, AND NATURAL HISTORY. THE MUSEUM ENGAGES VISITORS AND STUDENTS OF ALL AGES WITH WORLD-CLASS EXHIBITIONS, IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING, AND SIGNIFICANT EDUCATIONAL AND STEAM OPPORTUNITIES. INDIVIDUAL TOURS, SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS, AND SHOPPING CENTER PATRONS CAN EXPERIENCE THE LOCALLY DEVELOPED EXHIBITS AND HAVE INCREASED TICKET SALES OVER PRIOR YEARS.

    Expenses $1,621,801 · Revenue $626,067

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • FRED MERRILL JR

    CHAIRMAN

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    10
  • ANAB ABDULAHI

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • DR MICHAEL ENGEL

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • J FRANK EMERT

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • BRETT GORDON

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • SCOTT K MARTINSEN

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • DELANA MEYER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • JOE PLATT

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • STEVE TROESTER

    DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • TERRI THOMPSON

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $137,038
    From this org
    $108,650
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $28,388
    Hours/week
    40

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.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
14 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202523219349315842

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