In-Q-Tel Inc
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
IQT SERVES AND POWERS THE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND ITS ALLIES THROUGH CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY, STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS, EXPLORATION AND APPLIED RESEARCH, AND ACCELERATION OF CAPABILITIES WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC ULTIMATELY BENEFITTING FROM IQT'S WORK.
- Income
- $132.1 million
- Spending
- $134.1 million
- Spent on programs
- 78%
- Reserves
- 76.4 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 87%
- Employees
- 206
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $4.0 million, president/ceo & trustee
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 90% of charities in its peer group (international, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 76.4 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 10% of what it owns.
Living within its means
8 of 15Spending exceeded income by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 22% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1578% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (international, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 11 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
7 of 7Has a 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
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 March 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 (1)
- $104.7 million spent. IQT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1999 AS AN INDEPENDENT, NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION TO HELP THE CIA AND BROADER U.S. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO IDENTIFY INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ARISING FROM THE VENTURE-BACKED STARTUP COMMUNITY AND HARNESS THEM FOR NATIONAL SECURITY. IT IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND ORGANIZATION THAT CONSISTENTLY DELIVERS SOPHISTICATED INSIGHTS AND INVESTMENTS, AND UNPARALLELED ACCESS TO DEEP TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE, ULTIMATELY PROVIDING MISSION-IMPACTFUL TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY INNOVATING TO SERVE IQT'S PARTNERS IN NEW WAYS. APPROACH IQT'S APPROACH SHOULD BE CONSIDERED "GLOBAL SECURITY INVESTING" (GSI). THIS ENCOMPASSES TRADITIONAL TERMS SUCH AS DEFENSE TECH AND MISSION TECH, YET PLACES GREATER EMPHASIS ON LEVERAGING EXISTING AND OVER-THE-HORIZON COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGY TO SUSTAIN MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE OVERMATCH AGAINST ADVERSARIES. THIS APPROACH RECOGNIZES THAT IF THE U.S. IS TO WIN THE INNOVATION WARS, WE NEED NEW WAYS TO CATALYZE INVESTMENT IN UNDERFUNDED AREAS CRITICAL TO NATIONAL SECURITY AND PROMOTING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY. AS A STRATEGIC INVESTOR IN GSI, THE COMPANY FUNDS STARTUP COMPANIES TO HELP MATURE NASCENT, DUAL-USE COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES INTO MISSION-READY PRODUCTS AT A LOWER COST THAN BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES. IQT'S STRATEGIC AND GLOBAL INVESTMENT MODEL ENABLES AGILITY OFTEN LACKING WITHIN TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING MECHANISMS. IQT FINDS AND NURTURES ENTREPRENEURS AND STARTUP COMPANIES THAT CAN PROVIDE A SUPPLY CHAIN OF INNOVATION WHICH ENABLES THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE AND DEFENSE COMMUNITIES AND ITS ALLIES TO BENEFIT FROM ADVANCES IN COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES. UNLIKE TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS THAT ADDRESS LIMITED AND DIRECT GOVERNMENT NEEDS, IQT HELPS THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE AND DEFENSE COMMUNITIES, AND ITS ALLIES UNDERSTAND THE TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE WHICH FURTHERS THE OVERALL NATIONAL SECURITY EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND PROVIDES A BROAD-BASED BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC. IQT ALSO OPERATES AS A TECHNOLOGY ACCELERATOR, FOSTERING DEVELOPMENT AND INTRODUCTION OF TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE THE NATIONAL SECURITY CAPABILITIES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. IQT'S GLOBAL SOURCING, RIGOROUS AND THOROUGH MARKET RESEARCH, AND BUSINESS ACUMEN ENABLE IT TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL INSIGHTS TO U.S. GOVERNMENT PARTNERS AND TAKE CALCULATED INVESTMENT RISKS NECESSARY TO ADAPT AND MATURE NASCENT, LEADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES TO OPERATIONAL READINESS TO HELP THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ACHIEVE ITS MISSIONS. IDENTIFYING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES AS A STRATEGIC INVESTOR, IQT SCOURS THE GLOBE FOR STARTUP TECHNOLOGIES WITH DUAL-USE CAPABILITIES - TECHNOLOGIES AND SERVICES APPLICABLE TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMERCIAL MARKETS AND NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION - DELIVERING INSIGHTS, TECHNOLOGY COMPONENTS, AND SOLUTIONS. THESE OFF-THE-SHELF PRODUCTS DO NOT REQUIRE LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT FROM THE GROUND UP. RATHER THEY CAN BE ADAPTED FOR "READY-SOON" TESTING AND MISSION USE CASES. BY FOCUSING ON DUAL-USE TECHNOLOGY, IQT IDENTIFIES AND DELIVERS CRITICAL, INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY MORE QUICKLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY. THE FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS OF IQT'S STRATEGIC APPROACH ARE ITS RIGOROUS DILIGENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS ACUMEN, AND THE AGILITY OF TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS WHERE IQT COLLABORATES WITH THE STARTUP TO TAILOR A COMPANY'S TECHNOLOGY TO THE CAPABILITIES NEEDED BY ITS GOVERNMENT PARTNERS AND INVESTS TOWARDS THAT WORK PROGRAM. IQT DESIGNS ITS STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS TO ACCELERATE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY AND TO HELP COMPANIES ADD CAPABILITIES THAT WILL HELP OUR GOVERNMENT PARTNERS FUNCTION MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. IQT ALSO MAKES MODEST, EQUITY-ONLY INVESTMENTS. THESE INVESTMENTS DO NOT INCLUDE A TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY IS MODIFIED, YET IQT BELIEVES THE TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES HOLD POTENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION, AND ULTIMATELY THE GENERAL PUBLIC. IQT ALSO SERVES AS A TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT AND ADVISOR THAT PROVIDES MARKET, TECHNOLOGY, AND VENTURE CAPITAL INSIGHTS TO THE U.S. INTELLIGENCE AND DEFENSE COMMUNITIES AND ITS ALLIES. IQT EFFECTIVELY LEVERAGES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PRIVATE SECTOR FUNDS, OFTEN FROM TOP-TIER VENTURE CAPITAL FIRMS, TO CO-INVEST IN OUR PORTFOLIO COMPANIES. ON AVERAGE, FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT IQT INVESTS IN A COMPANY, THE VENTURE CAPITAL COMMUNITY HAS INVESTED $62 WHICH HELPS ENSURE THE COMPANY HAS FINANCIAL BACKING TO MAINTAIN SUPPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT BEING THE SOLE OR PRIMARY FUNDER. AS OF MARCH 31, 2025, IQT TECHNOLOGY KEY FOCUS AREAS ARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, CYBER, ENERGY, ENTERPRISE, ADVANCED HARDWARE SYSTEMS, LIFE SCIENCES AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, QUANTUM, MICROELECTRONICS, AND SPACE. BUILDING STRONG COMPANIES FOR STRONG TECHNOLOGIES USING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FUNDING AND EQUITY INVESTING, IQT INCENTIVIZES COMPANIES TO PUT THEIR BEST TALENT INTO SOLVING THE TOUGHEST TECHNOLOGY PROBLEMS FACING THE U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNITY AND ITS ALLIES. THROUGH ITS STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS PARTNERSHIPS (THOSE WITH A TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT), IQT WORKS WITH THE COMPANY AND ITS GOVERNMENT PARTNERS TO ADAPT THE TECHNOLOGY TO HELP THE GOVERNMENT OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY. THROUGH COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION, IQT WORKS WITH THE COMPANY AND GOVERNMENT PARTNER TO TEST THE TAILORED TECHNOLOGY, PROVIDE ASSESSMENT ABOUT FUNCTIONALITY, AND FACILITATE SOLUTION DELIVERY. THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS HANDS-ON, COLLABORATIVE APPROACH ARE SIGNIFICANT: LOWER INITIAL AND LONG-TERM COSTS, RAPID DEVELOPMENT, TESTING AND EVALUATION TO DETERMINE EFFECTIVENESS, AND ONGOING PRODUCT ENHANCEMENTS TO ENSURE UTILITY FOR THE NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION. SUPPORTING AND ESTABLISHING NEW PARTNERS IQT IS A PARTNER TO MULTIPLE AGENCIES COMMITTED TO NATIONAL SECURITY INCLUDING CIA (CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY), FBI (FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION), NSA (NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY), NGA (NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY), NRO (NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE), CBP (CUSTOMS AND BORDE
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, 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 March 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 April 2001.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Caution.
California's Attorney General lists its registration as revoked as of March 31, 2006. Organizations on this list may not solicit donations in California.
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.