Sesame Workshop
SESAME WORKSHOP'S MISSION IS TO HELP KIDS GROW SMARTER, STRONGER AND KINDER.
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Make your donationAbout Sesame Workshop
We’re the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, harnessing the power of education, media, and research to empower each generation to build a better world.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
Sesame workshop's mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar arts & culture in United StatesConcerns
· None foundWhere every $1 goes
· FY2023 · IRS 990 (FY2023)GiveRadar Analysis
Original analysis from GiveRadar's dataset of comparable organizations
Based on the records currently verified by GiveRadar, Sesame Workshop has a complete profile, cross-referenced across 3 independent sources including the IRS.
- By reported annual revenue, it is larger than 99% of the 55,580 arts & culture charities in the United States with financial records on GiveRadar. See the filings
- Established in 1970, it predates 82% of the arts & culture charities in the United States GiveRadar has a founding year for. View this cohort
- GiveRadar has verified more about this organization than about 84% of the 133,127 arts & culture charities in the United States it tracks, because GiveRadar has verified its financial disclosures and its governance. Most of those have little verified data on record yet. View this cohort
- government registration
- financial records (4 filed years)
- disclosed leadership
- a website
- a contact email
- a donation page
- 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 + methodologySesame Workshop is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in New York, NY, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1970 and has been operating for 56 years. Its EIN is 132655731. 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 $187M in annual revenue. 112 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Sesame Workshop's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 132655731. 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.
Sesame Workshop 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.
Sesame Workshop is located in New York, NY, United States. The organization was established in 1970 and has been active for 56 years.
Based on official tax filings, Sesame Workshop has $187M in annual revenue. It allocates 82% of expenses to programs and services. This is above the average of 77% for arts & culture charities in United States. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $1M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Sesame Workshop is classified as an Arts & Culture organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)). By size, it is categorized as a very-large organization. It has $187M in annual revenue. The organization has 112 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for Sesame Workshop. 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, Sesame Workshop 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 77%). 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.
We’re the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, harnessing the power of education, media, and research to empower each generation to build a better world. Sesame Workshop is classified as an arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1970.
Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: It allocates 82% of expenses to programs, above the peer average of 77%. Its annual revenue of $187M is well above the peer average of $1M.
Yes, donations to Sesame Workshop are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Sesame Workshop is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Its EIN is 132655731, 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.
Filing history
4 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2023): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
SESAME WORKSHOP is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Staff & volunteers
From filings and published profiles
Leadership
From FY2023 filing
Officers & trustees (25)
Source: Public filings
25 officers and trustees on file - free with a GiveRadar account.
Latest news
From global news sources
10 articles found
From news sources and the organization. Shown for transparency; news never affects the integrity score.
RMPBS KIDS Connect: Sesame Street Wildfire Resources For Families - Rocky Mountain PBS
Sesame Workshop just launched a new set of resources on racial justice - Motherly
TODAY’s Craig Melvin Hosts Sesame Workshop Gala - TODAY.com
How Brands Can Partner With Sesame Workshop To Help Create A Better World - Forbes
Baby Elmo and Cookie Monster Lead Maternal Mental Health PSA from Ad Council and Sesame Workshop - Little Black Book | LBBOnline
Sesame Workshop Promotes Mental Health for Moms in New Ad Campaign - The Toy Book
FOX Sports and Sesame Workshop Announce Dynamic Collaboration Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 - FOX Sports
We Can Do Hard Things Song - Sesame Workshop
Kindness Comes in Many Forms - Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop Named to TIME100 Lists - Sesame Workshop
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Sign up to write a reviewCause areas in United States
How many charities work in each area, with this charity's area highlighted.
Most common causes in United States
Causes charities work on most, with this charity's causes ticked.
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 - 112 disclosed in the public registry.
- News and media coverage
- GDELT Project + Google News
Data freshness
What we know and don't know
Exactly which public data we hold on this charity. Our score reflects transparency, not impact.
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Financial data · FY2023 on record
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Named leadership · 112 officers on file
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Executive pay · Disclosed
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Government registration · Registered with an official registry
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Mission statement · Published
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Official website · On record
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Headquarters address · On file
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Direct contact · Email or phone published
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Tax-deductibility · Verified
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Founding date · 1970
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Programs & activitiesNo 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.
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Quick facts about Sesame Workshop
- What is Sesame Workshop?
- Sesame Workshop is a arts & culture publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in New York, United States. We’re the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street, harnessing the power of education, media, and research to empower each generation to build a better world.
- When was Sesame Workshop founded?
- Sesame Workshop was founded in 1970.
- Who leads Sesame Workshop?
- Brett Robinson serves as CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.
- Where is Sesame Workshop located?
- Headquartered in New York, NY, United States.
- What is Sesame Workshop's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2023 is approximately $100M-$1B. 82% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Sesame Workshop trustworthy?
- Sesame Workshop 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 Sesame Workshop's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 132655731. Registration: 13-2655731 (United States).
- What is Sesame Workshop's website?
- https://www.sesameworkshop.org