THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY INC
THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY INC
EIN: 04-3517288
as of November 2023
as of November 13, 2023
Mission
The Griffin Museum of Photography is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the art of photography. Through our many exhibitions, programs and lectures, we strive to encourage a broader understanding and appreciation of the visual, emotional and social impact of photographic art. As an institution, we are committed to insuring that our mindset, practice, outreach, programming and exhibitions set a framework with priorities that consider diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion through our mission that is centered around the photograph.
Ruling year
2000
executive director and curator
Crista Dix
Main address
67 Shore Rd
Winchester, MA 01890 USA
EIN
04-3517288
Photography
Visual arts
Population served
Age groups
Ethnic and racial groups
Social and economic status
Work status and occupations
NTEE code
Visual Arts Organizations (A40)
IRS subsection
501(c)(3) Public Charity
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
Tax forms
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Griffin Museum works to serve a diverse population. Our outreach continues to expand to have conversations about diversity, equity and provide an inclusive atmosphere for all to flourish. We wish to serve a population not just in our local New England area, but a broader national creative community of artists and appreciators of the photographic and artistic medium. Our institution provides thought provoking exhibitions and educational programs for all ages, backgrounds and socio-economic status. We continue to do outreach to the larger New England community and beyond to provide a space for all dialog to happen about the craft of photography and how photography is used to illuminate subjects of contemporary importance.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
photography exhibitions
At the Griffin Museum, you will find exhibitions from well-known photographers to those emerging on the scene that explore important themes and thought-provoking ideas. All of our exhibitions and programs are designed to encourage the passionate exploration of the art of photography. Our audience covers a broad base from young students to senior citizens. We have an international reach.
Photography education programs
The Griffin Museum offers a myriad of education programs for all levels of photographers from technical offering to developing an artistic vision, to ethics of photographing.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total number of exhibitions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Work status and occupations, Ethnic and racial groups, Age groups
Related Program
photography exhibitions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The museum hosts four exhibition spaces in Winchester. We also utilize two satellite exhibitions spaces in the Boston area and collaborate with other institutions to bring photography to their spaces.
Total number of audience members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Work status and occupations, Economically disadvantaged people, Immigrants and migrants, Families of choice, Families of origin
Related Program
photography exhibitions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The museum went virtual in April of 2020, bringing more visitors to museum programs than ever before, introducing new audiences to our exhibitions, programs and lectures. That number continues to grow
Total dollars paid to artists
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Age groups, Work status and occupations, Ethnic and racial groups
Related Program
photography exhibitions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The museum believes in supporting artists through residencies, honorariums and exhibition materials support. GMP works with foundations, donors and others to secure funds for these opportunities.
Number of press articles published
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
photography exhibitions
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of facilities improved
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
photography exhibitions
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The Griffin Museum began a two phase renovation plan in 2022, completing our first phase, a physical renovation in 2023. Phase two is to update our infrastructure to provide stronger technology.
Total number of free admissions
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
photography exhibitions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
These numbers reflect both in person exhibition visits and online programs, events and lectures through the museum.
Number of free participants of guided tours
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
photography exhibitions
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We offer docent programs to local assisted living facilities, senior programs and students to visit and learn about our exhibitions and programs.
Total number of awarded residencies
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Photography education programs
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Griffin has created space fro multiple residencies at the museum. The Cummings Residency program (60k grant) provides nine artists a month long residency at the museum to create site specific work
Number of multi-year grants received
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Photography education programs
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
The Cummings Foundation provided a multi year grant for Artist Residencies at the Griffin Museum.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
It is the goal of the Griffin to educate the public about the myriad ways photography can be used and be seen to illuminate our differences as well as our shared humanity.
We are excited to be part of the future of photography, showcasing both analog and digital processes. We continue to reach out to other institutions for collaboration with artists specializing in photography.
Our facility has undergone a significant renovation (Summer 2023) to enhance our visitors experience, and the next phase of the project is to enhance our technology, allowing for increased viewership to our programs. We aim to invest in technology to make a hybrid event space to have in person events broadcast to our larger audience.
Our programming and education is expanding, providing opportunities for all ages and skill levels to be able to participate in the creative process.
We plan on increasing access to the archive of our Founder, Arthur Griffin, an available resource for study and learning.
The museum has been and continues to be a leader in the field of photographic arts, connecting our shared passion to our community, our members and the public.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
The Griffin Museum is open to the public. We have many reduced or free programs, allowing for larger access to the museum and our satellite galleries. We are working with educational institutions to provide access for students of all ages. The museum maintains a scholarship fund for those who need financial assistance to access educational programs. We work with foundations, business and patrons of the arts for funding our initiatives like free admission, reduced educational fees, underwriting artist talks, lectures and panel discussions about and for photographers and creatives about the medium.
Our online programs are expansive and often free or a small fee to access. Our conversations are broadcast via the internet to a wide audience spanning the globe.
We continue to shape our board and advisory panels as a reflection of the world around us. We seek diversity in experience, ethnicity and age. We continue to expand our demographic to a younger more diverse cross section of the population. We all grow from this approach.
We believe access to information and art engages the mind to build an civically engaged population, creating global citizens and a better world.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have invested in our people and facilities to support creativity at every level. The museum has undergone a renovation to update our dated facilities. We have increased our staffing to take on the challenges of our post pandemic expansion of our in person and online programs, exhibitions and outreach.
We have created partnerships with other institutions to bring the public to Winchester, and created public art exhibitions to bring them to the communities we serve.
The Griffin maintains an advisory network that provides guidance and counsel to create new initiatives that serve our diverse communities.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The Griffin continues to expand its audience, both in New England and beyond by creating engaging exhibitions, programs and education.
Our program outreach includes the Cummings Residency project (named after the foundation supporting this $60,000 grant) bringing diverse voices to Winchester to create site specific artwork involving the larger Winchester community. Our Photosynthesis project supports high school students exploring their individuality and their creative voice. Photosynthesis brings working photo based mentors from other parts of the world to work with students to create a project based on identity. Our member programs include members from the US and (currently) 8 different countries to bring their creativity to the walls of the museum, and shared online in a larger forum.
Our recent renovation includes making public a 2,000 volume library for photobooks, showcasing the creativity of the medium in theory, images and educational texts.
The Arthur Griffin Archive has been digitized and will soon be available and accessible on the museum's website.
We continue to create, facilitate and fund opportunities for residencies, scholarships and awards for artists to continue their creative practice through outreach, grants and generous donations from our patrons.
Our exhibition program continues to highlight contemporary topics like climate change, diversity, immigration, power and perception, misinformation and disinformation and how it is used to deceive the public. We will continue to push for thought provoking topics of interest to expand creative and critical thinking.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don't have any major challenges to collecting feedback
Financials
Revenue vs. expenses: breakdown
Liquidity in 2021 info
20.50
Months of cash in 2021 info
3
Fringe rate in 2021 info
8%
Funding sources info
Assets & liabilities info
Financial data
THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY INC
Revenue & expensesFiscal Year: Jun 01 - May 31
THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY INC
Balance sheetFiscal Year: Jun 01 - May 31
The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.
Fiscal Year: Jun 01 - May 31
This snapshot of THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY INC’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.
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Business model indicators
| Profitability info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation | $84,293 | $15,911 | $22,781 | -$4,447 | $62,988 |
| As % of expenses | 25.3% | 4.6% | 6.7% | -1.4% | 16.2% |
| Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation | $64,872 | -$4,058 | -$2,170 | -$29,807 | $37,491 |
| As % of expenses | 18.4% | -1.1% | -0.6% | -8.5% | 9.0% |
| Revenue composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) | $316,805 | $310,584 | $305,345 | $264,740 | $453,268 |
| Total revenue, % change over prior year | -0.3% | -2.0% | -1.7% | -13.3% | 71.2% |
| Program services revenue | 19.2% | 25.3% | 33.8% | 31.2% | 39.7% |
| Membership dues | 13.0% | 15.7% | 13.1% | 37.7% | 10.4% |
| Investment income | 7.0% | 7.7% | 11.2% | 7.6% | 1.9% |
| Government grants | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.2% |
| All other grants and contributions | 49.1% | 40.5% | 34.5% | 17.3% | 31.2% |
| Other revenue | 11.7% | 10.7% | 7.4% | 6.3% | 10.5% |
| Expense composition info | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses before depreciation | $333,272 | $346,082 | $341,610 | $324,230 | $389,178 |
| Total expenses, % change over prior year | 6.1% | 3.8% | -1.3% | -5.1% | 20.0% |
| Personnel | 34.1% | 33.9% | 35.2% | 37.4% | 32.9% |
| Professional fees | 3.0% | 2.9% | 6.0% | 4.9% | 3.9% |
| Occupancy | 6.0% | 6.6% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 3.8% |
| Interest | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Pass-through | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| All other expenses | 56.8% | 56.6% | 52.5% | 52.5% | 59.4% |
| Full cost components (estimated) info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses (after depreciation) | $352,693 | $366,051 | $366,561 | $349,590 | $414,675 |
| One month of savings | $27,773 | $28,840 | $28,468 | $27,019 | $32,432 |
| Debt principal payment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Fixed asset additions | $92,731 | $26,108 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total full costs (estimated) | $473,197 | $420,999 | $395,029 | $376,609 | $447,107 |
Capital structure indicators
| Liquidity info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Months of cash | 4.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.0 |
| Months of cash and investments | 29.7 | 27.4 | 25.3 | 25.7 | 27.6 |
| Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets | -0.5 | -0.8 | -0.3 | -0.5 | 1.0 |
| Balance sheet composition info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | $113,370 | $20,376 | $13,431 | $47,208 | $98,868 |
| Investments | $712,616 | $769,474 | $707,187 | $646,827 | $795,630 |
| Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) | $932,463 | $958,571 | $962,908 | $962,908 | $979,803 |
| Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) | 61.9% | 62.3% | 64.3% | 66.9% | 68.4% |
| Liabilities (as a % of assets) | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.0% | 4.1% | 3.5% |
| Unrestricted net assets | $341,825 | $337,767 | $335,597 | $305,790 | $343,281 |
| Temporarily restricted net assets | $832,333 | $804,837 | $731,695 | N/A | N/A |
| Permanently restricted net assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A |
| Total restricted net assets | $832,333 | $804,837 | $731,695 | $690,302 | $846,535 |
| Total net assets | $1,174,158 | $1,142,604 | $1,067,292 | $996,092 | $1,189,816 |
Key data checks
| Key data checks info | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material data errors | No | No | No | No | No |
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Documents
executive director and curator
Crista Dix
Before coming to the Griffin Museum she spent fifteen years creating and operating her own photography gallery, wall space creative, closing it in 2020. Having a career spanning many paths, Crista has landed at the Griffin to assist the executive director in the day to day operations of the museum. Her background in science, business and creative arts helps Crista provide a solid background for supporting the Griffin’s mission of showcasing creativity and the museum’s photo community.
Her gallery, wall space, supported emerging and mid career artists with exhibitions, talks and events and participated in art fairs around the country, as well as maintained an office space for client meetings. As an internationally known gallery, Crista worked with clients all over the world and represented national and international artists. In addition to wall space’s special event and exhibition schedule, it hosted a series of artist lectures, studio and community events. Ms. Dix, wall space and the
Number of employees
Source: IRS Form 990
THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY INC
Officers, directors, trustees, and key employeesSOURCE: IRS Form 990
Compensation data
There are no highest paid employees recorded for this organization.
THE GRIFFIN MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY INC
Board of directorsas of 09/23/2023
Board of directors data
Michael Burka
Ellipse Optical
Term: 2023 - 2026
Michael Burka
Lou Gentile
Winchester Savings Bank
Erin Carey
Lou Jones
Donna Tramontozzi
Elizabeth Libert
Katalina Simon
Ashley Craig
Tony Attardo
Andrew Epstein
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 12/10/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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