research dossier

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MATHEMATICS

NEW YORK, NY · EIN 271450809 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A50 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Large ($10M-$50M) · momath.org

revenue

$25.9M

expenses

$10.4M

net assets

$68.8M

employees

volunteers

100

program ratio

69%

mission · from form 990

TO OPERATE A MUSEUM OF MATHEMATICS, PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS, INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ABOUT MATHEMATICS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF MATHEMATICS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MATHEMATICS IN EVERYDAY LIFE.

profile · synthesized from sources

The National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) is a New York City-based institution dedicated to enhancing public understanding of mathematics through interactive exhibits, public programs, and educational initiatives. It serves diverse audiences including students, teachers, families, and tourists with engaging experiences that reveal the creative and aesthetic dimensions of math. The museum operates both in-person and online, offering programs for all ages and backgrounds.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

#1 primary $1.22M

COMMUNITY: MOMATH OPERATES A NUMBER OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS THAT SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING EXPERIENCES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE EVOLVING, CREATIVE, AND AESTHETIC NATURE OF MATHEMATICS. THESE PROGRAMS ALSO AIM TO SHOW THE MANY UNEXPECTED WAYS THAT MATH TOUCHES ON THE WORLD AROUND US AND ON OUR EVERYDAY LIVES. COMMUNITY PROGRAMS INCLUDED SEVERAL MONTHLY PRESENTATION SERIES, A SUITE OF TRAVELING/PORTABLE EXHIBITS, AND A VARIETY OF IN-PERSON AND ONLINE PROGRAMS DIRECTED TOWARD PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS, INCLUDING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ON FIELD TRIPS, FAMILIES, ADULTS WITHOUT CHILDREN, AND TOURISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.
#2 $74K

TRAVELING EXHIBITION: MATH MIDWAY 2 GO (MM2GO.ORG) IS A SPIN-OFF OF MOMATH'S ORIGINAL TRAVELING EXHIBITION (THE MATH MIDWAY). IT CAN BE DEPLOYED AT A VARIETY OF VENUES, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, COMMUNITY CENTERS, ETC.

named programs · 4 · from sources

What they call their work

Community Programs

Monthly presentation series, interactive exhibits, and in-person and online programs for people of all ages, including field trips for students and teachers, family events, and adult-focused activities.

Math Midway 2 Go (MM2GO)

Traveling exhibition designed to bring interactive math exhibits to schools, libraries, and community centers across the U.S., demonstrating mathematical concepts through hands-on experiences.

NYC Math Festival

Annual event in Lower Manhattan centered around the Math Midway 2 Go exhibition, offering free math-related activities and performances for the public.

Strogatz Prize for Math Communication

Recognition program for young people who create original works—such as videos, essays, poetry, and music—that creatively communicate mathematical ideas to broad audiences.

activities · 17 groups

What they do

Hands-On STEM Education Programs 2 activities
- Create and share interactive math puzzles and downloadable models
  
  Creates and shares interactive mathematical activities, puzzles (including themed puzzles for holidays like the Fourth of July), and downloadable model templates such as the Hyperbolic Parabola Model for hands-on assembly and visual learning.
- Host math outreach events for middle and high school students
  
  Supports fellows to deliver math outreach presentations to hundreds of middle and high school girls in their local communities and hosts social programs that combine math engagement with peer interaction for this age group.
Educational Field Trips and Experiential Outings 1 activity
- Deliver field trip and in-school math programs for K–12 groups
  
  Offers in-person and virtual field trip programs for pre-K to 12 school groups, including in-school workshops and educator-led sessions, available both at the museum and remotely.
Architecture and Design Public Education Programs 1 activity
- Host monthly public lecture series (Math Encounters)
  
  Hosts the Math Encounters presentation series approximately once per month, featuring talks that connect abstract mathematics to tangible experiences such as 3D printing and closing early to accommodate the event. Past events are recorded and made available.
Summer Academic Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- Host summer math camp (Transformations)
  
  Operates Transformations, a summer camp program for students in grades 1–9 featuring interactive educator-led math sessions and creative projects, including themed activities such as "Mathemagical Marvels."
Mathematics Curriculum Implementation and Enrichment 1 activity
- Offer after-school and online math enrichment programs
  
  Runs Expansions, an in-person after-school math enrichment program for gifted students in grades 1–9 in NYC, and Extensions, an online program with monthly sessions for mathematically precocious students in grades 6–12 nationwide and internationally.
Children's Themed Birthday Parties 1 activity
- Offer math-themed birthday party programs
  
  Provides themed birthday party programs featuring hands-on mathematical activities such as constructing geometric shapes, storytelling, building domes based on da Vinci's designs, and mathematical scavenger hunts, with private event space and dedicated facilitation.
Professional Membership and Association Benefits 1 activity
- Offer member benefits and institutional memberships
  
  Provides members with unlimited general admission, free access to recorded events, free registration for select programs, priority seating at Math Encounters, and exclusive invitations to members-only events. Also offers institutional sponsorships and memberships to organizations and companies.
Guided Historic Site Tours 1 activity
- Operate public museum with hands-on mathematics exhibits
  
  Operates a public museum in Manhattan with interactive exhibits and regular hours from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, seven days a week, 364 days a year, serving students, families, teachers, and tourists. Features permanent and temporary exhibitions that explore mathematical concepts through art, geometry, and interactive installations.
Film Festival and Screening Programming 1 activity
- Organize virtual screenings and expert Q&As on math and data topics
  
  Hosts virtual screenings of documentaries related to mathematics and data, followed by live Q&A sessions with experts.
Library-Provided Cultural Access Passes 1 activity
- Participate in ASTC Passport Program
  
  Participates in the ASTC Passport Program, offering reciprocal admission benefits to members of participating science centers under specific geographic conditions.
Member-Exclusive Resource Access 1 activity
- Produce and distribute recordings of math events
  
  Makes video recordings of past events available for purchase approximately six to eight weeks after the event and provides free access to a library of recorded math-related events and presentations for members.
Equitable Access Admission Programs 1 activity
- Provide free admission and access initiatives
  
  Offers free general admission approximately twice per month on Free Play days, with extended hours to 7:00 pm for these events, and provides free access to select public presentations and programs to increase public accessibility.
After-School Academic and Enrichment Programs 1 activity
- Provide one-on-one math tutoring
  
  Offers limited one-on-one math tutoring for students in grades K–12 with certified educators.
Senior Social & Enrichment Programming 1 activity
- Provide senior-focused interactive math sessions
  
  Offers Senior Sessions, 45-minute interactive math activities designed for senior citizens and mature adults, led by MoMath’s education staff.
Museum-Based Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Run traveling math exhibition (Math Midway 2 Go)
  
  Deploys the Math Midway 2 Go traveling exhibition, consisting of six interactive mathematics exhibits, to schools, community centers, science festivals, and libraries across the U.S., and features it at the annual NYC Math Festival in Lower Manhattan.
Public Awareness and Educational Outreach 1 activity
- Train early-career female mathematicians in public outreach
  
  Runs the Mathematics Outreach Seminar and Training (MOST) program and trains early-career female mathematicians to develop and deliver public-facing talks that communicate mathematical concepts to general audiences.
Uncategorized 1 activity
- Host weekly online recreational math and origami series
  
  Provides a weekly online origami series that explores mathematical concepts through paper folding and weekly online recreational math sessions for adults featuring puzzle-based activities.

financials · form 990 · fy2024

revenue

Total revenue$25.87M

Contributions & grants$21.62M84%

Program service revenue$2.02M8%

Investment income$2.02M8%

Other revenue$211K

expenses

Total expenses$10.38M

Program expenses69%

Admin / overhead23%

Fundraising8%

Salaries & benefits$4.02M

Grants paid out$30K

Largest expense lineFacilities

balance sheet

Total assets$104.44M

Cash$16.10M

Investments$39.40M

Liabilities$35.66M

Net assets$68.77M

Liquid reserves64.1 mo

6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -4.2%

leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 7

Name	Title	Hours/wk	Compensation
CINDY LAWRENCE	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO	40	$437K
TIMOTHY NISSEN	ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & CHIEF DESIGNER	40	$240K
CHAIM GOODMAN-STRAUSS	OUTREACH MATHEMATICIAN	40	$187K
STEPHEN UZZO	CTO	40	$185K
LYNN VERA	HEAD OF HR AND ADMINISTRATION	40	$170K
YIA HANG	COO	40	$136K
SANDRA DIRKX	CHIEF OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS	40	$132K

board members · 18

ARMEN AVANESSIANS — TRUSTEE
CHRISTINA LEWIS — TRUSTEE
DAVID DE WEESE — TRUSTEE
DAVID TUROCK — TRUSTEE / VICE CHAIR
DEXTER SENFT — TRUSTEE
EDWARD SCHMIDT — TRUSTEE
JADE VINSON — TRUSTEE
JOHN OVERDECK — TRUSTEE / CHAIR
JOHN URSCHEL — TRUSTEE
JUDITH GIBBONS — TRUSTEE
KEVIN ATTESON — TRUSTEE
LAETITIA GARRIOTT DE CAYEUX — TRUSTEE
MANJUL BHARGAVA — TRUSTEE
MARIA KLAWE — TRUSTEE
MARILYN SIMONS — TRUSTEE
MARK HARRIS — TRUSTEE
MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN — TRUSTEE
PHILIPP LEGNER — TRUSTEE

relationships · 16

Who they work with

ASTC Network — Offers reciprocal admission benefits to members of the Association of Science and Technology Centers.
ASTC Network — Participates in the ASTC Passport Program, allowing reciprocal access with other science centers and museums.
ASTC Network — Participates in the ASTC Passport Program, allowing reciprocal admissions with other science centers.
ASTC Network — Participates in the ASTC Passport Program, indicating membership in a network of science centers and museums.
Additions Partner — Retail shop at MoMath offering upgraded party favors and specialty items for birthday parties.
Chaim Goodman-Strauss Partner — MoMath outreach mathematician who co-created the "Light Echoes" installation with artist Eugene Sargent.
Code4NYC Partner — Collaborates on events such as MoMath x Code4NYC to engage students in math and coding.
Eugene Sargent Partner — Artist who co-created the "Light Echoes" installation with MoMath outreach mathematician Chaim Goodman-Strauss.
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Funder — Provided funding that enabled free public access to the video "First Proof: Mathematicians Putting AI to the Test".
M.C. Escher Foundation Partner — Co-produced the exhibition "Mathematics and the Art of M.C. Escher" with MoMath.
New York State Department of Education Government — Granted provisional and absolute charter to the Museum
PANART Connections Partner — Co-produced the exhibition "Mathematics and the Art of M.C. Escher" with MoMath.
Peoples Improv Theater Partner — Collaborates with MoMath to provide improv training for the MOST program.
Princeton University Partner — Collaborates with Dr. Manjul Bhargava, professor at Princeton University, who serves as MoMath's first President.
The New Yorker Partner — Featured MoMath's annual math tour in editorial coverage.
Tulipán Foundation Partner — Collaborated with MoMath on the exhibition "Eggcellent Symmetry: Discovering the Mathematical Beauty in Eastern European Egg Decoration".

strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

Democratizing Access to Advanced Mathematics

methodology: democratizing_access_to_higher_math
By using analog, visual, and digital tools to represent advanced mathematical ideas like group theory and higher-dimensional geometry, the museum makes these concepts accessible to all learners, because translating abstraction into tangible, sensory formats reduces barriers for non-specialists and builds intuitive understanding.
Humanistic and Artistic Integration of Mathematics

methodology: art_integration
By connecting abstract mathematical concepts to human emotions, art, and lived experience through origami, fashion, and visual metaphors, the museum increases engagement and accessibility, because framing math as emotionally resonant and artistically expressive broadens appeal—especially among those who do not identify as math-oriented.
Inquiry-Based Engagement

methodology: inquiry_based_learning
By designing dynamic exhibits and scavenger hunts that stimulate inquiry, the museum fosters independent discovery and problem-solving, because curiosity-driven exploration leads to more durable and personally meaningful learning in mathematics.
Interactive Experiential Learning

methodology: experiential_education
By engaging visitors in hands-on, interactive exhibits and activities, the museum makes mathematics accessible and meaningful, because tactile and immersive experiences foster deeper understanding and spark sustained curiosity in mathematical thinking.