Charities United States Arts & Culture Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop logo

Sesame Workshop

SESAME WORKSHOP'S MISSION IS TO HELP KIDS GROW SMARTER, STRONGER AND KINDER.

Arts & Culture New York, NY EIN 132655731 · IRS Reg 13-2655731 · IRS Sign up to see website
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66
Integrity Assessment
Partial transparency
66/100 · methodology

About 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.

Founded
Headquarters
New York, NY
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
A320
IRS subsection
501(c)(03)
Ruling date
Size
very-large

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1970

Mission

Sesame workshop's mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Arts & Culture · NTEE A320
Cause tags

How it stacks up against peers

· vs. 8 similar arts & culture in United States
Program spending This charity: 0%
Peer average: 92%
CEO comp as % of revenue This charity: 0.49%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 66
Peer average: 93

Red flags

· All clear
IRS revocation history
Open investigations
Governance scandals
Related-party deals
Excessive exec comp

Where every $1 goes

Program expenses$0.00 ($70,000)

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Sesame 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. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 66/100 (Partial transparency), indicating some public data is available but key signals are missing. This is below the average of 93/100 for arts & culture charities in United States. The organization reports $196M in annual revenue. 112 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Sesame Workshop has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 66/100. 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 66 ('Partial transparency') means some public data is on file but key signals are missing - worth a closer look before donating. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 93/100.

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 $196M in annual revenue. It allocates 0% of expenses to programs and services. This is below the average of 92% 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 a 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 $196M 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.

Sesame Workshop has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 66/100. We recommend reviewing the full profile before making a donation decision. The organization is overseen by the IRS. 0% of expenses go to programs. The peer average is 92%. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.

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 a arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1970.

Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: Sesame Workshop's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 66/100 is below the peer average of 93/100. It allocates 0% of expenses to programs, below the peer average of 92%. Its annual revenue of $196M 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.

Verified against 4 official sources, last refreshed .

Annual revenue
$100M-$1B
0% 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.

Leadership

BR
Brett Robinson
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

AD
Adam F••••••
TRUSTEE (THRU 10/2020)
AN
Ann R••••••••• T••••
TRUSTEE
BE
Benjamin L••••••
SVP & HEAD OF SESAME STREET AND LIVE ACTION P
BE
Benjamin L•••••• T••• 0•••••
SVP & HEAD OF SESAME STREET AND LIFE
BR
Brett R•••••••
Chief Financial Officer
CA
Carla H•••••
TRUSTEE
DA
Daryl M••••
EVP, CFO (THRU 03/18/2022)
DI
Diana L••
EVP & CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICER
DR
Dr A•• B••• J••••• P••
TRUSTEE
DR
Dr B•••••• D••••• T••••
TRUSTEE
FR
Frans H••••••
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD (AS OF 10/2021)
GA
Gabrielle S•••••••••
TRUSTEE
GE
George E W••••
EVP & HEAD OF GLOBAL MEDIA & EDUCATION
GO
Gordon S•••• C•••••••
SVP/GM, EDU. MEDIA & LICENSING
GO
Gordon S•••• C••••••• T••• 0••••••
SVP/GM, EDU. MEDIA & LICENSING
JA
Jane H••••••
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD (THRU 10/2021)
JE
Jeffrey D•••
PRESIDENT/CEO (THRU 12/31/2020)
JE
Jeffrey N W•••••••
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS OF THE BOARD
JE
Jeffrey W••••
TRUSTEE
JE
Jenna M•••
TRUSTEE
JO
Joan G••• C•••••
HONORARY TRUSTEE (NON-VOTING)
JO
Joseph S••••
EVP GENERAL COUNSEL
KA
Kathleen G E•••••••
TRUSTEE
KA
Kay N W••••• S••••••••
EVP, CREATIVE & PRODUCTION
LE
Lee E••••••
TRUSTEE
Full names, contact details & compensation

Free with an account.

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Latest news

From global news sources

10 articles found

From global news sources

Sentiment

Neutral

Activity timeline

Filings and press mentions, merged

How Brands Can Partner With Sesame Workshop To Help Create A Better World - Forbes
May 2026
www.forbes.com
Baby Elmo and Cookie Monster Lead Maternal Mental Health PSA from Ad Council and Sesame Workshop - Little Black Book | L
May 2026
lbbonline.com
Sesame Workshop Promotes Mental Health for Moms in New Ad Campaign - The Toy Book
May 2026
toybook.com
FOX Sports and Sesame Workshop Announce Dynamic Collaboration Ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 - FOX Sports
May 2026
www.foxsports.com
Kindness Comes in Many Forms - Sesame Workshop
May 2026
sesameworkshop.org
We Can Do Hard Things Song - Sesame Workshop
May 2026
sesameworkshop.org
Sesame Workshop Named to TIME100 Lists - Sesame Workshop
May 2026
sesameworkshop.org
R is for Resilience: New Sesame Workshop x Morgan Stanley Resources Support Children’s Emotional Well-Being - Morgan Sta
May 2026
www.morganstanley.com
Building Healthy Minds and Hearts Early: Sesame Workshop Expands Emotional Well-Being Initiative - Sesame Workshop
May 2026
sesameworkshop.org
Sesame Workshop Promotes Nishita Gupte to Senior Vice President of Strategy & Transformation - Sesame Workshop
Mar 2026
sesameworkshop.org
Form filed
$186.9M revenue
FY2023
IRS_990
Form filed
$271.2M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990
Form filed
$195.5M revenue
FY2021
IRS_990
Form filed
$246.1M revenue
FY2020
IRS_990

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Peer charities

Other arts & culture in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Sesame Workshop This page 66 $195.5 million 0%
Paris Community Theater 93 $316,442 100%
Taylor Music Group 93 $100,949 83%
Chinese Center on Long Island Inc 93 $228,712 100%
Boston Festival Orchestra Inc 93 $215,316 94%
Oregon Arts Watch 93 $304,412 84%
Tri-State German-American School 93 $62,903 94%
Orchestra Santa Monica 93 $329,123 81%
Methow Music Festival Association 93 $217,431 100%

Sources and verification

Refreshed

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

Last updated
May 27, 2026
Profile completeness
100%

What we don't know

Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact

Programs & projects
No named programs listed by the charity
Operating reach
Countries where programs run not specified

Methodology

GiveRadar combines public registry filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and news archives into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.

Read full methodology

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, United States.
What is Sesame Workshop's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2023 is approximately $100M-$1B. 0% of expenses go to program services.
Is Sesame Workshop trustworthy?
Sesame Workshop has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 66 out of 100 (Partial 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