Charities United States Arts & Culture Smithsonian Institute
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Smithsonian Institute

"increase and diffusion of knowledge" is the mission set forth by james smithson.

Arts & Culture Washington, DC EIN 530206027 · IRS Sign up to see website
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76
Integrity Assessment
Strong transparency
76/100 · methodology

About Smithsonian Institute

Plan your visit or explore online the world's largest museum, research, and education complex.

Founded
Headquarters
Washington, DC
Foundation type
Publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2))
NTEE code
A50Z
IRS subsection
501(c)(c3)
Ruling date
Size
major

Verified certifications

Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.

IRS Tax-Deductible since 1924

Mission

"increase and diffusion of knowledge" is the mission set forth by james smithson.

Focus areas & reach

· What they work on and where
Arts & Culture · NTEE A50Z
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: 0.06%
Peer average: 0.48%
Integrity Assessment This charity: 76
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 ($1.3 billion)

Common questions

· Auto-generated from filings + methodology

Smithsonian Institute is a registered arts & culture nonprofit based in Washington, DC, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1846 and has been operating for 180 years. Its EIN is 530206027. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100 (Strong transparency), indicating well-documented governance, financials, and contact details. This is below the average of 93/100 for arts & culture charities in United States. The organization reports $2.0B in annual revenue. 216 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.

Smithsonian Institute has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100. 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 76 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for arts & culture charities in United States is 93/100.

Smithsonian Institute is located in Washington, DC, United States. The organization was established in 1846 and has been active for 180 years.

Based on official tax filings, Smithsonian Institute has $2.0B 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.

Smithsonian Institute 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 major organization. It has $2.0B in annual revenue. The organization has 216 disclosed officers and directors.

No red flags have been detected for Smithsonian Institute. 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.

Smithsonian Institute has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100 (Strong transparency) and no red flags have been detected, which suggests it is a well-documented organization. It is regulated 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.

Plan your visit or explore online the world's largest museum, research, and education complex. Smithsonian Institute is classified as a arts & culture organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1846.

Among arts & culture charities registered in United States: Smithsonian Institute's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76/100 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 $2.0B is well above the peer average of $1M.

Yes, donations to Smithsonian Institute are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 530206027, 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 5 official sources, last refreshed .

Annual revenue
$1B+
0% to programs
Source: IRS 990 (FY2024) why this matters
Unlock exact figures

Filing history

5 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2024): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.

Years on record: FY2024, 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

RO
Ronald Cortez
Under Secretary For Fin/Admin & CFO

Officers & trustees (25)

Source: Public filings

AM
Amy C•••
CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER
CA
Carol L••••••
PRESIDENT, SMITHSONIAN ENTERPRISES
CA
Cathy H•••
INSPECTOR GENERAL
CH
Charles A•••••
Director & SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY
CH
Charles A••••• T••• 1•••••
FMR DIR, HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER ASTROPHYS
CH
Chase R•••••••
DIR SACKLER GALLERY/FREER GALL
DA
David V•••••
Director
DA
David V••••• T••• 1•••••
DIR OF PLANNING, MGMT & BUDGET
DE
Deron B••••
FMR, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
DE
Deron B•••• T••• 9••••
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
DO
Douglas H•••
ACTING UNDER SEC. FOR ADMINISTRATION
DR
Dr R••• J L•••••••••••••
REGENT
EL
Ellen S•••••
UNDER SEC FOR SCIENCE & RESEARCH
ER
Era M•••••••
Director
ER
Era M••••••• T••• 9••••
FMR, DIR OF EQUAL EMPLOYMENT & MINORITY AFFAIRS
FA
Farleigh E••••••
GENERAL COUNSEL (ACTING)
HO
Honorable A••••• S••••
REGENT
HO
Honorable B•••••• M B••••••
REGENT
HO
Honorable C•••••••• C••••• M••••
REGENT
HO
Honorable D•••• M•••••
REGENT
HO
Honorable D•••• P•••••
REGENT (CONCLUDED JAN 2021)
HO
Honorable D•••• M•••••
REGENT
HO
Honorable G••••• G•••••
REGENT
HO
Honorable G••• P•••••
REGENT
HO
Honorable J••• B••••••
REGENT
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

The iconic Smithsonian Castle is reopening next week - Axios
May 2026
www.axios.com
The Smithsonian Zoo’s Off-View Front Royal Campus Is a Sanctuary for Endangered Species - Northern Virginia Magazine
May 2026
northernvirginiamag.com
See photos from one of the Dogwood Arts featured gardens listed with Smithsonian - MSN
Apr 2026
www.msn.com
Smithsonian women’s history museum may be derailed by GOP effort to feature only "biological women" - LGBTQ Nation
Apr 2026
www.lgbtqnation.com
Three ginormous bison have been craned into the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Here’s why - BBC Wildlif
Apr 2026
www.discoverwildlife.com
The Trump Administration’s Clashes With Smithsonian Institute Could Complicate the Hirshhorn’s Future - News of the Unit
Apr 2026
www.notus.org
Timeless French Lick hosting Smithsonian exhibit as part of 250th Celebration - Dubois County Free Press, Inc.
Apr 2026
duboiscountyfreepress.com
Inside the Smithsonian - Moore County Observer
Mar 2026
mcobserver.news
What is the Smithsonian Castle? DC landmark to reopen for America250 - Delawareonline.com
Mar 2026
www.delawareonline.com
5 Underrated Washington, DC Museums (That Aren't Part Of The Smithsonian), According To A Local - islands.com
Mar 2026
www.islands.com
Form filed
$1955.6M revenue
FY2024
IRS_990
Form filed
$1876.5M revenue
FY2023
IRS_990
Form filed
$1856.0M revenue
FY2022
IRS_990
Form filed
$1804.8M revenue
FY2021
IRS_990
Form filed
$1561.6M revenue
FY2020
IRS_990

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Peer charities

Other arts & culture in United States, by integrity assessment

Charity Score Revenue Program %
Smithsonian Institute This page 76 $2.0 billion 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 2024 most recent on file.
Officers and trustees
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 216 disclosed in the public registry.
News and media coverage
GDELT Project + Google News
Supplementary verification
Charity Navigator

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 Smithsonian Institute

What is Smithsonian Institute?
Smithsonian Institute is a arts & culture publicly-supported charity (509(a)(2)) based in Washington, United States. Plan your visit or explore online the world's largest museum, research, and education complex.
When was Smithsonian Institute founded?
Smithsonian Institute was founded in 1846.
Who leads Smithsonian Institute?
Ronald Cortez serves as Under Secretary For Fin/Admin & CFO.
Where is Smithsonian Institute located?
Headquartered in Washington, United States.
What is Smithsonian Institute's annual budget?
Annual revenue for fiscal year 2024 is approximately $1B+. 0% of expenses go to program services.
Is Smithsonian Institute trustworthy?
Smithsonian Institute has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 76 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 Smithsonian Institute's registration number?
IRS EIN: 530206027.
What is Smithsonian Institute's website?
http://www.si.edu