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Science Museum of Western Virginia

PROVIDE QUALITY SCIENTIFIC EXHIBITS, SCIENCE EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND VARIOUS OTHER PROGRAMS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.

Arts & Culture Roanoke, VA EIN: 541023953 (IRS) Sign up to see website
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75
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
75/100 · methodology

About Science Museum of Western Virginia

Welcome to the Science Museum of Western Virginia!The first science museum in the Commonwealth of Virginia.Visit UsThe Eye PlanetariumRoanoke’s premier planetariumInfo & ShowsMeet our Feathered Friends!Click HereHelp make STEAM AccessibleOur mission is to make science and technology accessible to all people by being an outstanding regional institution that ignites and nurtures life-long learning. SUPPORT Purchase […]

Founded
Headquarters
Roanoke, VA
Foundation type
Supporting organization (509(a)(3))
NTEE code
A570
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
small

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1970

Mission

Provide quality scientific exhibits, science education programs and various other programs for people of all ages.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Cause tags

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar arts & culture in United States
Program spending This charity: 82%
Peer average: 76%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 8.92%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 75
Peer average: 90

Concerns

· None found
No red flags found
Screened for IRS revocation history, Open investigations, Governance scandals, Related-party deals, Excessive exec comp.

Where every $1 goes

· FY2023 · IRS 990 (FY2023)
$0.82
Program$0.82
82% to programs beats the peer average (76%) and beats the Charity Navigator "highly efficient" threshold (75%).

GiveRadar Analysis

Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations

From what GiveRadar has verified so far, Science Museum of Western Virginia has a complete profile, sourced from the IRS.

  • Established in 1972, it predates 80% of the arts & culture charities in the United States GiveRadar has a founding year for. View this cohort
  • It is one of the better-documented arts & culture charities in the United States GiveRadar currently tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
  • It has more complete contact information than nearly all comparable organizations, with a verified website, email, phone and address on record. See national comparisons
GiveRadar has verified
  • government registration
  • financial records (4 filed years)
  • disclosed leadership
  • a website
  • a contact email
  • a donation page
Not yet verified by GiveRadar
  • an owner-submitted profile claim

Analysis based on GiveRadar's benchmark dataset of 2026-07-03. It describes what GiveRadar has verified, not a judgment of the organization itself.

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Science Museum of Western Virginia is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in Roanoke, VA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1972 and has been operating for 54 years. Its EIN is 541023953. According to GiveRadar's records, it holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. GiveRadar's Integrity Assessment for the organization is 75/100, which reflects how much public information is available, not whether the charity is legitimate. The organization reports $694K in annual revenue. 44 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Science Museum of Western Virginia's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 541023953. This is the organization's IRS tax identification number; you can use it to verify tax-exempt status and to look up its Form 990 filings with the IRS.

Science Museum of Western Virginia has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 75/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 75 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. The charity allocates 82% of expenses to programs, which contributes positively to its score. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 90/100.

Science Museum of Western Virginia is located in Roanoke, VA, United States. The organization was established in 1972 and has been active for 54 years.

Based on official tax filings, Science Museum of Western Virginia has $694K in annual revenue. It allocates 82% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 76% for arts & culture charities in United States. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.

Science Museum of Western Virginia is classified as an Arts & Culture organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a small organization. It has $694K in annual revenue. The organization has 44 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Science Museum of Western Virginia. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.

According to GiveRadar's records, Science Museum of Western Virginia holds active tax-deductible status on the IRS Publication 78 list, which means donations are tax-deductible and the organization is in good standing with the IRS. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It reports that 82% of expenses go to programs (the peer average is 76%). You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research and does not endorse any organization. A GiveRadar Integrity Assessment reflects how much public data is available, not whether an organization is safe to donate to, so it is always smart to do your own research before giving.

Welcome to the Science Museum of Western Virginia!The first science museum in the Commonwealth of Virginia.Visit UsThe Eye PlanetariumRoanoke’s premier planetariumInfo & ShowsMeet our Feathered Friends!Click HereHelp make STEAM AccessibleOur mission is to make science and technology accessible to all people by being an outstanding regional institution that ignites and nurtures life-long learning. SUPPORT Purchase […] Science Museum of Western Virginia is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1972.

Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: It allocates 82% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 76%. Its annual revenue of $694K is comparable to the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Science Museum of Western Virginia are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Science Museum of Western Virginia is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 541023953, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Annual revenue
$100K-$1M
82% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2023) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

4 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2023): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2023, FY2022, FY2021, FY2020.
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Taxes

Tax-deductibility for donors

Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.

Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.

Staff & volunteers

From filings and published profiles

Employees
35

Leadership

From FY2023 filing

MA
Mary R•••••• B••••
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Officers & trustees (16)

Source: Public filings

See full names, roles, and stories

16 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

No recent news coverage found

News coverage will appear here when articles mention this organization.

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

Form filed
$0.7M revenue
FY2023
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.7M revenue
FY2022
IRS 990
Form filed
$1.0M revenue
FY2021
IRS 990
Form filed
$0.6M revenue
FY2020
IRS 990

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Cause areas in United States

How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.

Human Services 322,679
Education 195,586
Arts & Culture this charity 133,128
Advocacy & Civil Rights 128,026
Religion 114,636
Health 98,862
Community Development 56,086
Youth Development 53,450
See all cause areas in United States

Most common causes in United States

Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.

Community Development 235,146
Education 159,016
Religion 103,741
Arts & Culture 101,203
Human Rights 76,926
Health 65,250
Youth Development 47,775
Animal Welfare 32,425

Sources and verification

Registration and legal identity
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
Financial filings
IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2023 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 44 disclosed in the public registry.

Data freshness

Last updated
Jun 6, 2026
Registry checked
Jun 6, 2026
Profile completeness
90%

What we know and don't know

Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.

On record · 10
  • Financial data · FY2023 on record
  • Named leadership · 44 officers on file
  • Executive pay · Disclosed
  • Government registration · Registered with an official registry
  • Mission statement · Published
  • Official website · On record
  • Headquarters address · On file
  • Direct contact · Email or phone published
  • Tax-deductibility · Verified
  • Founding date · 1972
Not available · 1
  • Programs & activities
    No named programs listed by the charity

Methodology

GiveRadar builds each profile primarily from official government charity registries, supplemented where available by third-party nonprofit databases and news archives, and combines it into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. The exact sources for this charity are listed above. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

Are you the owner or a board member?

If you represent this organization and want to correct or update its data, you can claim this listing to edit details yourself, or email [email protected] with the correct information. We review every request and respond within 30 days.

Quick facts about Science Museum of Western Virginia

What is Science Museum of Western Virginia?
Science Museum of Western Virginia is a arts & culture supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Roanoke, United States. Welcome to the Science Museum of Western Virginia!The first science museum in the Commonwealth of Virginia.Visit UsThe Eye PlanetariumRoanoke’s premier planetariumInfo & ShowsMeet our Feathered Friends!Click HereHelp make STEAM AccessibleOur mission is to make science and technology accessible to all people by being an outstanding regional institution that ignites and nurtures life-long learning. SUPPORT Purchase […]
When was Science Museum of Western Virginia founded?
Science Museum of Western Virginia was founded in 1972.
Who leads Science Museum of Western Virginia?
Mary Roberts Baako serves as EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
Where is Science Museum of Western Virginia located?
Headquartered in Roanoke, VA, United States.
What is Science Museum of Western Virginia's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2023 is approximately $100K-$1M. 82% of expenses go to program services.
Is Science Museum of Western Virginia trustworthy?
Science Museum of Western Virginia has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 75 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
What is Science Museum of Western Virginia's registration number?
IRS EIN: 541023953.
What is Science Museum of Western Virginia's website?
https://www.smwv.org