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The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Inc

EIN 54-1720742 · Arlington, VA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthWeak40 out of 100GovernanceGood88 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

IGES' mission is to be a trusted leader in Earth and space science education, communication and outreach, and to foster national and international cooperation in global Earth observations. IGES hopes its efforts will improve the understanding of, and response to, natural and human-induced changes in the Earth's systems by seeking multidisciplinary approaches to complex and critical social, environmental and economic challenges.IGES seeks to develop and implement activities and programs for students, teachers, and the broader Earth and space science education community, as well as to work with leaders and decision-makers from government, the private sector, and academia around the world in order to further Earth observations research.

Income
$1.3 million
Spending
$1.3 million
Spent on programs
63%
Reserves
0.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
government grants, 99%
Employees
8
Volunteers
0
Highest pay
$192,709, 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

Weak: 40 out of 100. Higher than 6% of charities in its peer group (social science, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 75% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 3% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 3% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    63% 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

Good: 88 out of 100. Higher than 48% of charities in its peer group (social science, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    18 of 25

    4 of 4 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

    0 of 5

    Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.

  • 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 (4)
  1. $382,992 spent. NASA CAN: This is a cooperative agreement from NASA's Science Mission Directorate supporting the NASA Earth Science Education Collaborative (NESEC). IGES is the lead and is partnered with three NASA Centers: Goddard, Langley, and JPL. Awarded in February 2016 for up to 10 years, $8.6M is earmarked for IGES. A few of the many contributions IGES will be making to this effort are: 1) Overall project management and coordination; 2) Developing educationally relevant Earth STEM themes; 3) Act as a key liason to other CAN project teams; 4) Support training and online instruction for GLOBE initiatives; and 5) Lead the planning and implementation of the annual International Science and Engineering competition and awards.
  2. $225,609 spent. NASA - CUNY Globe Implementation: This is a federal grant that will lead theGlobal Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Implementation Office Training, Education, and Public Engagement TEPE and Science Teams. The goal is to elevate GLOBE's visibility and scientific relevance in the realms of STEM education, Earth system research, and science diplomacy, while supporting GLOBE participants as agents of changecontributing to a sustainable planet.
  3. $52,124 spent. NSF: This is a federal grant transferred from TERC, Inc. This grant supports collaborative research around scaffolding middle and high school students' scientific evaluations of sources and alternative claims in Earth and environmental sciences.
  4. $175,500 spent. Other federal and non-federal grants related to the Organization's mission.

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 November 6, 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 1995.

    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 November 4, 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.