Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To disseminate multi-disciplinary information on all aspects of tall buildings and sustainable urban environments, to maximize the international interaction of professionals involved in creating the built environment, and to make the most recent knowledge available.
- Income
- $6.5 million
- Spending
- $6.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 24.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 69%
- Employees
- 30
- Volunteers
- 9
- Highest pay
- $640,284, president
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
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 83% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 24.1 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 11% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 12% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% 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. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (education, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 259 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 (6)
- $2.3 million spent. CTBUH events offer a wide variety of benefits to attendees, speakers, and sponsors. As the recognized international authority on tall buildings, CTBUH conferences are best known by industry leaders for both quality of knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities. By holding conferences and events throughout the world, CTBUH maximizes the international interaction of professionals involved in creating the built environment and makes the most recent knowledge available to these professionals. (Expenses $ 624,083 including grants of $) CTBUH developed the international standards for measuring and defining tall buildings, as outlined on its website, and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing designations such as the "World's Tallest Building." These standards also inform the basis of the CTBUH Tall Building Database, the world's premier online resource for accurate, reliable information on tall building data. The CTBUH website provides the public with detailed data, images, and technical information on more than 40,000 tall buildings, and their cities, the world over. (Expenses $ 573,580 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 97,782) Through the publication of books, proceedings, technical guides, research reports, and a monthly newsletter, CTBUH disseminates multidisciplinary information on all aspects of tall buildings and sustainable urban environments. (Expenses $ 267,726 including grants of $ 35,000) CTBUH offers annual competitions for professionals and students to engage in design and research projects. The evaluation of competition proposals and designs are undertaken by an expert peer review committee, which reflects a multi-disciplinary group of tall building/urban experts from around the world with experience in varying fields. The Masters of Tall Buildings and Vertical Urbanism (M.TBVU) program is a collaboration between CTBUH and the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and is the world's first multidisciplinary advanced degree focused specifically on the high-rise and the role of urban density in future cities.
- $889,770 spent. CTBUH's membership is made up of the world's leading owners, developers, planners, engineers, designers, suppliers, and builders of the vertical urban realm. Through meaningful, multidisciplinary engagement, CTBUH offers its members the opportunity to share best practice information, promote their expertise globally and in their local region, and shape the future of cities. CTBUH Assemblies comprise dynamic, member-driven committees that can contribute their expertise to CTBUH in many ways: educational programming, research publications, journal articles and peer review participation.
- $759,071 spent. CTBUH performs objective research and thought leadership at all scales and distributes findings in the form of technical guidelines, white papers, data studies, and reports that highlight critical issues facing tall buildings and future cities. (Expenses $ 624,083 including grants of $) CTBUH developed the international standards for measuring and defining tall buildings, as outlined on its website, and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing designations such as the "World's Tallest Building." These standards also inform the basis of the CTBUH Tall Building Database, the world's premier online resource for accurate, reliable information on tall building data. The CTBUH website provides the public with detailed data, images, and technical information on more than 40,000 tall buildings, and their cities, the world over. (Expenses $ 573,580 including grants of $)(Revenue $ 97,782) Through the publication of books, proceedings, technical guides, research reports, and a monthly newsletter, CTBUH disseminates multidisciplinary information on all aspects of tall buildings and sustainable urban environments. (Expenses $ 267,726 including grants of $ 35,000) CTBUH offers annual competitions for professionals and students to engage in design and research projects. The evaluation of competition proposals and designs are undertaken by an expert peer review committee, which reflects a multi-disciplinary group of tall building/urban experts from around the world with experience in varying fields. The Masters of Tall Buildings and Vertical Urbanism (M.TBVU) program is a collaboration between CTBUH and the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and is the world's first multidisciplinary advanced degree focused specifically on the high-rise and the role of urban density in future cities.
- $624,083 spent. CTBUH developed the international standards for measuring and defining tall buildings, as outlined on its website, and is recognized as the arbiter for bestowing designations such as the "World's Tallest Building." These standards also inform the basis of the CTBUH Tall Building Database, the world's premier online resource for accurate, reliable information on tall building data. The CTBUH website provides the public with detailed data, images, and technical information on more than 40,000 tall buildings, and their cities, the world over.
- $573,580 spent. Through the publication of books, proceedings, technical guides, research reports, and a monthly newsletter, CTBUH disseminates multidisciplinary information on all aspects of tall buildings and sustainable urban environments.
- $267,726 spent. CTBUH offers annual competitions for professionals and students to engage in design and research projects. The evaluation of competition proposals and designs are undertaken by an expert peer review committee, which reflects a multi-disciplinary group of tall building/urban experts from around the world with experience in varying fields. The Masters of Tall Buildings and Vertical Urbanism (M.TBVU) program is a collaboration between CTBUH and the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and is the world's first multidisciplinary advanced degree focused specifically on the high-rise and the role of urban density in future cities.
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 July 2009.
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.
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.