Max S Baucus Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO PREPARE OUR NEXT GENERATION OF PUBLIC SERVANTS.
- Income
- $1.5 million
- Spending
- $1.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 80%
- Reserves
- 14.5 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 96%
- Employees
- 5
- Volunteers
- 10
- Highest pay
- $199,920, executive dir.
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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 14.5 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 21% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 66% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1580% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 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
Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 40% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 5 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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed 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 (7)
- $239,855 spent. THE BAUCUS CLIMATE SCHOLARS PROGRAM PLACES UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE MONTANA STUDENTS WITH AN INTEREST IN THE ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND CLIMATE AT ORGANIZATIONS WORKING AT THE FOREFRONT OF THESE ISSUES. IN 2025, WE PLACED 26 BAUCUS CLIMATE SCHOLARS.
- $239,855 spent. THE BAUCUS LEADERS PROGRAM PLACES UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE MONTANA STUDENTS WITH AN INTEREST IN PUBLIC SERVICE AT LEGISLATIVE OFFICES IN WASHINGTON DC FOR TWO-MONTH SUMMER INTERNSHIPS. IN 2025, 13 BAUCUS LEADERS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM.
- $239,855 spent. The exclusive purpose of our program is to provide an academic benefit to our students by providing immersive academic programming and leadership experience
- $143,913 spent. THE BAUCUS LEADERS MONTANA PROGRAM PLACES UNDERGRADUATE ANDGRADUATE MONTANA STUDENTS WITH AN INTEREST IN PUBLIC SERVICE AT MONTANA-BASEDGOVERNMENT AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. IN 2025, WE PLACED 11 BAUCUS LEADERSMONTANA.
- $47,971 spent. THE BAUCUS INSTITUTE'S SPEAKER SERIES BRINGS GLOBAL THOUGHT LEADERS IN THE AREAS OF INTERNAL RELATIONS, CLIMATE CHANGE, FOREIGN POLICY, AND POLITICS TO MONTANA FOR PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THESE ISSUES. THESE LECTURES ARE USUALLY FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND THE COMBINED IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL AUDIENCES ARE 1,000 PLUS.
- $28,783 spent. THE BAUCUS INSTITUTE'S IRELAND COMPARATIVE LAW PROGRAM BRINGS LAW STUDENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY COUNTY CORK IN IRELAND TO STUDY COMPARATIVE INTERNATIONAL LAW. IN 2025, 17 STUDENTS TRAVELED TO IRELAND.
- $19,189 spent. The Max Baucus Institute selects four students to participate in the Big Barn Dialogues as notetakers. The exclusive purpose of this program is to provide an academic benefit to our students by giving them the challenging assignment to document and summarize a discussion regarding complex global challenges.
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 September 7, 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 September 30, 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 September 10, 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 September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 2021.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 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 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.