Nonprofit · EIN 33-0761254
PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY
Tax-exempt · IRVINE, CA 92618
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $4,960,764 | $4,384,225 | $576,539 | $17,147,264 | $1,062,135 | $16,085,129 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $8,315,533 | $4,167,147 | $4,148,386 | $17,401,914 | $1,863,771 | $15,538,143 |
| December 31, 2022 | 990 (amended) | $9,811,204 | $3,365,269 | $6,445,935 | $13,396,664 | $2,006,907 | $11,389,757 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $1,921,561
- of which government grants
- $248,477
- Program service revenue
- $2,784,515
- Investment income
- $229,819
- Net gain from sales of assets
- $246
- Other revenue
- $24,869
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $539,781
- Other salaries and wages
- $1,704,218
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $2,642,333
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Legal fees
- $12,618
- Accounting fees
- $35,127
- Occupancy
- $800,059
- Travel
- $7,763
- Depreciation
- $5,370
- Program services (functional)
- $2,947,441
- Management and general (functional)
- $544,196
- Fundraising (functional)
- $892,588
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $17,401,914
- Total assets, end of year
- $17,147,264
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $1,062,135
- Net assets, end of year
- $16,085,129
- Publicly traded securities
- $545,460
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $11,136,535
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $4,948,594
- Gross receipts
- $5,245,939
- Employees
- 51
- Volunteers
- 1,379
- Year formed
- 1997
- State of legal domicile
- CA
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Pais | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $195,098 | $15,174 |
| Sue Harrison | Chief Development Officer Officer | 40 | $182,962 | $386 |
| Maria Tinajero-Dowdle | Chief Operating Officer Officer | 40 | $133,763 | $12,399 |
| Barbara Powers | Major Gifts Officer Highest-paid employee | 40 | $132,249 | $13,844 |
| Phi Nguyen | Director of Human Resources Highest-paid employee | 40 | $105,818 | $9,645 |
| Tiffany Patterson | Director of Finance Highest-paid employee | 40 | $110,134 | $808 |
| Erin Boyl | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mark Montoya | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jennifer Buchheim | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Adina Stowell | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Anya Popov | BOARD MEMBER (Thru 02/2024) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Travis Boyd | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Barbara Bitzer | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Daniel Campos | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Bill H Lyon | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
20 more people on this return
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Suryan | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kari Moore | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kevin Rubin | BOARD MEMBER (Thru 07/2024) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Mona Shah | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Sandy Peffer-Stone | BOARD MEMBER/Founder Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Michelle Barto | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Randy Wood | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Nelma Maddox | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Andrew Morrow | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Trevor Tait | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Kathy Mohanna | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Casey McCracken | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Iman Movahed | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Carl Tong | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Alexandra Mars Airth | CO-FOUNDER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Floyd Amuchie | board member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Elliot Brown | Board Member (Added in 2024) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Ben Drutman | Board Member (Added in 2024) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Marisa Dukovich | Board Member (Added in 2024) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| Moises Gonzalez | Board Member (Added in 2024) Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 29 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Pais | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $173,678 | $14,494 |
| Sue Harrison | Chief Development Officer Officer | 40 | $161,458 | $386 |
| Maria Tinajero-Dowdle | Chief Operating Officer Officer | 40 | $122,937 | $12,405 |
| Barbara Powers | Major Gifts Officer Highest-paid employee | 40 | $102,743 | $6,966 |
| Erin Boyl | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mark Montoya | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jennifer Buchheim | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Adina Stowell | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Anya Popov | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Travis Boyd | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Barbara Bitzer | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Daniel Campos | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Bill H Lyon | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kyle Suryan | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kari Moore | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kevin Rubin | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mona Shah | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Sandy Peffer-Stone | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Michelle Barto | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Randy Wood | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Lilian Chung | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Nelma Maddox | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Andrew Morrow | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Trevor Tait | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kathy Mohanna | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Casey McCracken | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Iman Movahed | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Carl Tong | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Alexandra Mars Airth | CO-FOUNDER NON VOTING Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2022: 29 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellen Pais | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $175,000 | $499 |
| Sue Harrison | Chief Development Officer Highest-paid employee | 40 | $153,633 | $386 |
| Linda Hunter | Senior Project Director Highest-paid employee | 35 | $104,727 | $0 |
| Maria Tinajero-Dowdle | Chief Operating Officer Officer | 40 | $79,955 | $4,325 |
| Erin Boyl | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mark Montoya | Vice Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jennifer Buchheim | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Adina Stowell | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Anya Popov | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Travis Boyd | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Barbara Bitzer | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Daniel Campos | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Lesley V Davis thru 122022 | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Bill H Lyon | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kyle Suryan | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kevin Rubin | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Mona Shah | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Sandy Peffer-Stone | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Michelle Barto | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Randy Wood | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Lilian Chung | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Dan Degtyar thru 122022 | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Nelma Maddox | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Logan Ketchum thru 52022 | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Trevor Tait | Board Member Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kathy Mohanna | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Alexandra Mars Airth | Co-Founder Non Voting Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kari Moore | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Andrew Morrow | BOARD MEMBER Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 29 HUBBLE, IRVINE, CA 92618-4209
- In care of
- % TIFFANY PATTERSON
- Principal officer (990 for 2024)
- ELLEN PAIS, 29 HUBBLE, IRVINE, CA 92618
- Signed the 990
- ELLEN PAIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
- Phone
- (949) 428-3900
- Website
- www.pretendcity.org
- Return prepared by
- WITHUMSMITHBROWNPC
California records
California keeps its own records of charities and corporations. Search them by EIN 33-0761254 or by the name PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY.
- Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers
- Registration status and filed reports (CT-TR-1, RRF-1)
- Secretary of State, bizfile Online
- Corporation status, entity number, agent for service
- Franchise Tax Board
- Entity status letter (state tax exemption, good standing)
Mission
Pretend City is a children's museum focused on the developmental growth and success of children 0-8 through play, imagination and real-world experiences while building the capacity of adults to care for them.
Program accomplishments
- For 2024, 201,997 children and adults visited Pretend City Children's Museum. That number included 6,456 children and chaperones experiencing Pretend City via 120 subsidized school or group field trips and 1,893 students and chaperones coming via 32 fully funded scholarships field trips. 5,864 adults and children enjoyed the educational learning Pretend City has to offer while attending birthday parties or facility rentals hosted at the museum. Over 12,000 free admission tickets were distributed to nonprofit organizations and communities throughout Orange County. Through our Good to go! Program initiative, Pretend City screened 671 children for developmental delay throughout the year. 653 health screenings were performed at our annual School Readiness Fair. Additionally, many children received a free screening from one of the following: vision, dental, fine/gross motor, speech & language, bmi, and audiology during our Way to Play days. Pretend City was able to serve 3,420 children and family members at our neurodivergent family nights and 1,893 children and family members attended our baby Steps development mornings.Expenses $2,947,441 · revenue $2,784,515
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | Not on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 33-0761254
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 1998
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Arts, culture and humanities (A520)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $17,147,264
- Income (IRS master file)
- $5,245,939
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2024 | $4,960,764 | $4,384,225 | $17,147,264 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2023 | $8,315,533 | $4,167,147 | $17,401,914 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $9,811,204 | $3,365,269 | $13,396,664 | XML |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2019 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2017 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 33-0761254).
Questions about PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY
- What is the EIN of PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY is 33-0761254.
- Is PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1998.
- Are donations to PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY due?
- The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending December 31, 2025) is due May 15, 2026. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2024.
- Who is the principal officer of PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 names ELLEN PAIS.
- Who are the officers and directors of PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 lists 35 people; 6 received compensation from the organization, the highest $195,098 (Ellen Pais, Executive Director).
- How much revenue does PRETEND CITY THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF ORANGE COUNTY have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2024 it reported revenue of $4,960,764, expenses of $4,384,225 and total assets of $17,147,264 at year end.
Other nonprofits in IRVINE
- PACIFIC SYMPHONY EIN 95-3635496 · last filed 990 for 2025
- FLYING LEATHERNECK HISTORICAL FOUNDATION EIN 33-0345440 · last filed 990 for 2024
- ORANGE COUNTY MUSIC AND DANCE INC EIN 81-3275405 · last filed 990 for 2025
- IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE OPERATING CO EIN 33-0157868 · last filed 990 for 2025
- PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY EIN 95-1805452 · last filed 990 for 2025
- LINCOLN MEDIA FOUNDATION INC EIN 86-3820336 · last filed 990 for 2024
- SOUTH COAST CHINESE CULTURAL ASSO EIN 95-3367525 · last filed 990 for 2025
- SOWING SEEDS HEALTH INC EIN 27-0812949 · last filed 990 for 2024
All nonprofits in IRVINE · California · Arts, culture and humanities