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Middle East Media and Research Institute Inc

EIN 52-2068483 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak30 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

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

THE MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MEMRI) EXPLORES THE MIDDLE EAST THROUGH ITS MEDIA, PROVIDING TIMELY TRANSLATIONS FROM ARABIC, FARSI, URDU, PASHTU, AND TURKISH MEDIA AND PUBLISHING ORIGINAL ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL, IDEOLOGICAL, INTELLECTUAL, RELIGIOUS AND OTHER TRENDS IN THE ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLD AS WELL AS IN RUSSIA AND CHINA, MAKING THESE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC. IT ASSISTS THE U.S. MILITARY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH ITS RESEARCH, INCLUDING WITH ITS MONITORING OF ONLINE ACTIVITY, PROVIDING THEM WITH REAL-TIME INFORMATION. THE MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MEMRI) PUBLISHES TIMELY TRANSLATIONS FROM ARABIC, FARSI, URDU, PASHTU, RUSSIAN, AND CHINESE CONTENT FROM MEDIA AND OTHER OPEN SOURCES - PRINT, BROADCAST, AND ONLINE, INCLUDING SOCIAL MEDIA, SERMONS, AND SCHOOLBOOKS - AS WELL AS ORIGINAL ANALYSIS OF POLITICAL, IDEOLOGICAL, INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND RELIGIOUS TRENDS IN THESE REGIONS. FOUNDED IN DECEMBER 1997 TO INFORM THE DEBATE IN U.S. POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAS

Income
$9.5 million
Spending
$30.8 million
Spent on programs
96%
Reserves
-0.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 57%
Employees
30
Volunteers
12
Highest pay
$259,361, executive di

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

Financial health

Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 2% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    0 of 35

    Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.

  • Debt

    0 of 20

    It owes 104% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 224% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 32% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    96% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.

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

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (international, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    5 of 8 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 June 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 (1)
  1. $29.6 million spent. THE MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MEMRI) PROVIDES AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, LEGISLATIVE BODIES, POLICYMAKERS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, INFORMING THEM AND ASSISTING THEM IN CARRYING OUT THEIR MISSIONS. IT ALSO INFORMS MEDIA, ACADEMIA, AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. IT BRIDGES THE LANGUAGE GAP BETWEEN THE MIDDLE EAST/RUSSIA/CHINA AND THE WEST BY MONITORING AND TRANSLATING CONTENT FROM ALL FORMS OF MEDIA ACROSS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF POLITICAL, IDEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, AND OTHER VITAL SPHERES, AND PUBLISHING ORIGINAL ANALYSIS THE MEDIA OF THESE REGIONS, OFFERING DIRECT ACCESS TO PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIAL IN ARABIC, FARSI, URDU, PASHTU, RUSSIAN, AND CHINESE. EVERY WEEK, MEMRI PUBLISHES DOZENS OF TRANSLATIONS, ANALYSIS PIECES, AND TRANSLATED VIDEO CLIPS; THIS RESEARCH IS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, MEMRI.ORG, AROUND THE CLOCK AND DISSEMINATED DAILY VIA EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SUBSCRIBERS AND FOLLOWERS. ITS RESEARCH IS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH AND OTHER MAJOR LANGUAGES, AND ITS MAIN WEBSITE MEMRI.ORG AND ITS PROJECT WEBSITES RECEIVE MILLIONS OF VISITORS ANNUALLY. MEMRI TV CLIPS HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF OVER ONE BILLION VIEWS SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THIS PROJECT IN 2004. MEMRI PROVIDES BRIEFINGS AS WELL AS INFORMATION, INCLUDING TIMELY AND ACTIONABLE ALERTS, TO FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOCUSING ON COUNTERTERRORISM, FOREIGN POLICY, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND ITS RESEARCH IS VITAL TO INFORMING DISCUSSIONS ON THE MIDDLE EAST, COUNTERTERRORISM, AND OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES ON ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. ADDITIONALLY, MEDIA OUTLETS ACROSS THE U.S. - ALL MAJOR TELEVISION NETWORKS, MAJOR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES, ONLINE NEWS OUTLETS, AND MORE - REGULARLY CITE AND RELY ON MEMRI RESEARCH, AND TURN TO MEMRI FOR SPECIAL MEDIA PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. MEMRI RESEARCH IS ALSO USED IN ACADEMIA, AT HUNDREDS OF UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTES OF HIGHER EDUCATION ACROSS THE U.S. THE MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE (MEMRI) PROVIDES AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, LEGISLATIVE BODIES, POLICYMAKERS, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, INFORMING THEM AND ASSISTING THEM IN CARRYING OUT THEIR MISSIONS. IT ALSO INFORMS MEDIA, ACADEMIA, AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. IT BRIDGES THE LANGUAGE GAP BETWEEN THE MIDDLE EAST/RUSSIA/CHINA AND THE WEST BY MONITORING AND TRANSLATING CONTENT FROM ALL FORMS OF MEDIA ACROSS THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF POLITICAL, IDEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL, AND OTHER VITAL SPHERES, AND PUBLISHING ORIGINAL ANALYSIS THE MEDIA OF THESE REGIONS, OFFERING DIRECT ACCESS TO PRIMARY SOURCE MATERIAL IN ARABIC, FARSI, URDU, PASHTU, RUSSIAN, AND CHINESE. EVERY WEEK, MEMRI PUBLISHES DOZENS OF TRANSLATIONS, ANALYSIS PIECES, AND TRANSLATED VIDEO CLIPS; THIS RESEARCH IS POSTED ON OUR WEBSITE, MEMRI.ORG, AROUND THE CLOCK AND DISSEMINATED DAILY VIA EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SUBSCRIBERS AND FOLLOWERS. ITS RESEARCH IS PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH AND OTHER MAJOR LANGUAGES, AND ITS MAIN WEBSITE MEMRI.ORG AND ITS PROJECT WEBSITES RECEIVE MILLIONS OF VISITORS ANNUALLY. MEMRI TV CLIPS HAVE HAD A TOTAL OF OVER ONE BILLION VIEWS SINCE THE LAUNCH OF THIS PROJECT IN 2004. MEMRI PROVIDES BRIEFINGS AS WELL AS INFORMATION, INCLUDING TIMELY AND ACTIONABLE ALERTS, TO FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FOCUSING ON COUNTERTERRORISM, FOREIGN POLICY, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND ITS RESEARCH IS VITAL TO INFORMING DISCUSSIONS ON THE MIDDLE EAST, COUNTERTERRORISM, AND OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES ON ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. ADDITIONALLY, MEDIA OUTLETS ACROSS THE U.S. - ALL MAJOR TELEVISION NETWORKS, MAJOR NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES, ONLINE NEWS OUTLETS, AND MORE - REGULARLY CITE AND RELY ON MEMRI RESEARCH, AND TURN TO MEMRI FOR SPECIAL MEDIA PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. MEMRI RESEARCH IS ALSO USED IN ACADEMIA, AT HUNDREDS OF UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTES OF HIGHER EDUCATION ACROSS THE U.S.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 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? Worth knowing.

    Status was revoked on November 15, 2024 for not filing returns for three years, and reinstated on November 15, 2024.

    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 June 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 August 2025.

    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.