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Carnegie Institution of Washington

EIN 53-0196523 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

SEE SCHEDULE O.

Income
$106.5 million
Spending
$112.3 million
Spent on programs
76%
Reserves
23.1 months of spending
Largest source of income
investment income, 73%
Employees
488
Volunteers
16
Highest pay
$1.0 million, chief investment officer

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

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 77% of charities in its peer group (science, over $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 23.1 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 20% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 25% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    76% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 18 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 32% of charities in its peer group (science, over $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    17 of 18 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 (2)
  1. $75.0 million spent. PROGRAM SERVICE ACTIVITY #1 CARNEGIE SCIENCE IS A WORLD-RENOWNED CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY, EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES, AND BIOLOGY. CARNEGIE RESEARCHERS EMPLOY INTERDISCIPLINARY EFFORTS TO INVESTIGATE HOW THE UNIVERSE WAS FORMED, HOW LIFE EVOLVED ON THIS PLANET, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR LIFE TO EXIST ELSEWHERE IN THE COSMOS. CARNEGIE OBSERVATIONAL AND THEORETICAL ASTRONOMERS COLLABORATE TO TRACE THE EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE FROM THE SPARK OF THE BIG BANG THROUGH STAR AND GALAXY FORMATION; EXPLORE THE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSE; AND PROBE THE MYSTERIES OF DARK MATTER, DARK ENERGY, AND THE EVER-ACCELERATING RATE AT WHICH THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING. UNLIKE MOST IN THEIR FIELD, CARNEGIE OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMERS DESIGN AND BUILD THEIR OWN INSTRUMENTS TO CAPTURE THE SECRETS OF SPACE. CARNEGIE OPERATES TELESCOPES AT LAS CAMPANAS OBSERVATORY IN CHILE, WHERE MUCH OF OUR ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH IS CONDUCTED. WE ARE FOUNDING PARTNERS IN A CONSORTIUM THAT IS WORKING TO DESIGN, CONSTRUCT, AND OPERATE THE GIANT MAGELLAN TELESCOPE, ONE OF THE NEW CLASS OF EXTREMELY LARGE TELESCOPES, WHICH WILL BE AMONG THE WORLD'S LARGEST GROUND-BASED OPTICAL/INFRARED FACILITIES WHEN IT IS COMPLETED. CARNEGIE EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENTISTS POSSESS EXPERTISE IN PETROLOGY, HIGH-PRESSURE AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE PHYSICS, AND NOVEL MATERIAL SYNTHESIS, AMONG OTHER CORE AREAS. SOME CARNEGIE SCIENTISTS ARE DISCOVERING PLANETS ORBITING DISTANT STARS; PROBING THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF EARTH, THE MOON, AND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM; AND STUDYING THE CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANOES, AND OTHER GEOLOGIC PHENOMENA. CARNEGIE BIOLOGISTS ARE EMPLOYING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING THE INTERCONNECTED NATURE OF LIFE ON EARTH. WORKING ACROSS SCALES FROM GENOMES TO ECOSYSTEMS, CARNEGIE BIOLOGISTS ARE PROBING FUNDAMENTAL PLANET-SHAPING PROCESSES LIKE PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND GLOBAL NUTRIENT CYCLES, AS WELL AS THE MICROBIAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT UNDERPIN NEARLY EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE ON OUR PLANET. THEIR EFFORTS CAN INFORM AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY, ECOLOGICAL RESILIENCE, AND THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE, AS WELL AS INFORM THE SEARCH FOR BIOSIGNATURES ON DISTANT WORLDS.
  2. $10.4 million spent. PROGRAM SERVICE ACTIVITY #2 EDUCATION - CARNEGIE, A NON-DEGREE GRANTING ENTITY, IS AN ADVANCED STUDY ORGANIZATION AT WHICH HIGHLY QUALIFIED GRADUATE SCIENTISTS ARE OFFERED POSTGRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING FOR CAREERS IN EDUCATION AND RESEARCH. CARNEGIE'S POSTDOCTORAL SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION IS PRIMARILY CONDUCTED IN THE LABORATORY OR IN THE FIELD. THE POSTDOCTORAL CURRICULUM IS HEAVILY WEIGHTED TOWARD TRAINING CANDIDATES TO BE CAPABLE RESEARCHERS AND TEACHERS OF RESEARCH. THE FACULTY CONSISTS OF THE PROFESSIONAL STAFF OF CARNEGIE, ALL OF WHOM PURSUE THEIR OWN RESEARCH. CARNEGIE ALSO OFFERS CERTAIN TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PREDOCTORAL STUDENTS WHO MAY GO ON TO PURSUE ADVANCED DEGREES AT DEGREE-GRANTING INSTITUTIONS, AS WELL AS INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, BOTH THROUGH FORMAL PROGRAMS AND ON AN INDIVIDUAL, CASE-BY-CASE BASIS. CARNEGIE ALSO PARTNERS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO OFFER MORE INSTRUCTION ON ASTRONOMY AND PLANETARY SCIENCE, AND MAKES INFORMATION AVAILABLE CONCERNING CARNEGIE'S SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FINDINGS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH LECTURES AND OTHER PROGRAMMING.

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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since March 1914.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 7, 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.