Florida · Nonprofit
PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC
PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC (Florida) receives grants from 83 organizations whose IRS filings report $39,940,417 to it, the largest being GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION INC ($24,250,100). 41 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 65% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- Revenue FY2025
- $22M
- Funders on record
- 83
- Grants received
- $40M
- Net assets
- $182M
What Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science Inc does
Mission
Frost science inspires and connects people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy science and technology, and to better understand ourselves and our world.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Aquarium and conservation - see schedule oaquarium and conservationthe aquarium at the phillip and patricia frost museum of science (frost science) is central to the museum's mission, connecting visitors to south florida's marine ecosystems through interactive and science-based experiences. The aquarium is home to more than 10,000 animals representing over 300 species and is anchored by a 500,000-gallon gulf stream habitat. Across three levels, guests explore the adaptations of pelagic species, engage with ocean science, and experience a unique upward view through a 31-foot oculus lens. Live animal encounters led by the husbandry team further deepen engagement and reinforce conservation awareness. The museum extends its impact beyond its walls through ongoing conservation and restoration efforts across miami-dade county. Through museum volunteers for the environment (muve), 775 volunteers dedicated 1,700 hours to coastal restoration, planting 10,134 native plants, removing 2,000 pounds of marine debris, and engaging 36 partner organizations. These efforts directly connect residents to stewardship of florida's ecosystems. Conservation initiatives also include reef restoration along…
$4,721,808 spent18% of program spendingEducational programs and outreach - see schedule oeducational programs and outreacheducation and outreach remain essential to the mission of the phillip and patricia frost museum of science (frost science), expanding access to high quality stem learning across south florida. The outreach team travels over 2,000 miles annually to bring hands on science experiences directly into schools, libraries, parks, and community centers. Programs include the frost science portable planetarium, which transforms community spaces into immersive astronomy experiences aligned with state standards and led by trained science educators. Signature initiatives continue to drive impact. The stem challenge engages more than 1,000 students annually and awards over 30 college scholarships. Tech lab club serves approximately 300 youth annually with a focus on emerging technologies, while afterschool adventures operates in partnership with the city of miami beach. Early childhood learners are engaged through mini me science into the wild, which offers place based experiences in natural environments throughout the region. Frost science also supports long term student success through targeted programs. The…
$2,324,986 spentof which $34,695 as grants$737,484 earned by the program9% of program spendingExhibitions and public engagement - see schedule oexhibitions and public engagementexhibitions and public engagement define the visitor experience at the phillip and patricia frost museum of science (frost science), reflecting the belief that science is essential to understanding the world, addressing global challenges, and shaping a sustainable future. Through immersive and interdisciplinary experiences, the museum inspires curiosity, innovation, and lifelong learning for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The museum's permanent exhibitions explore topics ranging from the evolution of flight and human health to the ecosystems of the everglades and prehistoric life. The frost planetarium enhances this experience through advanced 8k projection technology, presenting visually compelling shows that explore space, earth systems, and the frontiers of science. Rotating traveling exhibitions further expand the museum's offerings, bringing globally recognized content and new perspectives to south florida. Public engagement is activated through live demonstrations, interactive programming, and ongoing experiences within exhibition spaces. The museum reaches a broad and diverse audience…
$11,387,751 spent$15,139,350 earned by the program43% of program spendingAncillary services - retailretail at the phillip and patricia frost museum of science (frost science) is an extension of the museum's mission, offering thoughtfully curated products that inspire curiosity, reinforce learning, and deepen the visitor experience. The museum store features a wide assortment of science focused items including educational toys, books, apparel, and exhibition related merchandise that connect directly to the content and themes explored throughout the museum. The museum has placed a strong emphasis on aligning its retail strategy with its values by increasing the sourcing of products made in the united states and from local vendors, while reducing reliance on internationally produced goods. Partnerships with small businesses, including women-owned and minority-owned enterprises, further support a more sustainable and community focused retail program. Many product lines are developed in house by the museum's design team, creating unique and mission-driven collections that are exclusive to frost science. These include exhibition-inspired assortments such as the reeflorida collection, as well as the 'adopt an animal' plush program, which highlights species…
$8,313,150 spent$1,920,385 earned by the program31% of program spending
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $26,747,695.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended. The shaded band is where the middle 50% of its peers' revenue would sit, given their growth.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2021 to 2022, from $243M to $224M (−8%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2017 60% · 2018 5% · 2019 6% · 2020 12% · 2021 24% · 2022 3% · 2023 4% · 2024 6% · 2025 5%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
19% of PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC’s revenue is contributions — more earned-revenue than three-quarters of its peers (58% for the typical peer).
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 8 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Chief executive
Douglas Roberts
President & CEO
Board chair
Cesar L Alvarez
Chair
As listed on its FY2025 Form 990.
The chief executive listed changed between the FY2018 and FY2019 filings.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 25 funders to 29 funders, grant income rose $1.6M → $11M.
12 of 83 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 65% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 83 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC leans on a few funders — its largest provides 61% of grant income and the top three 80%; half comes from just 1 funder.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 1 funder to its left
81% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 32% · 2018 34% · 2019 39% · 2020 60% · 2021 40% · 2022 94% · 2023 91% — growing more concentrated.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
35% of PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 49% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
65% of PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC's grant income arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors, whose addresses record where the money is held rather than where the donor is. Of the $14M that is directly attributable, 84% of it comes from Florida funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $26M arriving through sponsors registered in 9 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Against its field
PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC is better cushioned than half of the 570 arts & culture nonprofits its size.
this organization peer median middle 50% of peers· 570 arts & culture nonprofits $10M–$100M, FY2025
Government funding PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC receives
Grants and contracts to this organization from federal (USASpending) and state checkbooks, reconciled to its EIN. $6.1M on record.
- Department of Education$2.8M
- Department of Commerce$1.8M
- National Science Foundation$1.4M
- Institute of Museum and Library Services$214k
Federal grants vs contracts are distinguished; state line items keep their reported category. Matched by name + geography (the BMF), so coverage is partial and precision-first.
Organizations like PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Florida
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
85% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
96%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC?
- PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC (Florida) receives grants from 83 organizations whose IRS filings report $39,940,417 to it, the largest being GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION INC ($24,250,100). 41 of them have funded it in more than one year, and 65% of the money arrives through donor-advised or pass-through sponsors rather than from an institution directly.
- How many funders does PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC have?
- IRS filings report 83 organizations giving $39,940,417 in grants to PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC, 41 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC?
- GREATER MIAMI JEWISH FEDERATION INC is the largest funder on record, with $24,250,100 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like PHILLIP AND PATRICIA FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE INC find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Florida. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 83 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing