The American Museum of Natural History
Lobbying client
The American Museum of Natural History is a private nonprofit founded in 1869 on Manhattan's Upper West Side, with 45 permanent exhibition halls, about 32 million specimens in its collection, and roughly five million visitors a year. It has filed 31 lobbying disclosures since 2024 through CMW Strategies LLC, lobbying a defined set of 17 City Council members on discretionary and capital funding requests to the Council and to the Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as procurement of goods.
- Council members lobbied
- 19
- Filings (since 2024)
- 31
- Lobbying compensation (since 2024)
- $210,437
- Industry (per city contracts)
- Construction Services
- City contracts (active)
- $34,305,000 · 2 contracts
- Awarded all-time
- $176,170,257 · 42 since 2010, incl. expired
- Paid to date
- $134,183,338
- Won without a fresh bid
- 100% of contract value · $175,795,528 · 35 contracts
- Discretionary funding (FY2009-FY2027)
- $31,524,572 · 70 awards
- Funding history
- Funded every year since FY2009 (19 years running)
- Top officer pay (FY2023)
- $1,377,073 · Lisa Gugenheim, Director Of The Museum
- Based in
- New York, NY
Lobbied these council members
- Carmen N. De La Rosa Council Member, District 10 (Manhattan)
- Christopher Marte Council Member, District 1 (Manhattan)
- Linda Lee Council Member, District 23 (Queens)
- Shekar Krishnan Council Member, District 25 (Queens)
- Nantasha M. Williams Council Member, District 27 (Queens)
- Harvey D. Epstein Council Member, District 2 (Manhattan)
- Carl Wilson Council Member, District 3 (Manhattan)
- Rita C. Joseph Council Member, District 40 (Brooklyn)
- Virginia Maloney Council Member, District 4 (Manhattan)
- Julie Menin Council Member, District 5 (Manhattan)
- Gale A. Brewer Council Member, District 6 (Manhattan)
- Shaun Abreu Council Member, District 7 (Manhattan)
- Elsie Encarnación Council Member, District 8 (Manhattan/Bronx)
- Yusef Salaam Council Member, District 9 (Manhattan)
Represented by lobbyist firms
- CMW Strategies LLC Lobbyist firm
- DalyGonzalez LLC Lobbyist firm
Holds contracts at
- Department of Design and Construction City agency
- Department of Education City agency
Funded by these agencies
- Department of Citywide Administrative Services City agency
- Department of Cultural Affairs City agency
- Department of Education City agency
- Department of Emergency Management City agency
- Department of Health and Mental Hygiene City agency
Lobbied former members
Members who have since left their seat
- Adrienne Adams
- Carlina Rivera
- Erik Bottcher
- Justin Brannan
- Keith Powers
What they lobbied on
subjects from their filings
- Budget - Budget requests to the New York City Council for discretionary expense and capital funding and operational and capital support from the Department of Cultural Affairs. ; City Council…
- Budget - Funding
- Budget - Program Funding
- Budget - the procurement of goods
City contracts
Registered city contracts, largest first by current contract value (not amount spent): running now, then registered to start later, then ended. Totals count every registered contract. Each line shows its Checkbook contract ID. The tag on each row is how it was awarded (“no-bid” = non-competitive).
- Roof Restoration at AMNH Department of Design and Construction · CT185020261410906 $20,863,000
- ELEVATORS, HALL OF OCEAN LIFE PUBLIC BATHROOM, BUILDING 11 A Department of Design and Construction · CT185020251416533 $13,442,000
- The American Museum of Natural History Restoration Department of Design and Construction · CT185020100019957 · ended 2013 $19,362,000
- Urban advantage program Department of Education · CT104020269656860 · ended 2026 $19,129,451
- Exterior Envelope Reconstruction at AMNH Department of Design and Construction · CT185020151424691 · ended 2018 $11,100,000
- AMNH; PlaNYC UPGRADES & PHASE 2 OF THE IT UPGRADES Department of Design and Construction · CT185020111406305 · ended 2013 $7,857,711
- The American Museum of Natural History Department of Design and Construction · CT185020121444123 · ended 2015 $6,624,000
- Urban advantage program. Department of Education · CT104020249457555 · ended 2023 $6,370,269
- Urban Advantage Program Department of Education · CT104020229263510 · ended 2022 $6,370,269
- Urban Advantage Program Department of Education · CT104020199960506 · ended 2019 $6,360,414
Largest payments, by purpose
The organization's largest individual city payments (roughly $25,000 and up), grouped by purpose, to show what recent money was for. This is NOT a total — smaller payments aren't listed; see “Paid to date” above for the complete amount paid against its contracts. Fiscal years 2020 and later.
- Urban advantage program Department of Education · FY2026 · 3 payments $6,935,651
- Urban advantage program. Department of Education · FY2025 $3,700,000
- Urban Advantage Program - Middle School Science Department of Education · FY2021 · 2 payments $3,663,181
- Urban Advantage Program Department of Education · FY2020 $3,500,000
- Urban Advantage Program Department of Education · FY2023 $3,359,814
- Urban Advantage Program - Middle School Science Department of Education · FY2022 $2,879,367
- PV034NWCH, American Museum of Natural History Northest Coast Department of Cultural Affairs · FY2023 $2,850,000
- ACE Central Plant Upgrade_American Museum of Natural History Department of Citywide Administrative Services · FY2020 · 3 payments $2,307,587
- ELEVATORS, HALL OF OCEAN LIFE PUBLIC BATHROOM, BUILDING 11 A Department of Cultural Affairs · FY2026 · 2 payments $1,711,197
- ACE Central Plant Upgrade_American Museum of Natural History Department of Cultural Affairs · FY2021 · 3 payments $779,955
- COVID-19 Educational Initiative Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2023 · 4 payments $493,110
- COVID-19 Educational Initiative Department of Health and Mental Hygiene · FY2022 · 7 payments $456,890
- ACE Central Plant Upgrade_American Museum of Natural History Department of Citywide Administrative Services · FY2021 $433,236
- Lease: Utilize space to manage, administer and operate various flexible COVID-19 vaccination sites. Department of Emergency Management · FY2022 $174,440
- ELEVATORS, HALL OF OCEAN LIFE PUBLIC BATHROOM, BUILDING 11 A Department of Citywide Administrative Services · FY2026 $120,000
- Lease: Utilize space to manage, administer and operate various flexible COVID-19 vaccination sites. Department of Emergency Management · FY2023 $71,334
Discretionary funding received
City Council discretionary (member-item) awards, largest first. Covers FY2009-FY2027.
- Urban Advantage Urban Advantage · DOE · FY2015 $3,500,000
- Urban Advantage Urban Advantage · DOE · FY2016 $3,500,000
- Urban Advantage Urban Advantage · DOE · FY2017 $3,500,000
- Urban Advantage Urban Advantage · DOE · FY2018 $3,500,000
- Urban Advantage - Science Education Urban Advantage - Science Education · DOE · FY2010 $2,500,000
- Urban Advantage Urban Advantage · DOE · FY2014 $2,500,000
- Urban Advantage - Science Education Urban Advantage - Science Education · DOE · FY2011 $2,250,000
- Urban Advantage-Science Education Urban Advantage-Science Education · DOE · FY2009 $2,000,000
- Urban Advantage Urban Advantage · DOE · FY2012 $2,000,000
- Urban Advantage Urban Advantage · DOE · FY2013 $2,000,000
- Educational Programs for Students Educational Programs for Students · DOE · FY2021 $850,000
- SCI Network NYC CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2026 $250,000
- SCI Network NYC CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2027 $250,000
- Cultural Workforce Pipeline Initiative-Connecting STEM Talent to NYC Careers CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2026 $225,000
- Cultural Workforce Pathways CM Speaker · Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2027 $225,000
- Local DCLA · FY2015 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2016 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2017 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2018 $100,000
- Speaker's Initiative Speaker's Initiative · DCLA · FY2019 $100,000
Funded by these council members
City Council members who steered discretionary (member-item) money to this organization, largest first (FY2020 and later, where the sponsoring member is disclosed). Sitting members link to their page.
- Rosenthal FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $40,000
- Jimmy Van Bramer FY2020-2021 · 2 awards $40,000
- Julie Won FY2022-2023 · 2 awards $40,000
- Gale A. Brewer FY2025-2027 · 3 awards $15,000
Officer & key-staff pay
Reportable compensation from this organization's IRS Form 990 (Part VII), latest available filing (FY2023). Includes pay from related organizations where reported; an annual figure, not a running total. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
- Lisa Gugenheim Director Of The Museum $1,377,073
- Sean M Decatur President $1,068,068
- Ellen V Futter President-End 03/15/23 $1,045,342
- Michael Novacek SR Adv To The President. & Curator $852,488
- Anne Canty SR VP Communications,Marketing $803,324
- Ward C Wheeler Curator $597,893
Officer pay over time
Total officer pay changed +59% from FY2020 to FY2023. Top-officer reportable compensation by year (org-paid only), with each year's share of total revenue. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 990 filings.
- FY2020 Ellen V Futter · 3.78% of revenue $1,590,792
- FY2021 Ellen V Futter · 8.25% of revenue $11,925,437
- FY2022 Ellen V Futter · 4.24% of revenue $1,369,590
- FY2023 Lisa Gugenheim · 5.07% of revenue $1,377,073
Where their influence converges
Outside interests connected to this official through more than one independent channel — drawn straight from the records the rest of the site already shows. “Lobbied them” = a lobbying filing that named the member. “Outside spending” = an independent-expenditure committee the interest funds spent in
- Carmen N. De La Rosa It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
- Christopher Marte It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Gale A. Brewer It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Linda Lee It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Rita C. Joseph It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Shaun Abreu It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 1 agency in their committees' jurisdiction
- Shekar Krishnan It lobbied them; it holds contracts at 2 agencies in their committees' jurisdiction
Community project funding secured by (FY2024)
Members of New York's congressional delegation named as requestors of an enacted FY2024 community project for this organization, in the House Appropriations Committee's own final project tables. Each figure is the amount APPROPRIATED for that project, not money paid out to this organization to date.
- Kirsten E. Gillibrand Climate and Biodiversity Research & Education · New York, NY · Commerce, Justice, Science $1,250,000
- Charles E. Schumer Climate and Biodiversity Research & Education · New York, NY · Commerce, Justice, Science $1,250,000
Federal awards
Federal awards made directly to this organization in fiscal years 2023 through 2026. Each amount is what the federal government has OBLIGATED on that award as recorded on USAspending.gov as of 2026-08-31 — money committed, not money paid out. These are prime awards only: federal money this
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration 43.001 Science · National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Grant $13,785,302
- Department of Education 84.336 Teacher Quality Partnership Grants · Department of Education · Grant $4,572,426
- National Science Foundation 47.076 STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) · National Science Foundation · Grant $2,973,553
- National Science Foundation 47.083 Integrative Activities · National Science Foundation · Grant $2,139,618
- National Science Foundation 47.076 STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) · National Science Foundation · Grant $1,993,215
- National Science Foundation 47.084 Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships · National Science Foundation · Grant $1,574,972
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration 43.009 Mission Support · National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Grant $1,500,000
- Department of Defense 12.910 Research and Technology Development · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency · Grant $1,499,853
- Department of Commerce 11.469 Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration · Grant $1,250,000
- National Science Foundation 47.076 STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) · National Science Foundation · Grant $1,053,769
- National Science Foundation 47.076 STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) · National Science Foundation · Grant $999,931
- National Science Foundation 47.074 Biological Sciences · National Science Foundation · Grant $974,848
- National Science Foundation 47.074 Biological Sciences · National Science Foundation · Grant $912,106
- National Science Foundation 47.076 STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) · National Science Foundation · Grant $846,000
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration 43.001 Science · National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Grant $837,510
- National Science Foundation 47.074 Biological Sciences · National Science Foundation · Grant $809,358
- National Science Foundation 47.074 Biological Sciences · National Science Foundation · Grant $775,757
- National Science Foundation 47.074 Biological Sciences · National Science Foundation · Grant $751,513
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration 43.001 Science · National Aeronautics and Space Administration · Grant $704,081
- National Science Foundation 47.074 Biological Sciences · National Science Foundation · Grant $679,192