Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids Children's Museum

EIN 38-3088234

Education & Youth Development STEM & Technology Education Children & youth

Mission

We are an environment for play. We advocate for the value of play. We build minds through play.

IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity Contributions are tax-deductible

About Grand Rapids Children's Museum

The Grand Rapids Children's Museum (GRCM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit children’s museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan that delivers hands-on, play-based learning experiences for young children and their families. The organization’s website and filings identify its Employer Identification Number as 38-3088234, confirming the EIN supplied for this review.

GRCM operates permanent and rotating exhibits, school field trips, sensory-friendly programming, and a mobile outreach program (Kids Can! Van) that brings STEAM-focused, hands-on activities into neighborhoods, schools, and community events. The museum’s 2024 impact/annual report shows a significant organizational scale in recent years (see financials and program investment noted below), and it highlights travelling exhibits and local partnerships planned for 2025.

Founded as a “museum without walls” in 1993 and housed in a permanent location since 1997, GRCM reports a long history of community reach (historically more than 3 million lifetime guests and roughly 200,000 visitors per year in normal operation) and continues to emphasize accessibility and partnership-based outreach (Museums For All participation, sponsored mobile programming).

Notable achievements

2024 Financial Scale & Program Investment

The museum’s 2024 impact report documents total revenue of $5,199,788 and total expenses of $3,196,670, with $2,032,378 invested directly in programs, indicating growth and substantial program-level spending in the most recent annual reporting cycle.

Mobile Outreach — Kids Can! Van

GRCM operates the Kids Can! Van (sponsored by local funders) to deliver hands-on STEAM activities and traveling exhibits to schools, festivals, libraries, and community events across the region, expanding access beyond the museum building.

Established Community Reach

Originating in 1993 and in a permanent home since 1997, the museum reports more than 3 million lifetime visitors and historically serves roughly 200,000 visitors annually, demonstrating long-term local impact and community engagement.

At a glance

Total assets: $4.9M
Annual revenue: $796K
Tax status: 501(c)(3)Public charity
EIN: 38-3088234
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Website: www.grcm.org
On Mahalo since: May 2026

Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.

Recognition

Charity Navigator four-star equivalent: evaluated with a high accountability & finance score (95% overall score reported by Charity Navigator).

Professional memberships and program affiliations: displays membership/affiliation badges such as Museums For All, Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Passport, Michigan Arts & Culture Council, Michigan Museums Association, and Association of Midwest Museums.

Active nonprofit status with public filings: operates as a 501(c)(3) charity with current IRS Form 990 filings reflected in public nonprofit databases and in the organization’s financial disclosures.

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