Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH LTD IS AN INTERNATIONAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO PREVENTING AND CONTROLLING CANCER THROUGH INTEGRATED LABORATORY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH.
- Income
- $63.0 million
- Spending
- $64.3 million
- Spent on programs
- 84%
- Reserves
- 0.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 97%
- Employees
- 31
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $1.2 million, director (from 7/24)
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
Weak: 34 out of 100.
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.2 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 93% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 2% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 14% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1584% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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.
Independent board
25 of 257 of 10 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 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 (2)
- $53.9 million spent. LINE 4A - LABORATORY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH LEADING TO CLINICAL APPLICATIONS THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH LTD WAS FOUNDED IN 1971 AS AN INTERNATIONAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT RESEARCH INSTITUTE DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE UNDERSTANDING, PREVENTION, DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF CANCER. THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DISCOVERY CONTINUUM FROM CONDUCT OF INNOVATIVE LABORATORY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH AND EXTENDING TO EXPLORING THE CLINICAL POTENTIAL OF NEW DISCOVERIES IN CLINICAL STUDIES, TO FACILITATE THE TRANSLATION OF PROMISING DISCOVERIES RELATED TO CANCER INTO APPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN BENEFIT. MAKING MEANINGFUL ADVANCES THAT WILL ULTIMATELY TRANSFORM CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS IS CENTRAL TO THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE'S MISSION. THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE ENGAGES LEADING CANCER SCIENTISTS AND CLINICIANS IN AN INTEGRATED LABORATORY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH EFFORT TO CONFRONT THE GLOBAL CHALLENGE OF CANCER. ALL LABORATORY AND CLINICAL RESEARCH FINANCED BY THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE IS CARRIED OUT BY ITS IN-HOUSE RESEARCH STAFF OR THROUGH RESEARCH COLLABORATIONS INVOLVING INSTITUTE STAFF AND EXTERNAL INVESTIGATORS. CLINICAL STUDIES ARE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH LOCALLY SPONSORED, INVESTIGATOR-INITIATED CLINICAL TRIALS MANAGED THROUGH ITS BRANCH'S HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS OR THROUGH NON-PROFIT CLINICAL TRIAL NETWORKS. THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE HAS A STAFF OF AROUND 485 FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS SCIENTISTS, CLINICIANS AND SUPPORT PERSONNEL AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2024, LOCATED IN FOUR COUNTRIES AND FOCUSED ON MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF CANCER RESEARCH. MORE THAN 99% OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE IS FUNDED BY OWN RESOURCES. IN ADDITION TO SELF-GENERATED INCOME FROM INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT IS RECEIVED FROM THE LICR FUND, INC., A DELAWARE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO MAINTAINING AN INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO FOR THIS PURPOSE. THIS FUNDING SETUP GIVES LUDWIG INSTITUTE INVESTIGATORS THE FREEDOM TO TACKLE INNOVATIVE LONG-TERM RESEARCH AND ENCOURAGES AND ENABLES MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS OF INVESTIGATORS TO ADDRESS SIGNIFICANT AND RELATIVELY COMPLEX CHALLENGES POSED BY CANCER. THE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE, TOGETHER WITH THOSE OF THE LUDWIG CENTERS ESTABLISHED AT SIX U.S. ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS WITH FUNDING FROM A TRUST UNDER THE WILL OF DANIEL K. LUDWIG ARE DESIGNATED COLLECTIVELY AS "LUDWIG CANCER RESEARCH," AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF DISTINGUISHED SCIENTISTS DEDICATED TO STUDYING CANCER AND ADVANCING ITS PREVENTION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT. THE DEVELOPMENT, PROTECTION AND LICENSING OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GENERATED BY RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE'S COMMITMENT TO TRANSLATE ITS DISCOVERIES FOR PATIENT BENEFIT. INCOME FROM THESE ACTIVITIES FINANCED RESEARCH EXPENDITURES AMOUNTING TO USD 2.0 MILLION IN 2024. THE LUDWIG INSTITUTE ALSO MANAGES ITS IP AND PATENTS FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT. THIS MEANS THAT THE IP IS MADE FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH COMMUNITY. IN 2024, LUDWIG INSTITUTE INVESTIGATORS PUBLISHED 227 PRIMARY RESEARCH ARTICLES AND 52 REVIEWS, BOOK CHAPTERS AND COMMENTARIES. PROGRESS WAS MADE IN THE STUDY OF TUMOR BIOLOGY, CANCER GENOMICS, CANCER PREVENTION, THE TUMOR MICRO-ENVIRONMENT AND TUMOR IMMUNOLOGY. IN 2024, TEN NEW U.S. PATENTS AND THREE NEW EUROPEAN PATENTS WERE ISSUED. NINE NEW U.S. APPLICATIONS AND A FURTHER SIX NEW INTERNATIONAL PATENT APPLICATIONS WERE ALSO FILED.
- LINE 3 - INSTITUTE SPONSORED CLINICAL TRIALS - DISCONTINUED THE DECISION TO WIND DOWN THE IN-HOUSE CLINICAL TRIALS MANAGEMENT TEAM IN NEW YORK WAS TAKEN IN 2018. BETWEEN 2019 AND 2023, NO NEW INSTITUTE SPONSORED CLINICAL TRIALS WERE STARTED AND ONGOING INSTITUTE SPONSORED CLINICAL TRIALS WERE CONTINUED UNTIL TERMINATION OF THE RESPECTIVE STUDIES WHICH WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A DECREASE OF COSTS DURING THESE YEARS. IN 2024, THE WIND-DOWN OF THE IN-HOUSE CLINICAL TRIALS MANAGEMENT TEAM, AS NOTED IN PREVIOUS RETURNS OF THE 990, CAN BE REGARDED AS COMPLETED.
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
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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1971.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.
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