Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$10,599,726

Total expenses

$10,624,225

Contributions and grants received

$6,556,915

Grants paid

$66,000

Program service revenue

$2,833,128

Investment income

$281,902

Other revenue

$927,781

Total assets, end of year

$35,066,699

Total liabilities, end of year

$1,647,040

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$33,419,659

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$8,681,006

Management and general expenses

$1,032,870

Fundraising expenses

$910,349

Program service expenses (Part III)

$8,681,006

Program services were 81.7% 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

• EDUCATION: GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER (GLSC) WAS AN INTERNATIONAL FOCAL POINT FOR STEM EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT DURING THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE THIS YEAR. PROGRAMMING THROUGH THE YEAR INCLUDED TRAINING FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND STATE-OF-THE ART EQUIPMENT FOR YOUTH TO COLLECT ASTROPHYSICAL DATA DURING THE ECLIPSE FOR SCIENTIFIC STUDY. ANOTHER OUTREACH ACTIVITY ENGAGED 100 COMMUNITY EDUCATORS ACROSS 30 ORGANIZATIONS AS ECLIPSE AMBASSADORS. ACTIVITIES CULMINATED IN A FREE, THREE-DAY TOTAL ECLIPSE FEST. AS THE ONLY NASA VISITOR CENTER IN THE PATH OF TOTALITY, THE FESTIVAL PROVIDED A NATIONAL GATHERING SPOT FOR 350 NASA STAFF TO ENGAGE WITH THE PUBLIC IN NASA VILLAGE, WITH A FOCUS ON INNOVATIONS IN POWER, PROPULSION, AND COMMUNICATION AT NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)THE FESTIVAL ALSO GATHERED 19 REGIONAL STEM AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS FOR OFFSITE EVENTS IN ADVANCE OF THE FESTIVAL AND FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ONSITE FOR THE THREE DAYS OF TOTAL ECLISPE FEST INCLUDING THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA WHO PERFORMED FREE FOR THE PUBLIC. TOTAL ECLIPSE FEST HAD 36,789 ATTENDEES FROM 35 STATES, INCLUDING 205 OHIO ZIP CODES, AND INTERNATIONAL ATTENDEES FROM AS FAR AWAY AS JAPAN.ALSO NEW THIS YEAR WAS PROGRAMMING TO SUPPORT THE CLEVELAND CREATES EXHIBITION GALLERY, INCLUDING ACTIVITIES ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. GLSC LEVERAGES ITS UNIQUE POSITION TO BRIDGE THE WORKFORCE GAP AND INCREASE STUDENTS' INTEREST IN STEM BY PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH SCIENCE CONCEPTS THROUGH INTERACTIVE PROJECTS THAT ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY AND EXPERIMENTATION. WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES HELP YOUTH SEE THEMSELVES AS STEM-CAPABLE AND BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE TO BECOME FUTURE SCIENTISTS, ENGINEERS, AND INNOVATORS. UNIQUE PARTNERSHIPS WITH REGIONAL STEM INDUSTRIES ALLOW US PROVIDE ENGAGING LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT ALIGN WITH CURRENT WORKFORCE NEEDS. NORTHEAST OHIO'S ECONOMIC DRIVERS INCLUDE MANUFACTURING, TECHNOLOGY, HEALTHCARE, ENGINEERING, ROBOTICS, SPACE AND MORE. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING ENGAGES STUDENTS IN ACTIVITIES THAT NOT ONLY ALIGN WITH OHIO'S ACADEMIC CONTENT STANDARDS, BUT ALSO BUILD CRITICAL SKILLS. CORE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS INCLUDE: THE ROBOTICS INITIATIVE, MANUFACTURING DAY, CLEVELAND CREATES 6 & 7, CREATING CONNECTIONS 8, CAMP CURIOSITY, AND GROW UP GREAT WITH SCIENCE.GLSC'S ROBOTICS INITIATIVE IS A YEAR-ROUND AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAM FOR SIX HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS TEAMS PROVIDING TRAINING, MENTORSHIP, CURRICULUM, TOOLS, AND RESOURCES TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS. THESE TEAMS ARE COMPRISED OF MORE THAN 120 TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED AND UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS, INCREASING EQUITY AND ACCESS FOR CLEVELAND'S YOUTH TO PARTICIPATE WITH RESOURCES THAT RIVAL THE BEST SUBURBAN TEAMS. YOUTH WORK WITH THEIR PEERS AND MENTORS TO MASTER NEW SKILLS, ENHANCE THEIR EMPLOYABILITY, AND DEVELOP A LIFE-LONG LOVE OF STEM. THIS YEAR INCLUDED FIVE COMPETITIONS. FOUR OF OUR TEAMS WENT TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND ONE WAS IN THE WINNING ALLIANCE WHO TOOK HOME FIRST PLACE! THE YEAR-ROUND PROGRAM INCLUDES SUMMER LEARNING, WITH PAID INTERNSHIPS AND THE PROSTHETICS INITIATIVE, WHERE STUDENTS DESIGN AND BUILD 3-D PRINTED PROSTHETICS FOR CHILDREN IN NEED. IN 2024, ELEVEN YOUTH CREATED AND DELIVERED PROSTHETIC HANDS AND ARMS TO SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HUMANITARIAN AGENCY IMA HELPS. AS PART OF THEIR VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENT YOUTH ASSISTED IN THE ORTHOTICS AND PROSTHETICS UNIT AND WERE ABLE TO OBSERVE SURGERIES. THE GROUP RETURNED TO CLEVELAND WITH ADDITIONAL ORDERS FOR 3-D PRINTED PROSTHETICS WHICH WERE DELIVERED BACK TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BY OUR PARTNERS AT IMA HELPS.MANUFACTURING DAY IS A LARGE-SCALE EVENT INCREASING STUDENTS' AWARENESS OF MANUFACTURING-RELATED CAREERS AND THE SKILLS THAT INDUSTRY LEADERS NEED. MANUFACTURING DAY 2024 SERVED NEARLY 600 STUDENTS FROM 18 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS WITH INTERACTIVE COMPANY-LED STEM ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, MENTOR LUNCHES, CAREER PANELS, AND OUTREACH FROM EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS WITH THE HELP OF OVER 200 VOLUNTEERS FROM 9 CORPORATIONS. GLSC'S MANUFACTURING DAY HAS BEEN HAILED AS A NATIONAL MODEL AND IS PART OF OUR CRITICAL ROLE IN THE REGION'S WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LANDSCAPE.CLEVELAND CREATES 6 & 7 (CC6/CC7) AND CREATING CONNECTIONS (CC8) SERVES MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM ACROSS CLEVELAND AND THEIR TEACHERS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT (CMSD). THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO SERVE ALL CMSD 6TH, 7TH, AND 8TH GRADE CLASSROOMS ACROSS 33 SCHOOLS. CC PROGRAMMING USES INQUIRY-BASED LEARNING AND INTERACTIVE CHALLENGES THAT TEACH THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS, REINFORCE STEM CONCEPTS, AND ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY, EXPERIMENTATION, PERSEVERANCE, AND SELF-EFFICACY AMONG STUDENTS. CC6 ALIGNS WITH CLASSROOM CURRICULUM ON RENEWABLE ENERGY. STUDENTS EXPLORE HYDRO-POWER SOLUTIONSBY CREATING A WATER WHEEL AND EXPLORE VARIABLES AND ITERATE TO INCREASE THEIR ENERGY OUTPUT. CC7 INCLUDES A CIRCUITRY WORKSHOP WHERE STUDENTS BUILD WORKING FLASHLIGHTS USING COPPER TAPE, A BATTERY, AND LED LIGHT. CC8 INTRODUCES EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING BLOCKCHAIN, CODING, INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS (IIOT), CYBERSECURITY, AND DATE PROTECTION, INTRODUCING THEM TO THE DIGITAL CAREER LANDSCAPE. ALL WORKSHOPS INCLUDE AN INTERACTIVE SCIENCE SHOW AS WELL AS A TAKE-HOME KIT TO BUILD, DESIGN, AND REWORK THE PROJECT WITH THEIR SIBLINGS, FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS. FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE ALSO INVITED TO SPEND A DAY AT GLSC AT NO COST, PROVIDING ACCESS FOR THE ENTIRE HOUSEHOLD TO ENGAGE IN STEM LEARNING EXPERIENCES. THIS IS JUST ONE OF OUR SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS THAT REACHED 28,649 STUDENTS THIS YEAR, AND AN ADDITIONAL 5,053 STUDENTS IN OUTREACH PROGRAMMING.CAMP CURIOSITY ENGAGES STUDENTS FROM K-6TH GRADE IN FUN, INQUIRY-BASED, ACTIVE LEARNING CENTERED ON THE INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION OF MESSY REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS. CAMPS USE CUSTOM CURRICULUM RANGING FROM CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS, ROBOTICS, EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES, AND ENGINEERING, PROVIDING CAMPERS A CHANCE TO SEE HOW STEM IS PART OF THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. NEW THIS SUMMER WAS A GREAT LAKES-THEMED CAMP. ONE-DAY CAMPS ARE OFFERED DURING WINTER BREAK WHILE 11 WEEKS OF SUMMER CAMPS PROVIDE WEEK-LONG IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES OF STEM FUNDAMENTALS. SUMMER CAMPS SOLD OUT IN APRIL THIS YEAR. WE HAD 2,226 CAMP REGISTRATIONS FOR 2024, AND PROVIDED 194 SCHOLARSHIP THAT INCLUDED BEFORE- AND AFTER-CARE, TWO MEALS, AND SNACKS.GROW UP GREAT WITH SCIENCE PROVIDES STEM-BASED EDUCATION TO PRESCHOOLERS FROM LOW-INCOME CLEVELAND HOUSEHOLDS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL HEAD START CENTERS, INCLUDING CATHOLIC CHARITIES, STARTING POINT, CMSD AND PNC FAIRFAX CONNECTION. PROGRAMMING REACHES CHILDREN THROUGH OUTREACH EXPERIENCES AND SCIENCE DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM, FIELD EXPERIENCES TO GLSC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS. THIS YEAR THE PROGRAM INCLUDED PROTOTYPING OF STEM-RELATED EMPATHY ACTIVITIES FOR OUR NEW EARLY CHILDHOOD EXHIBITION SLATED TO OPEN IN 2025.

  Expenses $3,017,791 · Grants $66,000 · Revenue $568,138

• EXHIBITS: IN ADDITION TO HUNDREDS OF HANDS-ON EXHIBITS AND ANNUAL TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS, GLSC IS THE HOME OF THE NASA GLENN VISITOR CENTER, THE STEAMSHIP WILLIAM G. MATHER, AND THE CLEVELAND CLINIC DOME THEATER. THIS YEAR WE CREATED THE TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS, BUILD IT AS WELL AS TAPESCAPE: INTERNATIONAL TAPE STATION, AND WE OPENED A MAJOR NEW PERMANENT EXHIBITION, THE CLEVELAND CREATES GALLERY PRESENTED BY THE SHERWIN WILLIAMS COMPANY. WE BUILT TWO TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS IN HOUSE THIS YEAR, INCLUDING THE POPULAR BUILD IT THEME, EXPLORING STEM WITH BUILDING BRICKS. OUR SUMMER 2024 TEMPORARY EXHIBITION, TAPESCAPE: INTERNATIONAL TAPE STATION WAS A DESIGN FEAT, (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)ALLOWING GUESTS TO WALK, SLIDE, AND CRAWL THROUGH A LARGE-SCALE MODEL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) MADE OUT OF PACKING TAPE, FLOATING 7 FEET OFF THE GROUND. IT TOOK UP FOUR TIMES THE SPACE OF OUR 2018 INSTALLATION BUT USED HALF THE TAPE. THE EXHIBITION FEATURED PROJECTION MAPPING TECHNOLOGIES, ADDING VISUAL CONTEXT TO THE TAPE STRUCTURE. A RANGE OF INTERACTIVE AND DISPLAY EXHIBITS FOCUSED ON NASA'S MATERIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION, INCLUDING THIN FILMS, BATTERY COVERS, SPACESUIT MATERIALS, AND MATERIALS SCIENCE ISS RESEARCH ARTIFACTS. GLSC OPENED THE CLEVELAND CREATES GALLERY, PRESENTED BY THE SHERWIN COMPANY ON FEBRUARY 23, 2024. THE EXHIBITION IS THE CULMINATION OF A DECADE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMMING. THE PROJECT TRANSFORMS A PREVIOUSLY UNDERUTILIZED AREA INTO TWO DISTINCT LEVELS AND ADDS A NEW FLOOR WITH A GALLERY ON LEVEL ONE AND THE TRANSDIGM GROUP LEARNING CENTER AND THE ROCKWELL AUTOMATION ROBOTICS LAB ON THE GROUND LEVEL. IN THE CLEVELAND CREATES GALLERY GUESTS EXPLORE TECHNOLOGY, IOT SENSORS, DATA, AI, REMOTE ROBOTICS, AND STEM CAREERS, ALL CORE FOR THE EMERGING TECH OF ADVANCE MANUFACTURING IN OUR REGION. THE PROJECT IS A $4.9 MILLION INVESTMENT THAT PRIORITIZES PUBLIC ACCESS, CONNECTING GUESTS WITH THE TOOLS, SKILLS, AND JOBS OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING. WE KNOW THAT OUR REGION'S STRENGTH DEPENDS ON THE CHILDREN OF TODAY SEEING THEMSELVES CONFIDENTLY IN THE STEM-RICH WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW.GLSC'S NASA GLENN VISITOR CENTER IS ONE OF ONLY 11 CONGRESSIONALLY-DESIGNATED NASA VISITOR CENTERS IN THE COUNTRY. THE CENTER INCLUDES THREE GALLERIES THAT ALLOW OUR GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE AVIATION AND AEROSPACE INNOVATION THROUGH INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, FASCINATING ARTIFACTS, AND A VAST COLLECTION OF NASA MEDIA. 2024-WITH TAPESCAPE: INTERNATIONAL TAPE STATION AND THE TOTAL ECLIPSE FEST WITH NASA VILLAGE-WAS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF HOW GLSC'S PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA GLENN RESEARCH CENTER IS THRIVING WITH NEW CONTENT AND STRONG PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.THE SCIENCE PHENOMENA GALLERY OFFERS MORE THAN 90 INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES THAT DEMONSTRATE THE WONDERS OF SCIENCE. VISITORS ENGAGE WITH CLASSIC EXPERIMENTS LIKE PHOTOLUMINESCENCE IN THE SHADOW ROOM, AND NEW ACTIVE PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT EXHIBITS LIKE DERBY DASH. OTHER NEW EXHIBIT ELEMENTS INCLUDE THE NORTHEAST OHIO SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR PERIODIC TABLE EXHIBIT AND THE NORTHEAST OHIO PUBLIC ENERGY COUNCIL WIND TURBINE EXHIBIT. BIOMEDTECH GALLERY PROVIDES INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, VIDEOS, AND EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS FOCUSING ON GENOMICS, STEM CELLS, PROSTHETICS, AND FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (FES), HELPING GUESTS UNDERSTAND HOW THESE TECHNOLOGIES ADVANCE HEALTH AND IMPROVE LIVES. THIS GALLERY NOW INCLUDES EXHIBITS ON NANOSCALE SCIENCE AND MEDICAL RESEARCH TRIALS.POLYMER FUN HOUSE IS GEARED FOR OUR YOUNGEST GUESTS. IN THE FUN HOUSE, GUESTS AGE 7 AND YOUNGER HAVE THEIR OWN AREA TO EXPLORE BASIC SCIENCE PRINCIPLES THROUGH OPEN ENDED PLAY. THE AREA ALSO INCLUDES THE SEASONAL OUTDOOR EXHIBIT PORT POLYMER AND A SPECIAL INFANT AREA. STEAMSHIP WILLIAM G. MATHER GIVES VISITORS A GLIMPSE OF LIFE ON BOARD A WORKING GREAT LAKES FREIGHTER, THROUGH THE RESTORED 618-FOOT HISTORIC FLAGSHIP OF CLEVELAND-CLIFFS IRON COMPANY. SELF-GUIDED TOURS ALLOW VISITORS TO STEP BACK IN TIME TO EXPLORE THE SHIP THAT BUILT CLEVELAND.

  Expenses $1,665,419

• MEMBERSHIP AND MARKETING: GLSC FURTHERS ITS MISSION AND STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS FOR MEMBERSHIP AND MARKETING USING A DATA-INFORMED DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. MARKETING EFFORTS INCLUDE A MIX OF EARNED, OWNED, AND PAID MEDIA INITIATIVES, DESIGNED TO REACH CORE AND SPECIALLY-IDENTIFIED AUDIENCES RELIABLY AND EFFICIENTLY. WITH A NEW PERMANENT GALLERY, TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS, NEW PROGRAMS, AND THE ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TOTAL ECLIPSE FEST, GLSC USED A COMBINATION OF TARGETED DIGITAL ADS, SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING, SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION, SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING, STREAMING VIDEO ADS, AND TRADITIONAL BROADCAST AND PRINT OUTLETS. GLSC EARNED SIGNIFICANT MEDIA ATTENTION (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)BEFORE AND DURING THE TOTAL ECLIPSE FEST. THE POTENTIAL AUDIENCE REACH, OR NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO POTENTIALLY SAW ANY FORM OF ADVERTISING FROM THE SCIENCE CENTER AS PART OF THE ECLIPSE WAS 4.3 BILLION. THE ADVERTISING VALUE EQUIVALENCY, OR AMOUNT OF PAID ADVERTISING THAT WOULD NEED TO BE PLACED TO RECEIVE SIMILAR COVERAGE WAS $19.3 MILLION. IN TOTAL, GLSC WELCOMED 25 MEDIA OUTLETS WITH 11 BROADCASTING LIVE FROM OUR EVENT MEDIA HEADQUARTERS, INCLUDING NASA+ THAT PROVIDED NATIONAL COVERAGE OF THE ECLIPSE, BEGINNING AND ENDING THEIR COVERAGE OF THE MOMENTOUS DAY FROM THEIR BROADCAST EPICENTER ON GLSC'S FRONT LAWN IN THE MIDST OF NASA VILLAGE. DIGITAL MEDIA WAS ALSO A SUCCESS. 12.4 MILLION USERS WERE REACHED ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM OVER TWO DAYS. THE ENGAGEMENT RATE FOR OUR INSTAGRAM POSTS WAS 50.27% COMPARED TO AN INDUSTRY AVERAGE OF 1.4% AND FACEBOOK POSTS WAS 7.74% COMPARED TO AN INDUSTRY AVERAGE OF 0.98%. OUR WEBSITE WAS VISITED MORE THAN 10,000 TIMES IN THE 3 WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE EVENT AND THE TIME SPENT ON OUR WEBSITE WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NORMAL TIME. MEDIA FOR TOTAL ECLIPSE FEST RECEIVED A NUMBER OF ACCOLADES INCLUDING AN EMMY FOR NASA+ FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING LIVE NEWS SPECIAL, PRESENTED AT THE 46TH ANNUAL NEWS AND DOCUMENTARY EMMY AWARDS. GLSC CENTER SERVED 5,650 MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS THIS YEAR, WITH A RENEWAL RATE OF 22%, AN INCREASE OVER PRIOR YEARS. MEMBER ATTENDANCE REMAINED STRONG, WITH 51,332 MEMBER VISITS IN 2024. GLSC WELCOMED 302,166 GUESTS IN 2024, THE HIGHEST SINCE 2014 WHEN WE HOSTED TITANIC: THE ARTIFACT EXHIBITION. ATTENDANCE INCLUDED 100,091 FREE VISITORS, OVER 8 FREE DAYS, THE TOTAL ECLIPSE FEST, AND SPECIAL STUDENT PROGRAMING SUCH AS CC6,7,8 AND GROW UP GREAT WITH SCIENCE.

  Expenses $1,496,343 · Revenue $1,874,456

• COMBINATION OF OMNIMAX AND GUEST SERVICES.

  Expenses $2,501,453 · Revenue $390,534

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

7 August 2025

IRS schema version

2023v6.0

Source object

202502269349301020

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