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Jackson Laboratory

EIN 01-0211513 · Bar Harbor, ME

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood83 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SEE SCHEDULE O

Income
$652.5 million
Spending
$617.0 million
Spent on programs
85%
Reserves
6.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 73%
Employees
3,203
Volunteers
26
Highest pay
$2.7 million, president & ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 83 out of 100. Higher than 67% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 6.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 32% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 14% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    85% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 4 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    26 of 27 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (3)
  1. $323.2 million spent. DEVELOP AND PROVIDE GENETIC RESOURCES THE JACKSON LABORATORY (JAX) IS A GLOBAL RESOURCE FOR DEVELOPING, DISTRIBUTING AND ANALYZING INNOVATIVE MODELS OF HUMAN DISEASE. IT OFFERS AN ARRAY OF MODEL CREATION, HUSBANDRY AND DIAGNOSTIC AND ANALYTICAL SERVICES, RANGING FROM CUSTOM BREEDING AND STRAIN PRESERVATION TO DRUG EFFICACY STUDIES AND GENOME SEQUENCING, ALL FOCUSED ON EMPOWERING BASIC SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND DRUG DISCOVERY. JAX MAINTAINS CLOSE TO 14,000 GENETICALLY DISTINCT STRAINS OF RESEARCH MICE. IN 2024, DISTRIBUTED THEM TO RESEARCHERS FROM MORE THAN 2,400 ORGANIZATIONS, IN UPWARDS OF 68 COUNTRIES USED JAX RESEARCH MICE TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO FIND CURES FOR THE WORLD'S MOST DEVASTATING HUMAN DISEASES AND BRING ADVANCED THERAPIES TO PATIENTS. THE LABORATORY ALSO HOSTS THE MOUSE GENOME INFORMATICS DATABASES, THE WORLD'S SOURCE FOR INFORMATION ON MOUSE GENETICS AND BIOLOGY. IN 2024, APPROXIMATELY 450 MOUSE STRAINS WERE DONATED TO THE LABORATORY OR DEVELOPED BY JAX RESEARCH STAFF WITH ACADEMIC/FOUNDATION OR PUBLICLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROGRAMS. THE LABORATORY MAKES THESE RESOURCES PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE THROUGH ITS REPOSITORY, PRODUCTION AND RESEARCH SERVICES. DISTRIBUTION OF THESE STRAINS HELPS SUPPORT CURES FOR THE WORLD'S MOST PREVALENT HUMAN DISEASES AND ACCELERATES THE TIME TO BRING NEW THERAPIES TO PATIENTS. THE LABORATORY COLLABORATED WITH OTHER NON-PROFIT PATIENT FOUNDATIONS FOR RARE DISEASES TO ESTABLISH MOUSE RESOURCES TO FURTHER PRECLINICAL THERAPEUTIC STUDIES.
  2. $186.0 million spent. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH THE LABORATORY'S RESEARCHERS COMBINE EXPERIENCE IN MAMMALIAN GENETICS AND HUMAN GENOMICS TO SHAPE AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO PERSONALIZED MEDICINE. SCIENTISTS WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND CROSS-DISCIPLINE, LEVERAGING EXPERTISE IN CANCER, IMMUNOLOGY, NEUROGENETICS, LIFE-CYCLE BIOLOGY, THE MICROBIOME, AND COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY. MORE THAN 400 JAX STAFF MEMBERS HOLD ADVANCED DEGREES AND THE LABORATORY SUPPORTS NEARLY 60 RESEARCH TEAMS. FACULTY MEMBERS HAVE 324 ACTIVE SPONSORED RESEARCH COLLABORATION AGREEMENTS WITH 245 ACADEMIC RESEARCH AND CLINICAL INSTITUTIONS. MULTIPLE LABORATORY CENTERS COORDINATE EXPERTISE AROUND CRITICAL RESEARCH AREAS. SINCE 1983 THE LABORATORY HAS HAD A NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE-DESIGNATED CANCER CENTER, ONE OF ONLY SEVEN SUCH DESIGNATED INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. TO DATE 26 NOBEL PRIZES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH LABORATORY RESEARCH, EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES.
  3. $13.0 million spent. EDUCATION AND TRAINING THE LABORATORY OFFERS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR SCIENTISTS THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS FROM STEM EDUCATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TRAINING FOR SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS TO COURSES AND CONFERENCES FOR EXPERIENCED RESEARCHERS DEFINING THE CUTTING EDGE OF GENOMICS INTO THEIR PRACTICES. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE LABORATORY'S PROGRAM SERVICES, PLEASE REFER TO THE JACKSON LABORATORY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT HTTPS://WWW.JAX.ORG/ABOUT-US/OUR-IMPACT/MEDICAL-IMPACT.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since May 1950.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.