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Krell Institute Inc

EIN 42-1457548 · Ames, IA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak48 out of 100GovernanceStrong93 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

TO PROMOTE THE APPLICATION OF MODERN COMPUTING, COMMUNICATION, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES TO NATIONAL PRIORITIES.

Income
$20.0 million
Spending
$19.9 million
Spent on programs
92%
Reserves
0.5 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 100%
Employees
25
Volunteers
100
Highest pay
$394,368, president

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

Weak: 48 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.5 months of spending.

  • Debt

    2 of 20

    It owes 77% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    12 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 5% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    92% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 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: 93 out of 100. Higher than 39% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    3 of 3 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 (3)
  1. $14.4 million spent. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM SELECTS HIGHLY QUALIFIED STUDENTS AND SUPPORTS THEIR RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC STUDY FOR UP TO FOUR YEARS OF THEIR PHD GRADUATE WORK IN A COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING DISCIPLINE AREA THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. THE DOE CSGF FELLOWS MUST COMPLETE A PROGRAM OF STUDY AT A UNITED STATES RESEARCH UNIVERSITY, SPEND AT LEAST TWELVE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS AT A DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LABORATORY WORKING ON A RESEARCH PROJECT OF IMPORTANCE TO THE NATION, AND ATTEND AN ANNUAL PROGRAM REVIEW TO SHARE THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THE DOE COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AND WITH DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HEADQUARTERS AND LABORATORY RESEARCH STAFF. DURING FY2025, 42 FELLOWS COMPLETED A RESEARCH PRACTICUM, AND 30 STUDENTS WERE SELECTED TO RECEIVE FELLOWSHIPS, BRINGING THE CURRENT NUMBER OF FELLOWS IN THE PROGRAM TO 140. FELLOWS ARE ENROLLED AT 48 DIFFERENT RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. OF THE 28 FELLOWS WHO COMPLETED THEIR FELLOWSHIP DURING THE FISCAL YEAR, ALL HAVE SELF-REPORTED THAT THEY ARE CONTINUING WORK ON THEIR PHD, ARE POST-DOCTORAL STUDENTS OR HAVE GRADUATED AND ARE WORKING. SELF-REPORTED EMPLOYMENT SHOWED THAT 14% OF DOE CSGF ALUMNI ARE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AT DOE LABORATORIES.
  2. $3.9 million spent. THE STEWARDSHIP SCIENCE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP (SSGF) PROGRAM SELECTS HIGHLY QUALIFIED STUDENTS IN STEWARDSHIP SCIENCE DISCIPLINES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. STEWARDSHIP SCIENCE INCLUDES AREAS OF STUDY RELATIVE TO HIGH ENERGY DENSITY PHYSICS, NUCLEAR SCIENCE, MATERIALS UNDER EXTREME CONDITIONS, AND HYDRODYNAMICS. THE FELLOWS COMPLETE A PROGRAM OF STUDY AT A UNITED STATES RESEARCH UNIVERSITY, SPEND AT LEAST TWELVE CONSECUTIVE WEEKS AT A DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL DEFENSE LABORATORY WORKING ON A RESEARCH PROJECT OF IMPORTANCE TO THE NATION, AND ATTEND AN ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM TO SHARE THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THE STEWARDSHIP SCIENCE GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AND WITH DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HEADQUARTERS AND LABORATORY RESEARCH STAFF. DURING FY2025, FIVE FELLOWS COMPLETED THE PHD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AND ARE NOW EMPLOYED IN EITHER POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAMS, IN AN EDUCATIONAL FIELD, OR AT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LABORATORIES. FIVE NEW STUDENTS WERE SELECTED TO RECEIVE FELLOWSHIPS, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FELLOWS IN THE PROGRAM TO 20. SSGF FELLOWS WERE ENROLLED AT 12 DIFFERENT RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION LABORATORY RESIDENCY GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP (DOE NNSA LRGF) SELECTS AND SUPPORTS STUDENTS PURSUING A PH.D. IN AREAS OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES, PHYSICS, MATERIALS AND MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE THAT ADDRESS COMPLEX SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PROBLEMS CRITICAL TO STEWARDSHIP SCIENCE. THE FELLOWS COMPLETE A PROGRAM OF STUDY AT A UNITED STATES RESEARCH UNIVERSITY, SPEND AT LEAST TWO TWELVE-WEEK RESIDENCIES AT A DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL DEFENSE LABORATORY WORKING ON A RESEARCH PROJECT OF IMPORTANCE TO THE NATION, AND ATTEND AN ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM TO SHARE THEIR RESEARCH EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER STUDENTS IN THE LABORATORY RESIDENCY GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AND WITH DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HEADQUARTERS AND LABORATORY RESEARCH STAFF.DURING FY2025, SIX NEW STUDENTS WERE SELECTED TO RECEIVE FELLOWSHIPS, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF FELLOWS IN THE PROGRAM TO 18. FOUR FELLOWS COMPLETED THE PHD FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM AND ARE NOW EMPLOYED AT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LABORATORIES, IN ACADEMIA, WITHIN NNSA, OR IN INDUSTRY. DURING THIS TIME, LRGF FELLOWS WERE ENROLLED AT 12 DIFFERENT RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED STATES.
  3. $28,109 spent. THE COMMUNICATION PROJECT DEVELOPS AND PROVIDES ACCESSIBLE, CONCISE, AND SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE PRESENTATIONS OF THE RESEARCH SUPPORTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE) AT DOE LABORATORIES, AT UNIVERSITIES, AND IN INDUSTRY. IT ALSO STUDIES HOW THE COMMUNICATION OF COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCH IS BEST FRAMED AND DISSEMINATED TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND TO EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

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 December 1997.

    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.