Charles E Kaufman Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PROMOTE AND SUPPORT FUNDAMENTAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, AND PHYSICS AT PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES OF THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION.
- Income
- $2.6 million
- Spending
- $2.5 million
- Spent on programs
- 88%
- Reserves
- Over 10 years of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 100%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 7
- Highest pay
- $245,717, trustee
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 97 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover more than ten years of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 2% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 228% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1588% of spending went to programs.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no 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
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
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 December 31, 2024, 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)
- $2.2 million spent. THE CHARLES E. KAUFMAN FOUNDATION PROMOTES AND SUPPORTS FUNDAMENTAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, AND PHYSICS AT PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. WITH THE AID OF A SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD, THE FOUNDATION AWARDS INTEGRATED RESEARCH-EDUCATION GRANTS, NEW INVESTIGATOR AND NEW INITIATIVE RESEARCH GRANTS. IN 2024, GRANTS WERE AWARDED FOR THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES GOING TO INNOVATIVE AND INTERDISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AT PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITIES.SEE CONTINUATION ON SCHEDULE O.INTEGRATED RESEARCH EDUCATION GRANTS PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH THAT FOCUSES ON DIRECT ENGAGEMENT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS ALONG SIDE INNOVATIVE SCIENTISTS IN BASIC, FUNDAMENTAL, HANDS-ON RESEARCH THAT COULD LEAD TO NEW DISCOVERIES AND PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS. TWO INTEGRATED RESEARCH EDUCATION GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO:1) UNDERSTAND THE PREY-CAPTURE MECHANISM OF THE CARNIVOROUS PLANT DROSERA BY ENGAGING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY AND MICROSCOPY TECHNIQUES TO BUILD A COMPUTATIONAL MODEL2) UTILIZE CECROPINS, SHORT PEPTIDES WITH ANTI-MICROBIAL PROPERTIES THAT ARE PRODUCED BY INSECTS, FOR ANTI-BACTERIAL ACTIVITY AND STABILITY BY ENGAGING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A LAB COURSE TO DESIGN AND TEST STABLE DERIVATIVES OF CECROPINS. NEW INVESTIGATOR GRANTS PROVIDE RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR INNOVATIVE BASIC SCIENTISTS AS THEY TRANSITION INTO AN ACADEMIC POSITION AS A NEW INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATOR. THE FOUNDATION AWARDED NEW INVESTIGATOR GRANTS THAT ADDRESS CORE PRINCIPLES IN BIOLOGY, PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY. GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO:1) FOCUS ON AN OVERLOOKED GENE EXPRESSION REGULATION MECHANISM THAT WAS DISCOVERED IN THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR'S LAB IN WHICH RNAS REGULATE THEIR OWN PRODUCTION AND BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WIDELY THIS MECHANISM IS USED IN CELLS.2) DEVELOP THE THEORY BEHIND A FUNDAMENTALLY NEW AREA OF QUANTUM MAGNETISM CALLED ALTERMAGNETISM, A NEWLY DISCOVERED THIRD TYPE OF MAGNETISM DISTINCT FROM FERROMAGNETISM AND ANTIFERROMAGNETISM.3) USE MACHINE LEARNING TO AID IN THE CREATION OF BETTER SOLVENT MIXTURES THAT BOOST REACTION EFFICIENCY AND ARE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.4) UNDERSTAND HOW CONFLICTS BETWEEN DNA REPLICATION MACHINERY AND TRANSCRIPTION MACHINERY ARE PREVENTED TO AVOID GENOME BREAKAGE AND HOW CONFLICTS ARE RESOLVED WITH DNA REPAIR MACHINERY WHEN GENOME BREAKAGE OCCURS.5) INVESTIGATE THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGE OF BIOFILM GENETIC DIVERSITY TO SURVIVE TRANSITIONS FROM ONE ENVIRONMENT TO ANOTHER AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DIVERSITY.6) UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF ASTROCYTES, NON-NEURONAL BRAIN CELLS, IN SENSORY PROCESSING AND ATTENTION SHIFTS DURING MOVEMENT BY STUDYING APPROACH AND AVOIDANCE BEHAVIORS IN MICE.NEW INITIATIVE RESEARCH GRANTS STIMULATE EXISTING INVESTIGATORS WITH STRONG RECORDS OF RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO ESTABLISH COLLABORATIONS THAT FACILITATE INNOVATIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TOWARD A COMMON RESEARCH QUESTION AND THAT REQUIRE EXPERTISE BEYOND THAT OF ANY SINGLE RESEARCHER. NEW INITIATIVE GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO:1) UNDERSTAND THE ENERGY CONSTRAINTS AT PLAY IN A NEW KIND OF LIQUID-LIQUID CRYSTAL PHASE SEPERATION THAT WAS RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR'S LAB.2) UNDERSTAND THE IMMUNE CONSEQUENCES OF THE UPTAKE OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES FROM THE BACTERIUM STREPTOCOCCUS PNEAMONIAE BY MAMMALIAN CELL AND INVESTIGATE WHETHER THIS IS A CLOSED LOOP IN WHICH ONLY MAMMALIAN CELLS UPTAKE THE BACTERIUM'S EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES OR WHETHER BACTERIA ALSO UPTAKE MAMMALIAN VESICLES.3) STUDY THE SPACE AROUND MERGING BLACK HOLES BY UTILIZING DATA FROM THE LASER INTERFEROMETER GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE (LIGO) OBSERVATORY COUPLED WITH ADVANCED SIMULATIONS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 November 6, 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 December 2024.
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 June 2023.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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.
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