Leverage Research
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
LEVERAGE RESEARCH'S MISSION IS TO AID SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE BY SUPPORTING EARLY STAGE SCIENCE. WE SUPPORT EARLY STAGE SCIENCE BY: (1) CONDUCTING IN-DEPTH ACADEMIC RESEARCH INTO THE HISTORY OF EARLY SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE CAUSES AND PRINCIPLES WHICH DRIVE SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE, (2) CONDUCTING AND SUPPORTING BASIC RESEARCH IN FIELDS THAT HAVE NOT YET ATTAINED THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS ENJOYED BY THE HARD SCIENCES, ESPECIALLY THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND (3) COMMUNICATING OUR FINDINGS TO SCIENTISTS, FUNDERS, POLICY MAKERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE INTERESTED PUBLIC.
- Income
- $392,590
- Spending
- $430,580
- Spent on programs
- 89%
- Reserves
- -3.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 100%
- Employees
- 3
- Volunteers
- 5
- Highest pay
- $64,263, coo & secretary
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: 29 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (social science, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
0 of 20It owes 1793% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.
Income trend
10 of 15Income fell 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1589% 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
Good: 77 out of 100. Higher than 49% of charities in its peer group (social science, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 252 of 3 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
0 of 7Reports no 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
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (3)
- $210,575 spent. METASCIENCE - IN RESPONSE TO GROWING CONCERN ABOUT SCIENTIFIC STAGNATION, SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT STUDYING SCIENCE ITSELF COULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION. LEVERAGE PROPOSES THAT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE BY EXAMINING THE HISTORY OF SUCCESSFUL SCIENCES. WE STUDY THE MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN THE EARLY HISTORIES OF SUCCESSFUL FIELDS TO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE MAKE DISCOVERIES IN THE EARLY STAGES OF SCIENCE AND HELP RESEARCHERS MAKE NEW BREAKTHROUGHS TODAY. WE ESTIMATE THAT THERE ARE BETWEEN 200-400 CRITICAL DISCOVERIES IN THE EARLY HISTORIES OF TODAY'S SUCCESSFUL SCIENCES. WE ARE CURRENTLY PRODUCING IN-DEPTH CASE STUDIES COVERING THE HISTORY OF ELECTRICITY FROM WILLIAM GILBERT IN 1600 TO JAMES CLERK MAXWELL IN 1845. THE END GOAL OF THE PROGRAM IS TO RENDER THE EARLY HISTORY OF SCIENCE ACCESSIBLE BY MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO EXAMINE THE DATA SET OF DISCOVERIES AND DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE EARLY SCIENTIFIC PROCESS.
- $145,488 spent. INTROSPECTION - OVER THE PAST DECADE, LEVERAGE STUDIED PSYCHOLOGY, A FIELD MIRED IN A REPLICATION CRISIS. OUR HYPOTHESIS HAS BEEN, AND CONTINUES TO BE, THAT INTROSPECTION IS A PROMISING RESEARCH METHOD AND CAN PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR FRUITFUL EFFORTS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND PEOPLE. OUR EXPLORATORY PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM IS AN ATTEMPT TO USE AN INTROSPECTION-CENTRIC APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF USEFUL TOOLS FOR INTROSPECTION HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ADVANCE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE AND TO HELP INDIVIDUALS GENERATE BENEFICIAL SELF-KNOWLEDGE. WE PROVIDE INTROSPECTIVE TOOLS SUCH AS BELIEF REPORTING AND CHARTING, COLLABORATE WITH OTHER PRACTITIONERS AND DEVELOPERS OF INTROSPECTIVE TOOLS, AND PROVIDE TRAINING TO RESEARCHERS ON HOW TO USE INTROSPECTION TO STUDY THE MIND EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY. OUR GOAL IS TO DEVELOP AND DISTRIBUTE INTROSPECTIVE METHODS THAT COULD SERVE AS THE FOUNDATION FOR DEVELOPING A NEW SUBFIELD OF INTROSPECTION RESEARCH.
- $26,800 spent. BOTTLENECKS - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO EMPOWER HUMANITY WITH NEW KNOWLEDGE AND NEW TOOLS WITH WHICH TO IMPROVE THE WORLD AROUND US. YET, SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS ARE FREQUENTLY NOT AS FUNCTIONAL AS SOCIETY NEEDS THEM TO BE. EVEN AS THE NUMBER OF RESEARCHERS AND AMOUNT OF MONEY SPENT ON RESEARCH INCREASES, IN MANY PLACES, FIELDS SIMPLY AREN'T MAKING FAST ENOUGH PROGRESS. BY COMBINING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE AND PEOPLE, WE AIM TO DISCERN AND ADDRESS THE SOCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL, NOT JUST TECHNICAL, OBSTACLES TO PROGRESS ACROSS A VARIETY OF FIELDS-SUCH AS GEOTHERMAL, SUPERSONIC FLIGHT, AND PSYCHOLOGY-AND COORDINATE EFFORTS TO OVERCOME THEM. OUR BOTTLENECKS PROGRAM CONSISTS OF BOTH EVENTS AND RESEARCH. THE EVENTS PROVIDE A VENUE FOR BRINGING TOGETHER RESEARCHERS, FUNDERS, AND PROJECT LEADERS TO THINK AND TALK ABOUT WHERE THE REAL BOTTLENECKS ARE, AND OUR PUBLICATIONS COMMUNICATE THE CONCLUSIONS WE REACH.
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 October 13, 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 2025.
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 March 2013.
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 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.