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Brookings Institution

EIN 53-0196577 · Washington, DC

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthStrong100 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION (BROOKINGS) IS A NONPROFIT PUBLIC POLICY ORGANIZATION THAT CONDUCTS IN-DEPTH, INDEPENDENT RESEARCH THAT LEADS TO NEW IDEAS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS FACING SOCIETY AT THE LOCAL, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL LEVEL. HEADQUARTERED IN WASHINGTON, DC, BROOKINGS IS ORGANIZED INTO FIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, FOREIGN POLICY, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, GOVERNANCE, AND METROPOLITAN POLICY. BROOKINGS ACHIEVES IMPACT BY PROVIDING POLICY ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON PRESSING POLICY CHALLENGES, WHICH ARE DISSEMINATED THROUGH REPORTS, BOOKS, MEDIA APPEARANCES, OP-EDS, BLOG POSTS, MEETINGS, EVENTS, CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY, AND BRIEFINGS.

Income
$115.7 million
Spending
$107.7 million
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
27.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 66%
Employees
603
Volunteers
53
Highest pay
$1.4 million, president

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

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 27.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 11% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 6% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 11 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.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    49 of 49 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 (8)
  1. $22.4 million spent. ECONOMIC STUDIES:THE ECONOMIC STUDIES PROGRAM PROVIDES ANALYSIS OF CURRENT AND EMERGING ECONOMIC ISSUES TO INFORM PUBLIC POLICY THROUGH INNOVATIVE AND PRACTICAL POLICY SOLUTIONS. OVER THE PAST YEAR, ECONOMIC STUDIES SCHOLARS CONDUCTED RIGOROUS RESEARCH AND POLICY ANALYSIS IN AREAS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SOUND MONETARY AND FISCAL POLICY, TAXATION, INCLUSIVE SOCIO-ECONOMIC POLICY, ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND MOBILITY, HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL INSURANCE ECONOMICS, AND THE EFFICIENT WORKING OF MARKETS. THE ECONOMIC STUDIES PROGRAM DISSEMINATED ITS FREQUENTLY CITED SCHOLARSHIP IN PUBLISHED REPORTS, RESEARCH PAPERS, JOURNALS, LONGER-FORM BOOKS AND SHORTER-FORM OP-EDS AND BLOG POSTS, AS WELL AS THROUGH EVENTS.
  2. $20.3 million spent. GLOBAL ECONOMY AND DEVELOPMENT:THE GLOBAL ECONOMY & DEVELOPMENT (GLOBAL) PROGRAM OFFERS INNOVATIVE POLICY SOLUTIONS AND TOOLS TO HELP GLOBAL, NATIONAL, AND LOCAL POLICYMAKERS BUILD MORE EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC SYSTEMS THAT DELIVER PROSPERITY AND WELL-BEING FOR ALL. GLOBAL'S INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF EXPERTS PROVIDES THOUGHT LEADERSHIP, CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH, AND INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT INFORM POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THEMATIC AREAS INCLUDING HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT; DEVELOPMENT FINANCE; FORECASTING TRENDS; GLOBAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT; AND MULTILATERALISM AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION.
  3. $15.3 million spent. FOREIGN POLICY:THE FOREIGN POLICY PROGRAM CONDUCTS RESEARCH, ANALYSIS AND CONVENING IN ORDER TO INFORM PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING AND POLICY DIALOGUE CONCERNING THE MOST PRESSING GEOPOLITICAL AND SECURITY ISSUES FACING THE U.S. AND THE WORLD. IN ADDITION TO THE PROGRAM REGULARLY HOSTING EVENTS, FOREIGN POLICY SCHOLARS HAVE PUBLISHED A NUMBER OF REPORTS AND BOOKS WHILE ALSO MAKING APPEARANCES ON THE PAGES AND AIRWAVES OF MAJOR NEWS AND POLICY OUTLETS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE GLOBE.
  4. $14.0 million spent. GOVERNANCE STUDIES:THE GOVERNANCE STUDIES PROGRAM AT BROOKINGS IS DEDICATED TO ANALYZING POLICY ISSUES, POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROCESSES, AND CONTEMPORARY GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES. OUR SCHOLARSHIP IDENTIFIES AREAS IN NEED OF REFORM AND PROPOSES SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS WITH THE GOALS OF IMPROVING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, INFORMING DEBATE, AND PROVIDING STAKEHOLDERS WITH EXPERT ANALYSIS AND IDEAS TO ENSURE BETTER INSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE. GOVERNANCE STUDIES EXPERTS FOCUS ON AREAS RANGING FROM ELECTION PROCESSES, TO PRIVACY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, TO THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, TO GLOBAL ANTI-CORRUPTION EFFORTS. IN ADDITION TO PUBLISHING MYRIAD WORKS OF WRITTEN SCHOLARSHIP, GOVERNANCE STUDIES HELD A NUMBER OF EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON THESE AND OTHER TIMELY TOPICS.
  5. $12.7 million spent. BROOKINGS METRO:THE BROOKINGS METRO PROGRAM WORKS WITH LOCAL LEADERS TO TRANSFORM ORIGINAL RESEARCH INSIGHTS INTO POLICY AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS THAT SCALE NATIONALLY IN SUPPORT OF EVERY COMMUNITY BECOMING PROSPEROUS, JUST, AND RESILIENT - NO MATTER ITS STARTING POINT. THE PROGRAM PRODUCES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PUBLICATIONS, INCLUDING BLOG POSTS, RESEARCH BRIEFS, REPORTS, BOOKS AND INTERACTIVE DATA VISUALIZATIONS, AND HOST A NUMBER OF PUBLIC EVENTS. THROUGH ROUNDTABLES, MEETINGS, PUBLIC FORUMS, CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS, LABS AND COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE, THE PROGRAM ALSO CONTINUED TO WORK WITH NETWORKS OF EXPERTS FROM DIFFERENT SECTORS TO TRANSLATE EVIDENCE AND IDEAS INTO TANGIBLE SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS THE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES FACING THE NATION, STATES AND CITIES ALIKE.
  6. $2.9 million spent. COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: BROOKINGS' COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT DISSEMINATES INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSTITUTION, ITS SCHOLARS AND RESEARCH, AND THE ARRAY OF RESOURCES THAT BROOKINGS OFFERS. THE COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT MANAGES BROOKINGS' PRIMARY AVENUES FOR DISTRIBUTING ITS WORK, SUCH AS THE INSTITUTION'S WEBSITE (WWW.BROOKINGS.EDU), SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, OTHER DIGITAL COMPONENTS OF OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, AS WELL AS HOUSING THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION PRESS. GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS IS ALSO PART OF THE DEPARTMENT, CHARGED WITH FACILITATING SCHOLAR ENGAGEMENT WITH POLICYMAKERS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS.
  7. $1.6 million spent. INSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVES:INCLUDES RESEARCH INITIATIVES UNDERTAKEN OR SUPERVISED BY THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE AND CROSS-PROGRAM RESEARCH EFFORTS, SUCH AS THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE.THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY (AIET) INITIATIVE INCLUDES SEVERAL WORKSTREAMS EACH DESIGNED TO TRACK AND INFORM PRESSING QUESTIONS AT THE INTERSECTION OF TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY IN NEAR REAL-TIME.
  8. $251,200 spent. BROOKINGS PRESS:THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION PRESS PUBLISHES LONGFORM PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS FROM BROOKINGS SCHOLARS AND OTHER EXPERTS. THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION PRESS PUBLISHES BOOKS ON GOVERNANCE, POLITICAL SCIENCE, ECONOMICS, FOREIGN POLICY AND OTHER FIELDS THAT ARE WIDELY DISCUSSED IN THE MEDIA, ASSIGNED IN CLASSROOMS, REFERRED TO IN LIBRARIES, AND PICKED UP IN BOOKSTORES-BOOKS THAT INFORM WITH CLARITY AND PERSUADE WITH CONVICTION.

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? 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 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 March 1940.

    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.