Smithsonian Institute vs Public Broadcasting Service
Side-by-side nonprofit efficiency comparison from IRS 990 data
Smithsonian Institute and Public Broadcasting Service are meaningfully apart on the NonprofitTruth efficiency rubric — Smithsonian Institute grades C while Public Broadcasting Service grades B. The gap usually traces to one of the three factors (financial reserves, revenue-growth consistency, or officer compensation) being substantially different at one organization versus the other.
Public Broadcasting Service comes out ahead on the composite efficiency score. For a donor evaluating which organization to fund, the spread is large enough that the rubric-based recommendation is reasonably reliable — but it's still one input among many, not a complete answer.
Verdict
Public Broadcasting Service earns a higher Efficiency Score of 75/100 (B) compared to Smithsonian Institute at 55/100 (C), based on financial reserves, multi-year revenue consistency, and officer-comp ratio drawn from each organization's IRS Form 990. Current-officer compensation: Smithsonian Institute at $10,486,193 vs Public Broadcasting Service at $6,006,356.
| Metric | Smithsonian Institute | Public Broadcasting Service |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency Score Composite of financial reserves, multi-year revenue, and officer-comp ratio | 55/100 (C) | 75/100 (B)* |
| Officer Compensation Total compensation for current officers & key employees (Form 990 Part IX, line 5) | $10,486,193 | $6,006,356* |
| Revenue | $1.9B | $544.0M |
| Total Expenses | $1.6B | $541.7M |
| Total Assets | $7.2B | $641.2M |
| Category | Arts, Culture & Humanities | Arts, Culture & Humanities |
| Location | Washington, District of Columbia | Arlington, Virginia |
Public Broadcasting Service earns a higher Efficiency Score of 75/100 (B) compared to Smithsonian Institute at 55/100 (C), based on financial reserves, multi-year revenue consistency, and officer-comp ratio drawn from each organization's IRS Form 990. Current-officer compensation: Smithsonian Institute at $10,486,193 vs Public Broadcasting Service at $6,006,356.