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Bill of Rights Institute

EIN 48-0891418 · Arlington, VA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair68 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

The Bill of Rights Institute teaches history and civics. We equip students and teachers to live the ideals of a free and just society.

Income
$15.8 million
Spending
$11.3 million
Spent on programs
64%
Reserves
5.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 97%
Employees
54
Volunteers
5
Highest pay
$478,009, ceo and president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 68 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 5.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    10 of 20

    It owes 31% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 29% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 62% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    64% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 5 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, 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. $2.8 million spent. Educator Programs and Outreach The Bill of Rights Institute delivers rigorous professional development to educators nationwide through conference presentations, independent programs, and partnerships with local schools and districts. These programs offer educators the opportunity to learn teaching strategies and how to deploy BRI resources effectively in their classrooms. In 2025, the Institute continued to expand its network of over 91,000 educators-nearly one in two middle and high school educators in history and civics-and engaged more than 6,500 educators through 315 in-person trainings in twenty-nine states, as well as more than 2,700 educators through webinars and virtual learning.
  2. $2.6 million spent. Digital Resource Development and Distribution Established in 1999, the Bill of Rights Institute is the proven market leader in the publication of open educational resources (OER) that teach U.S. history and civics. BRI provides classroom resources to educators and students free of charge, primarily through digital distribution. These resources are designed to help teachers and students explore America's story, its core civic principles, and the skills of citizenship, preparing the next generation to positively shape our nation's future. In 2025, BRI served over 2.9M users with 6.3M page views across its digital platform, including its website, social media properties, and extensive YouTube library, which had over 4.8M views.
  3. $1.9 million spent. Student Programs The Bill of Rights Institute engages students directly through intensive study, debate, and civic entrepreneurship programs. These programs cultivate skills in leadership, principled thinking, and deliberation and give students knowledge and practice in citizenship. The BRI Student Fellowship is a selective six-month educational program that helps high school students develop as civic leaders in their communities. MyImpact Challenge is a national contest where students develop service projects inspired by constitutional principles. The Debate and Leadership Institute is a weeklong program in partnership with Founding Forward that helps students build their debate skills and learn about civic responsibility. In 2025, BRI selected twenty students for the Student Fellowship, engaged more than 2,500 students in the MyImpact Challenge national contest, conducted regional civics fairs in New York, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida, and hosted forty-eight students at the Debate Leadership Institute.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 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 June 1980.

    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.