Aip Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- Raising each dollar of donations cost 71 cents.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
SEE SCHEDULE O
- Income
- $2.4 million
- Spending
- $5.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 71%
- Reserves
- 0.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 84%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 21
- Highest pay
- $732,561, ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 39 out of 100. Higher than 8% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
4 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 0.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 6% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 136% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 9% on the year before.
Spending floor
0 of 1571% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 71 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 95 out of 100. Higher than 63% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 257 of 8 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
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, 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 (5)
- $4.0 million spent. AIP FOUNDATION IS ORGANIZED AND OPERATES EXCLUSIVELY FOR CHARITABLE, SCIENTIFIC, AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 501 (C ) (3) OF THE IRS CODE 1986. IN KEEPING WITH ITS MISSION TO ADVANCE, PROMOTE AND SERVE THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES FOR THE BENEFIT OF HUMANITY, AIP OFFERS UNIQUE EXPERTISE AND PRODUCTS IN: STUDENT ENGAGEMENT; PRESERVATION AND PROMULGATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES; CONTENT DELIVERY; MAGAZINE PUBLISHING; STATISTICAL RESEARCH; AND PUBLIC POLICY REPORTING, RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS. (EXPENSES $ INCLUDING GRANTS OF $) SEE SCHEDULE O
- SOCIETY OF PHYSICS STUDENTS (SPS) IS A NATIONAL COMMUNITY OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY UNDERGRADUATES AND THEIR MENTORS; SIGMA PI SIGMA IS THE PHYSICS HONOR SOCIETY WITH LIFELONG MEMBERS. THESE PROGRAMS CHAMPION THE VOICES OF UNDERGRADUATES AND EARLY-CAREER PROFESSIONALS BY INTEGRATING THEIR VOICES AS ESSENTIAL IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES, SO THAT AIP HIGHLIGHTS THEIR ROLES ACROSS WORKFORCE, EDUCATION, AND INNOVATION CONVERSATIONS.
- AIP ESTABLISHED ITS HISTORY PROGRAMS, WHICH INCLUDE THE NIELS BOHR LIBRARY, IN 1962. THE NIELS BOHR LIBRARY & ARCHIVES IS A REPOSITORY AND CLEARINGHOUSE FOR INFORMATION IN THE HISTORY OF PHYSICS, ASTRONOMY, GEOPHYSICS, AND ALLIED FIELDS. IN-HOUSE HOLDINGS INCLUDE AN OUTSTANDING COLLECTION OF TEXTBOOKS, MONOGRAPHS, RARE BOOKS, AND RELATED PUBLICATIONS; OVER 30,000 PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER IMAGES; OVER 2,000 ONLINE ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS WITH MANY OF THE OUTSTANDING FIGURES IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES; ARCHIVAL RECORDS OF AIP AND ITS MEMBER SOCIETIES, ALONG WITH OTHER ARCHIVAL RECORDS AND PERSONAL PAPERS OF A SELECT NUMBER OF SCIENTISTS. AIP'S HISTORY PROGRAMS SUPPORT SCHOLARLY EFFORTS TO DOCUMENT, INVESTIGATE, AND UNDERSTAND DEVELOPMENTS IN MODERN PHYSICS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SOCIETY. IT DOES SO THROUGH SUPPORT OF EARLY-CAREER HISTORIANS, ONLINE EXHIBITS, GRANTS-IN-AID TO RESEARCHERS, ORIGINAL SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS, ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS, HOSTING CONVENINGS, AND PARTICIPATING IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES AND HISTORY PROJECTS. (EXPENSES $ INCLUDING GRANTS OF $) SEE SCHEDULE O
- SEE SCHEDULE O
- AIP IS DEEPLY COMMITTED TO ADVANCING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND CULTIVATING A CULTURE OF STEM EXCELLENCE THAT SUPPORTS INCLUSIVE, WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS. OUR EFFORTS FOCUS ON ENSURING THAT ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES CAN THRIVE THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY. GUIDED BY DATA, WE PRIORITIZE COMMUNITIES WHERE INVESTMENT IS MOST NEEDED-WORKING TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND. TEAM-UP TOGETHER (TU-T) IS A COLLECTIVE ACTION INITIATIVE ESTABLISHED BY THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICS TEACHERS, AMERICAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS, AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY, AND SOCIETY OF PHYSICS STUDENTS TO DRIVE SYSTEMIC CHANGE IN THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES COMMUNITY. TEAM-UP TOGETHER AIMS TO BREAK DOWN THE STARKEST BARRIERS TO STUDENT SUCCESS IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY TO ENSURE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL . AIPF FUNDRAISES FOR THE CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT TU-T. AIP'S AWARD PROGRAM HONORS OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN EXCELLENCE IN PHYSICS AND RAISES PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT PHYSICISTS MAKE TO SOCIETY. AIP FURTHER SUPPORTED THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES COMMUNITY TO MEET PROGRAM GOALS BY LAUNCHING A DIGITAL EXPERIENCE PLATFORM TO ENGAGE AND INFORM STAKEHOLDERS AND HAS GIVEN NUMEROUS PRESENTATIONS AT SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 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 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 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 October 2019.
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.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: AARP Foundation (Washington, DC), EIN 52-0794300. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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.