Smithsonian Institute

Organization Overview

Smithsonian Institute is located in Washington, DC. The organization was established in 1924. According to its NTEE Classification (A50) the organization is classified as: Museums, under the broad grouping of Arts, Culture & Humanities and related organizations. As of 09/2019, Smithsonian Institute employed 7,364 individuals. This organization is an independent organization and not affiliated with a larger national or regional group of organizations.

For the year ending 09/2019, Smithsonian Institute generated $1.6b in total revenue. This represents relatively stable growth, over the past 5 years the organization has increased revenue by an average of 2.0% each year. All expenses for the organization totaled $1.4b during the year ending 09/2019. While expenses have increased by 1.6% per year over the past 5 years. They've been increasing with an increasing level of total revenue. You can explore the organizations financials more deeply in the financial statements section below.

Since 2015, Smithsonian Institute has awarded 53 individual grants totaling $1,207,763. If you would like to learn more about the grant giving history of this organization, scroll down to the grant profile section of this page.

Mission & Program ActivityExcerpts From the 990 Filing

TAX YEAR

2019

Describe the Organization's Mission:

Part 3 - Line 1

"INCREASE AND DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE" IS THE MISSION SET FORTH BY JAMES SMITHSON.

Describe the Organization's Program Activity:

Part 3 - Line 4a

RESEARCH AND COLLECTIONS (SEE SCHEDULE O) RESEARCH AND COLLECTIONS: THE SMITHSONIAN'S COLLECTIONS OF NEARLY 155 MILLION OBJECTS (ART, ARTIFACTS AND SCIENTIFIC SPECIMENS) ARE THE HEART OF THE INSTITUTION. RESEARCH, PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITIONS ARE BASED ON THESE COLLECTIONS, WHICH ADDITIONALLY INCLUDE MORE THAN 32 MILLION DIGITAL RECORDS OF ONLINE MATERIAL. CARE OF THE COLLECTIONS INVOLVES THE WORK OF REGISTRARS, CONSERVATORS, MUSEUM SPECIALISTS, DESIGNERS, CURATORS AND EDITORS. APPROXIMATELY 145 MILLION OBJECTS AND SPECIMENS ARE PART OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS AND ARE PRIMARILY USED FOR RESEARCH BY BOTH SMITHSONIAN SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. IN SOME CASES, THE MUSEUM HAS THE DEFINITIVE, IRREPLACEABLE COLLECTION OF A CERTAIN SPECIES WHICH IS ESSENTIAL FOR COMPARATIVE STUDIES. THE CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS | HARVARD & SMITHSONIAN, PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN CAPTURING THE FIRST-EVER IMAGE OF A BLACK HOLE IN APRIL. THE CENTER LED AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION OF HUNDREDS OF SCIENTISTS LINKING EIGHT TELESCOPES ACROSS FOUR CONTINENTS TO CAPTURE THE IMAGE THAT WILL HELP SCIENTISTS ANSWER FUNDAMENTAL QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS. A GUAM KINGFISHER WAS BORN AT THE SMITHSONIAN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY INSTITUTE (SCBI) IN APRIL 2019. GUAM KINGFISHERS ARE EXTINCT IN THE WILD, WITH ONLY ABOUT 140 LIVING IN HUMAN CARE, MAKING THEM ONE OF THE MOST ENDANGERED BIRD SPECIES ON THE PLANET. THE SPECIES IS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT TO BREED, AND WAS TAKEN FROM THE WILD INTO HUMAN CARE IN THE 1980S. SCBI HAS HATCHED 20 CHICKS SINCE 1985 AS PART OF THE GUAM KINGFISHER SPECIES SURVIVAL PLAN. RESEARCHERS FROM THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TRIPLED THE NUMBER OF KNOWN SPECIES OF ELECTRIC EELS. A STUDY OF THE AMAZON BASIN REVEALED THAT ELECTRIC EELS BELONG TO THREE DIFFERENT SPECIES THAT EVOLVED FROM A SHARED ANCESTOR. SCIENTISTS HAD PREVIOUSLY BELIEVED THAT THE EELS ALL BELONGED TO A SINGLE SPECIES. THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND THE SMITHSONIAN'S DIGITIZATION PROGRAM OFFICE DIGITIZED 18,000 POLITICAL AND MILITARY POSTERS, MAKING THEM ACCESSIBLE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE PUBLIC ONLINE.


EDUCATION, PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITIONS (SEE SCHEDULE O) EDUCATION, PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND EXHIBITIONS: THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND THE SMITHSONIAN LATINO CENTER ANNOUNCED THE FIRST PHYSICAL GALLERY SPACE ON THE NATIONAL MALL DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING THE U.S. LATINO EXPERIENCE. THE MOLINA FAMILY LATINO GALLERY WILL OPEN IN 2021 IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY. IT WILL FEATURE 4,500 SQUARE FEET OF BILINGUAL STORIES FOR ALL AUDIENCES THROUGH ROTATING EXHIBITIONS. THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OPENED "VOTES FOR WOMEN: A PORTRAIT OF PERSISTENCE" IN MARCH 2019. THE EXHIBITION EXAMINES THE HISTORY OF WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE IN THE U.S. THROUGH MORE THAN 120 PORTRAITS AND OBJECTS, THE EXHIBITION OUTLINES THE MORE THAN 80-YEAR MOVEMENT FOR WOMEN TO OBTAIN THE RIGHT TO VOTE. THE EXHIBITION WAS THE FIRST TO BE FUNDED BY THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S HISTORY INITIATIVE, WHICH STRIVES TO BE THE NATION'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE UNDERTAKING TO DOCUMENT, RESEARCH, COLLECT, DISPLAY AND SHARE THE STORIES OF WOMEN IN AMERICA. THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OPENED A NEW HALL OF FOSSILS, AFTER FIVE YEARS OF PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION. "THE DAVID H. KOCH HALL OF FOSSILS-DEEP TIME," OPENED IN JUNE 2019, TELLS THE STORY OF 3.7 BILLION YEARS OF LIFE ON EARTH, HIGHLIGHTING THE CONNECTIONS AMONG ECOSYSTEMS, CLIMATE, GEOLOGICAL FORCES AND EVOLUTION, THROUGH MORE THAN 700 FOSSIL SPECIMENS. THE EXHIBITION HELPS VISITORS UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHOICES THEY MAKE TODAY WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE FUTURE. THE NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM LED THE NATIONAL CELEBRATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APOLLO 11 MOON LANDING IN 1969. TO COMMEMORATE THE ANNIVERSARY, THE MUSEUM AND NASA PARTNERED TO PRESENT THE APOLLO 50 FESTIVAL FOR THREE DAYS ON THE NATIONAL MALL. THE CENTERPIECE OF THE FESTIVAL WAS A FULL-MOTION PROJECTION MAPPING ON THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT. OVER HALF A MILLION PEOPLE VISITED THE NATIONAL MALL TO SEE THE 17-MINUTE SHOW THAT USED ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE TO RECREATE THE LAUNCH OF APOLLO 11 AND TELL THE STORY OF THE FIRST MOON LANDING. THE MUSEUM ALSO PUT NEIL ARMSTRONG'S APOLLO 11 SPACE SUIT ON DISPLAY, AFTER HAVING BEEN OFF DISPLAY FOR 13 YEARS OF CONSERVATION.


MEMBERSHIP (SEE SCHEDULE O) MEMBERSHIP: THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATE PROGRAM IS THE INSTITUTION'S LARGEST AND MOST BASIC MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES MEMBERS WITH SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, WHICH IS PUBLISHED 11 TIMES A YEAR. THE PRINT AND ONLINE PUBLICATION PROVIDES AN IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF HISTORY, SCIENCE, NATURE, THE ARTS AND WORLD CULTURES. SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE ALSO HOSTS THE ANNUAL INGENUITY AWARDS, HONORING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST INNOVATORS WHO ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD ACROSS A VARIETY OF FIELDS. "FRIENDS OF THE SMITHSONIAN" IS A HIGHER LEVEL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN A DEEP PHILANTHROPIC CONNECTION TO THE SMITHSONIAN. FRIENDS RECEIVE SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE, PLUS THEY ARE INVITED TO VARIOUS EVENTS AND ARE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT AND SUPPORT THE INSTITUTION'S EXHIBITIONS AND RESEARCH. THE SMITHSONIAN ASSOCIATES OFFERS UNPARALLELED ACCESS TO THE SMITHSONIAN'S WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE THROUGH INNOVATIVE AND ENGAGING PROGRAMMING THAT PROMOTES LEARNING, ENRICHMENT AND CREATIVITY FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. THE LARGEST MUSEUM-BASED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM IN THE WORLD, SMITHSONIAN ASSOCIATES ANNUALLY OFFERS MORE THAN 750 SEMINARS, PERFORMANCES LECTURES, STUDIO ART CLASSES AND LOCAL AND REGIONAL STUDY TOURS. PERFORMANCES AT DISCOVERY THEATER AND MORE THAN 90 EDUCATIONALLY FOCUSED SUMMER CAMPS ARE AMONG THE PROGRAMS THAT FOSTER THE JOYS OF LEARNING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES.


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Board, Officers & Key Employees

Name (title)Compensation
Name Not Listed
Regent (until 1/3/2019)
$0

Outside Vendors & Contractors

Vendor Name (Service)Compensation
Universal Protection Service
Security
$21,542,044
Hensel Phelps Construction Company
Construction
$20,364,500
Grunley Construction Company Inc
Construction
$14,369,685
Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation
Chandra Observatory Svcs
$8,744,884
Design And Production Inc
Exhibit Project Management
$11,259,961
View All Vendors

Financial Statements

Statement of Revenue
Total Revenue from Contributions, Gifts, Grants & Similar$1,292,933,360
Investment income $21,914,843
Tax Exempt Bond Proceeds $0
Royalties $16,631,885
Net Rental Income $1,964,283
Net Gain/Loss on Asset Sales $123,202,498
Net Income from Fundraising Events -$1,916,191
Net Income from Gaming Activities $0
Net Income from Sales of Inventory $35,133,227
Miscellaneous Revenue$0
Total Revenue $1,601,124,226

Grants Awarded

Over the last fiscal year, Smithsonian Institute has awarded $271,092 in support to 12 organizations.

Grant RecipientAmount

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AT COLLEGE PARK

PURPOSE: Academic Appt. Stipend

$45,186

INDIANA UNIVERSITY

PURPOSE: Academic Appt. Stipend

$39,471

PRES & FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE

Org PageRecipient Profile

Cambridge, MA

PURPOSE: Academic Appt. Stipend

$35,870

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SANTA BARBARA

Org PageRecipient Profile

Santa Barbara, CA

PURPOSE: Academic Appt. Stipend

$35,000

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Org PageRecipient Profile

Los Angeles, CA

PURPOSE: Academic Appt. Stipend

$26,460

CORNELL UNIVERSITY

Org PageRecipient Profile

Ithaca, NY

PURPOSE: Academic Appt. Stipend

$20,000
View Grant Profile

Grants Recieved

Over the last fiscal year, we have identified 35 grants that Smithsonian Institute has recieved totaling $6,654,516.

Awarding OrganizationAmount
Jewish Communal Fund

New York, NY

PURPOSE: General support

$2,106,025
Bank Of America Charitable Foundation Inc

Charlotte, NC

PURPOSE: GENERAL SUPPORT

$1,000,000
Bank Of America Charitable Foundation Inc

Charlotte, NC

PURPOSE: GENERAL SUPPORT

$1,000,000
La Clippers Foundation

Bellevue, WA

PURPOSE: GENERAL DONATION

$1,000,000
American Online Giving Foundation Inc

Newark, DE

PURPOSE: GENERAL SUPPORT

$926,514
Samuel & Latanya R Jackson Foundation

Los Angeles, CA

PURPOSE: DONATION TO THE ORGANIZATION'S GENERAL FUND TO FURTHER ITS MISSIONS

$258,120
View Grant Recipient Profile

Endowment Analysis

Beg. Balance$1,645,269,208
Earnings$113,052,434
Admin Expense$5,284,510
Net Contributions$36,000,996
Other Expense$75,789,588
Ending Balance$1,713,248,540

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