Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop maintains strong financial health with growing assets and consistent revenue, despite fluctuating annual surpluses.

EIN: 132655731 · New York, NY · NTEE: A320 · Updated: 2026-03-28

$331.4MRevenue

$578.0MAssets

85/100Mission Score (Excellent)

A320

About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop (EIN: 132655731) is a nonprofit organization based in New York, NY, classified under NTEE code A320. The organization reported total revenue of $331.4M and total assets of $578.0M according to its most recent IRS 990 filing. This transparency report provides an AI-powered analysis of Sesame Workshop's financial health, spending patterns, executive compensation, and overall mission effectiveness based on publicly available IRS data.

AI Transparency Report

Sesame Workshop demonstrates a generally healthy financial position with substantial and growing assets, reaching $577,963,669 in the latest period. The organization has consistently generated significant revenue, with the latest reported revenue at $331,442,707, indicating strong fundraising and program support. While there have been fluctuations in annual revenue and expenses, the overall trend shows growth and a capacity to manage large-scale operations. For instance, in fiscal year 2023, expenses ($192,265,065) slightly exceeded revenue ($186,926,322), but this was offset by prior years' surpluses, such as in 2022 where revenue ($271,209,334) significantly outpaced expenses ($249,317,160).

The organization's spending efficiency appears robust, with a strong focus on program services, which is typical for a well-established educational nonprofit. The consistent growth in assets over the past decade, from $274,568,681 in 2015 to over $577 million currently, suggests sound financial management and investment. The absence of reported officer compensation in the provided data is a notable point regarding transparency, though it's important to verify if this means compensation is zero or reported differently.

Overall, Sesame Workshop exhibits strong financial health, with a large asset base and consistent revenue generation. The organization's ability to maintain substantial operations and grow its financial resources over time points to effective management and a strong donor base. Further detailed analysis of functional expenses would provide a more precise breakdown of administrative and fundraising costs, but the available data suggests a well-managed and financially stable entity.

Mission Effectiveness Score

NonprofitSpending's AI analysis rates Sesame Workshop with a Mission Score of 85 out of 100 (Excellent). This score reflects the organization's overall financial transparency, program spending efficiency, and governance indicators derived from IRS 990 public filings.

Spending Breakdown

admin: 12%
programs: 80%
fundraising: 8%

According to IRS 990 filings, Sesame Workshop allocates its expenses as follows: admin: 12%, programs: 80%, fundraising: 8%. With 80% directed toward programs, this reflects a strong commitment to its charitable mission.

Executive Compensation Analysis

The provided data consistently reports 0% for Officer Compensation across all listed periods, which is unusual for an organization of this size and revenue. This suggests that executive compensation might be reported under different categories or not disclosed in this specific summary, warranting further investigation into the full 990 forms.

Executive compensation data is sourced from IRS 990 filings, which require nonprofits to disclose the compensation of officers, directors, trustees, and key employees. NonprofitSpending analyzes this data relative to the organization's total revenue and sector benchmarks to assess whether executive pay is reasonable.

Red Flags

The following concerns were identified during AI analysis of Sesame Workshop's IRS 990 filings:

Officer compensation consistently reported as 0% across all filings, which is highly unusual for an organization of this size and may indicate a reporting anomaly or lack of transparency in this specific data summary.

Strengths

The following positive indicators were identified for Sesame Workshop:

Strong and consistent growth in total assets, from $274,568,681 in 2015 to $577,963,669 currently, indicating robust financial health.
Significant and growing revenue streams, with the latest reported revenue at $331,442,707, demonstrating strong public and institutional support.
Healthy asset-to-liability ratio, with assets consistently far exceeding liabilities, indicating strong solvency and financial resilience.
Long history of IRS 990 filings (13 filings), suggesting established operations and compliance.
Large scale of operations and impact, as evidenced by substantial revenue and asset figures, aligning with its mission as a major educational content provider.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sesame Workshop

Is Sesame Workshop financially stable?

Yes, Sesame Workshop is financially stable. Its assets have grown significantly from $274,568,681 in 2015 to $577,963,669 currently, and it consistently generates substantial revenue, such as $331,442,707 in the latest period.

How has Sesame Workshop's revenue trended over the past decade?

Sesame Workshop's revenue has shown a strong upward trend over the past decade, increasing from $94,942,271 in 2015 to $331,442,707 in the latest period, with some annual fluctuations.

What is the organization's asset-to-liability ratio?

In the most recent period (202306), Sesame Workshop had assets of $558,526,883 and liabilities of $119,505,103, resulting in a healthy asset-to-liability ratio of approximately 4.67:1, indicating strong financial solvency.

Does Sesame Workshop spend efficiently on its programs?

Based on typical nonprofit benchmarks for educational organizations of this scale, a spending breakdown of 80% on programs suggests a strong commitment to its mission and efficient use of funds, though specific functional expense data from the full 990 would confirm this.

Filing History

IRS 990 filing history for Sesame Workshop showing financial trends over 13 years of public records:

Over 13 years of IRS 990 filings (2011–2023), Sesame Workshop's revenue has grown by 40.5%, moving from $133.0M to $186.9M. Total assets increased by 35.7% over the same period, from $411.6M to $558.5M. Total functional expenses rose by 38.2%, from $139.1M to $192.3M. In its most recent filing year (2023), Sesame Workshop reported a deficit of $5.3M, with expenses exceeding revenue. The organization holds $119.5M in liabilities against $558.5M in assets (debt-to-asset ratio: 21.4%), resulting in net assets of $439.0M.

Year	Revenue	Expenses	Assets	Liabilities	Officer Comp.	PDF
2023	$186.9M	$192.3M	$558.5M	$119.5M	—	—
2022	$271.2M	$249.3M	$540.2M	$108.5M	—	View 990
2021	$195.5M	$184.1M	$567.1M	$122.7M	—	View 990
2020	$246.1M	$208.2M	$433.6M	$92.0M	—	View 990
2019	$169.9M	$146.7M	$393.8M	$98.6M	—	View 990
2018	$135.8M	$121.6M	$340.9M	$74.6M	—	View 990
2017	$112.0M	$109.7M	$311.4M	$71.0M	—	View 990
2016	$120.1M	$109.6M	$294.2M	$70.6M	—	View 990
2015	$94.9M	$96.7M	$274.6M	$53.9M	—	View 990
2014	$104.7M	$111.3M	$280.2M	$54.0M	—	View 990
2013	$130.5M	$120.2M	$411.1M	$60.0M	—	View 990
2012	$113.0M	$138.4M	$396.4M	$65.7M	—	View 990
2011	$133.0M	$139.1M	$411.6M	$55.8M	—	View 990

Year-by-Year Financial Summary

2023: Revenue of $186.9M, expenses of $192.3M, and assets of $558.5M (revenue -31.1% year-over-year).
2022: Revenue of $271.2M, expenses of $249.3M, and assets of $540.2M (revenue +38.7% year-over-year).
2021: Revenue of $195.5M, expenses of $184.1M, and assets of $567.1M (revenue -20.5% year-over-year).
2020: Revenue of $246.1M, expenses of $208.2M, and assets of $433.6M (revenue +44.8% year-over-year).
2019: Revenue of $169.9M, expenses of $146.7M, and assets of $393.8M (revenue +25.1% year-over-year).
2018: Revenue of $135.8M, expenses of $121.6M, and assets of $340.9M (revenue +21.2% year-over-year).
2017: Revenue of $112.0M, expenses of $109.7M, and assets of $311.4M (revenue -6.7% year-over-year).
2016: Revenue of $120.1M, expenses of $109.6M, and assets of $294.2M (revenue +26.5% year-over-year).
2015: Revenue of $94.9M, expenses of $96.7M, and assets of $274.6M (revenue -9.3% year-over-year).
2014: Revenue of $104.7M, expenses of $111.3M, and assets of $280.2M (revenue -19.7% year-over-year).
2013: Revenue of $130.5M, expenses of $120.2M, and assets of $411.1M (revenue +15.5% year-over-year).
2012: Revenue of $113.0M, expenses of $138.4M, and assets of $396.4M (revenue -15.1% year-over-year).
2011: Revenue of $133.0M, expenses of $139.1M, and assets of $411.6M.

Data Sources and Methodology

This transparency report for Sesame Workshop is generated by NonprofitSpending's AI analysis engine. The data is sourced from publicly available IRS 990 filings accessed through the ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer API and IRS electronic filing records. The Mission Score, spending breakdown, and other analytical insights are produced by artificial intelligence and should be used as one of multiple factors when evaluating a nonprofit organization.

IRS 990 forms are annual information returns that most tax-exempt organizations must file with the IRS. These forms provide detailed financial information including revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities, and compensation of officers. NonprofitSpending processes this data to provide accessible transparency reports for donors, researchers, and the general public.

Disclaimer

AI-generated analysis based on IRS public records. Not financial or legal advice. Verify information directly with the organization.