Skip to the page content
Your donations
Passes our checks

Scripps Research Institute

EIN 33-0435954 · La Jolla, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong96 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE ("TSRI") PERFORMS HIGH IMPACT BASIC BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, IMPROVES THE HUMAN CONDITION BY FOSTERING TRANSLATION OF ITS DISCOVERIES INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS AND ENGAGES IN THE HIGHEST QUALITY GRADUATE SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION AND POST GRADUATE SCIENTIFIC TRAINING. TSRI IS KNOWN FOR ITS ENTREPRENEURIAL ENVIRONMENT AND ITS EMPHASIS IN RESEARCH RELATING TO SYNTHETIC CHEMISTRY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOLECULAR STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITY AND CHEMICAL BIOLOGY.

Income
$698.6 million
Spending
$537.5 million
Spent on programs
92%
Reserves
13.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 49%
Employees
2,022
Volunteers
14
Highest pay
$1.9 million, president/ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Strong: 96 out of 100. Higher than 85% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 13.4 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 23% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 9% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    92% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    14 of 16 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 September 30, 2025, 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)
  1. $473.6 million spent. GROUNDBREAKING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED AT TSRI CAMPUSES IN LA JOLLA, CALIFORNIA, SUPPORTED BY GRANTS, CONTRACTS AND FELLOWSHIPS FROM PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INSTITUTES AND INDIVIDUALS. TSRI'S UNIQUE STRUCTURE MERGES BASIC SCIENTIFIC STUDIES IN BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY AND BIOINFORMATICS WITH TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE TO PRODUCE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DRUGS AND ADVANCES IN DIGITAL AND PRECISION MEDICINE. SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES AT TSRI SEED JOINT DRUG DISCOVERY PROJECTS AT CALIBR-SKAGGS, A DIVISION OF TSRI, CREATING A PIPELINE OF DRUG CANDIDATES THAT WILL IMPACT PATIENTS FOR YEARS TO COME. THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH TRANSLATIONAL INSTITUTE, ANOTHER DIVISION OF TSRI, AIMS TO INDIVIDUALIZE HEALTHCARE BY LEVERAGING THE PROGRESS BEING MADE IN HUMAN GENOMICS AND COMBINING IT WITH THE POWER OF WIRELESS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
  2. $20.8 million spent. TSRI IS COMMITTED TO EDUCATING, TRAINING AND INSPIRING THE SCIENTISTS OF TOMORROW. THE INSTITUTE'S SKAGGS GRADUATE SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, RANKED ONE OF THE TEN BEST GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY, EMPOWERS STUDENTS TO MAKE HIGH-IMPACT DISCOVERIES AT THE INTERFACE OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY. STUDENTS IN THE SKAGGS GRADUATE SCHOOL ARE IMMERSED IN INTENSIVE LABORATORY RESEARCH FROM DAY ONE AND PURSUE AMBITIOUS INVESTIGATIONS ACROSS SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES. GRADUATES OF THE SCHOOL BECOME EDUCATORS AT TOP UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTES, THOUGHT LEADERS WITHIN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND INNOVATORS AT PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGY COMPANIES. POSTDOCTORAL ASSOCIATES ARRIVE AT TSRI FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE, SEEKING TO EXPAND THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING BY WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR WORLD-RENOWNED SCIENTISTS. THE SCRIPPS FELLOWS PROGRAM IDENTIFIES INDIVIDUALS WITH AN OUTSTANDING RECORD OF GRADUATE RESEARCH AND MOVES THEM INTO THEIR OWN LABORATORIES, ALLOWING THEM TO LEAPFROG THEIR POSTDOCTORAL YEARS OF STUDY AND BEGIN PUSHING THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, 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 September 2025.

    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 January 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.

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.