Organizations Filed Purposes:
THE MISSION OF GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY FOUNDATION IS TO SUPPORT AND PROMOTE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY AS A HOME FOR SCIENCE LITERACY, EDUCATION, AND PUBLIC ASTRONOMY THROUGH RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND ADVOCACY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY.
GOF IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANIZATION CREATED TO SUPPORT & PROMOTE THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY.
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY FOUNDATION IS GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY'S EXCLUSIVE FUNDRAISING, MEMBERSHIP, AND ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION. FOUNDED IN 1978 AS A PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANIZATION [501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT], THE FOUNDATION'S MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS WORK TO ENSURE THAT GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY HAS THE RESOURCES TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT FACILITIES TO CONTINUE TO INFORM MILLIONS OF VISITORS AND REMAIN ONE OF LOS ANGELES'S MOST INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZABLE ICONS. FUNDING THE FOUNDATION HELPS TO SUSTAIN THE EQUIPMENT, SERVICES, AND STAFFING THAT ANIMATES THE BUILDING AND MAKES POSSIBLE THE LIVE-STREAMING OF ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS, SPECIAL LECTURES, AND OBSERVATORY SIGNATURE PROGRAMS SUCH AS ALL SPACE CONSIDERED. ONGOING SUPPORT IS REQUIRED TO KEEP GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY CURRENT WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY. THE FOUNDATION PROVIDES FOR REGULAR UPGRADES TO THEATERS AND EXHIBITS AS WELL AS LARGER UNDERTAKINGS AND MAJOR UPDATES.
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY FOUNDATION PARTNERED WITH THE OBSERVATORY TO PRODUCE AN EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE, LIVE PLANETARIUM SHOW. WITH STUNNING VISUAL EFFECTS, SIGNS OF LIFE WAS CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE 8K, STATE-OF-THE-ART DIGITAL PROJECTION SYSTEM IN THE SAMUEL OSCHIN PLANETARIUM. THE DYNAMIC, 34-MINUTE PRESENTATION EXPLORES HOW LIFE DEVELOPED ON EARTH, WHERE ELSE LIFE MIGHT EXIST IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM, AND WHETHER THE RIGHT CONDITIONS FOR LIFE COULD EXIST ON EXO-PLANETS ELSEWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE. THIS SHOW WILL LIKELY SERVE AT LEAST 4-5,000,000 VISITORS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS. THE SHOW WILL PREMIERE WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.
EACH YEAR, GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY FOUNDATION FUNDS THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY SCHOOL FIELD TRIP PROGRAM WHERE 28,000 FIFTH-GRADERS VISIT THE OBSERVATORY FOR A VARIETY OF STEAM LEARNING EXPERIENCES OVER A 2.5-HOUR VISIT - FREE OF CHARGE. BECAUSE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY WAS CLOSED MOST OF 2020, WE WERE UNABLE TO HOST OUR TRADITIONAL SCHOOL FIELD TRIP PROGRAM. INSTEAD, IN DIRECT RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WE ARE DEVELOPING A VIRTUAL VERSION OF THE PROGRAM ACCESSIBLE FROM ANYWHERE. THE GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY ONLINE SCHOOL PROGRAM WILL TAKE THE IN-PERSON PROGRAM, WHICH WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO MEET THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S FIFTH-GRADE SCIENCE STANDARDS AND STEAM CURRICULUM, AND ADAPT IT TO AN ONLINE PLATFORM. THE PROGRAM, AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE TO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, WILL BE FACILITATED LIVE AND WILL CONSIST OF FIVE 30-MINUTE MODULES. WE EXPECT TO REACH AT LEAST 24,000 LOCAL STUDENTS DURING THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR ALONE. HOWEVER, THE PROGRAM WILL REMAIN AS A FREE RESOURCE INDEFINITELY, EVENTUALLY ALLOWING US TO REACH CHILDREN ACROSS THE GLOBE.
Executives Listed on Filing
Total Salary includes financial earnings, benefits, and all related organization earnings listed on tax filing
| Name | Title | Hours Per Week | Total Salary |
|---|
| Ann Marie Bedtke | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $152,000 |
| Christina Del Villar | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Leslie Zador | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Charles Wilmot | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Mckinley Tennyson | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Rich Semler | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Vicke Selk | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Arnold Seidel | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Lowell H Orren | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Tricia Neson | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Chris Laib | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Danish Khan | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Dr Alan Kaye | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Andre Bormanis | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Terri Bloomgarden | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | $0 |
| Ethan Eller | TREASURER | 1 | $0 |
| Patricia Casado | SECRETARY | 1 | $0 |
| Dr Eve Haberfield | VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | $0 |
| Grady Smith | PRESIDENT | 4 | $0 |
| David Primes | CHAIR OF THE BOARD | 2 | $0 |
Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (
public 990 form dataset) from:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202141049349301959_public.xml