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Materials Research Society

EIN 31-1037979 · Warrendale, PA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood89 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY (MRS) IS AN ORGANIZATION OF MATERIALS RESEARCHERS WORLDWIDE THAT PROMOTES COMMUNICATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF INTERDISCIPLINARY MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.

Income
$10.7 million
Spending
$10.5 million
Spent on programs
79%
Reserves
9.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 72%
Employees
42
Volunteers
1,200
Highest pay
$422,123, executive director

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: 89 out of 100. Higher than 82% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 9.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 21% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 2% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    79% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 1 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 42% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 of 17 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 (5)
  1. $5.7 million spent. SYMPOSIA AND MEETINGS - MRS MEETINGS SERVE AS AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE FOR THE EXAMINATION AND DISSEMINATION OF CURRENT AND EMERGING MATERIALS RESEARCH. AT THE ANNUAL MRS SPRING AND FALL MEETINGS, RESEARCHERS FROM ALL SCIENTIFIC FIELDS, BACKGROUNDS AND EMPLOYMENT SECTORS - FROM STUDENTS TO NOBEL LAUREATES - CONVERGE TO EXCHANGE TECHNICAL INFORMATION, ENGAGE IN BROADER IMPACT PROGRAMMING, NETWORK WITH FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES, AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF MATERIALS RESEARCH. WHILE MRS SPRING AND FALL MEETINGS ARE AT THE CORE OF THE MEETINGS PORTFOLIO, MRS CONTINUES TO ENHANCE ITS SERVICE TO THE GLOBAL MATERIALS COMMUNITY BY ENDORSING AND CO-SPONSORING STANDALONE TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES.
  2. $1.4 million spent. PUBLICATIONS AND NEWS - THE MRS PUBLICATIONS PORTFOLIO, COMPRISED OF FIVE PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS, A BOOKS PROGRAM, AND MATERIALS RESEARCH NEWS, REFLECTS MRS'S STRENGTHS IN TECHNICAL QUALITY, INTERDISCIPLINARY FOCUS, AND CONTENT DELIVERY INNOVATION. THROUGH IT, MRS ENGAGES THE BROADEST POSSIBLE COMMUNITY, TOPICALLY, GEOGRAPHICALLY, AND INSTITUTIONALLY, WITH A MIX OF TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE PUBLICATION PRODUCTS TO ADVANCE INTERDISCIPLINARY MATERIALS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE PORTFOLIO REFLECTS AND CAPTURES THE DYNAMIC, INTERDISCIPLINARY CHARACTER OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND IS UTILIZED BY THE GLOBAL RESEARCH COMMUNITY AS A TRUSTED PLATFORM TO FIND, COMMUNICATE, AND DISCUSS RESULTS OF CRITICAL INTEREST TO THE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY. IT IS THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SOCIETY TO LEAD IN PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF STATE-OF-THE-ART MATERIALS RESEARCH RESULTS, AND THE MRS PUBLICATIONS PORTFOLIO IS A KEY COMPONENT OF ACHIEVING THAT GOAL.
  3. $275,839 spent. MEMBERSHIP - TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, MATERIALS SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD ARE WORKING ON PROJECTS THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE. MRS MEMBERS WORK IN A WIDE VARIETY OF SETTINGS AND ARE INTERESTED IN THE TOTAL SPECTRUM OF MATERIALS-RELATED ISSUES AND APPLICATIONS. YET IN MANY WAYS, THEIR GOALS AND CHALLENGES ARE MUCH THE SAME. TO SEEK INFORMATION. TO COLLABORATE WITH ONE ANOTHER ON GROUND-BREAKING TECHNIQUES. TO EARN THE RESPECT OF THEIR PEERS. AND TO REACH OUT TO THEIR COMMUNITIES.TO HELP REACH THESE GOALS, ONE SOCIETY STANDS OUT FROM THE REST - THE MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY. FOUNDED IN 1973 TO PROMOTE INTERDISCIPLINARY GOAL-ORIENTED BASIC RESEARCH ON MATERIALS OF TECHNOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE, THE SOCIETY IS OVER 13,000 MEMBERS STRONG AND INCLUDES REGULAR, STUDENT, RETIRED AND UNEMPLOYED MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS.
  4. $223,750 spent. ADVOCACY - THE MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY (MRS) CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY IN MATERIALS-RELATED FIELDS BY RESPONDING TO, AND INITIATING, OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS. LED BY THE MRS GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE (GAC), THESE VOLUNTEER-POWERED EFFORTS HAVE BEEN FAR-REACHING, CONSISTENT AND UNBIASED, BUILDING TRUST AND RESPECT IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BOTH ON CAPITOL HILL AND WITHIN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. WHEN DEEMED NECESSARY, MRS ALSO TEAMS WITH OTHER PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES TO CREATE A LARGER VOICE FOR THE MATERIALS FIELD TO BROADEN THE DISSEMINATION, IMPLEMENTATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF MATERIALS-RELATED POLICY FOR THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY.MRS IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY SOCIETY WITH MEMBERS WORLDWIDE THAT ADVOCATE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE AND INNOVATION. WE SEEK TO ENGAGE OUR MEMBERS IN ADVOCACY, TO EDUCATE POLICYMAKERS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF MATERIALS INNOVATIONS, AND TO ENGAGE WITH THE BROADER SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING COMMUNITY IN SUPPORT OF SUSTAINED FUNDING FOR RESEARCH.
  5. $691,624 spent. THE FOUNDATION - THE MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY FOUNDATION SERVES THE MRS MISSION AND STRIVES TO MOVE THE SOCIETY TOWARD ITS STRATEGIC ASPIRATION. THE FOUNDATION FOCUSES ON MEMBER ENGAGEMENT AND PROGRAMS TO BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN THE MATERIALS COMMUNITY - STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, FREE/DISCOUNTED MEMBERSHIPS FOR THOSE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, AWARDS AND MORE. THROUGH ITS CONTINUUM OF BROADER IMPACTS PROGRAMMING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS AT MRS MEETINGS, A COMPREHENSIVE AWARDS PORTFOLIO, A UNIVERSITY CHAPTER PROGRAM THAT IS INTERNATIONAL IN SCOPE, AND SO MUCH MORE, MRS, WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE MATERIALS RESEARCH SOCIETY FOUNDATION, IS WELL POSITIONED TO ENGAGE, EDUCATE AND FASCINATE INTO THE NEXT DECADE.

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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 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 October 13, 2026.

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

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1991.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 21, 2026.

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