Lifespan Corporation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Delivering health with care.
- Income
- $352.6 million
- Spending
- $359.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 100%
- Reserves
- 2.9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 96%
- Employees
- 1,239
- Volunteers
- 50
- Highest pay
- $3.7 million, former president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 50 out of 100. Higher than 32% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.9 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 82% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 17% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 15100% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 53% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2514 of 18 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 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 (1)
- $359.3 million spent. Lifespan Corporation (Brown Health) plans, directs, and establishes policies to assure the development and delivery of comprehensive, high-quality health services, health care professional education, and biomedical research by its hospitals and other affiliated organizations on an integrated, cost-effective basis. Brown Health provides support services to its affiliates, such as information services, risk management, legal, communications and public affairs, fundraising, facility development, strategic planning, internal audit/compliance, human resources, finance, payor contracting, and investment management, for which each affiliate is charged a fee equivalent to the estimated costs incurred by Brown Health in providing these services. In June 2024, Lifespan Corporation and Brown University finalized agreements to expand their longtime affiliation, with the goal to strengthen patient care, medical education, and biomedical research in the state of Rhode Island. As a part of these agreements, Lifespan Corporation is now doing business as Brown University Health.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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.
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.
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.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since April 1988.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
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.