Arc Research Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Our mission is to accelerate scientific progress, understand the root causes of disease, and narrow the gap between discoveries and impact on patients.
- Income
- $122.3 million
- Spending
- $82.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 77%
- Reserves
- 2.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 99%
- Employees
- 155
- Volunteers
- 12
- Highest pay
- $1.2 million, chief operating officer
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
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 44% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.1 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 45% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 32% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 128% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1577% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
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: 88 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (medical research, over $100m).
Independent board
18 of 253 of 3 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, 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)
- $64.1 million spent. - Core Investigators (which include the following labs) are provided with no-strings-attached, multi-year funding as well as cutting-edge scientific and infrastructure support to enable high-risk, high-reward science. They are innovative pioneers enabled to pursue their very best ideas. The Gilbert lab has an expertise in synthetic biology, functional genomics and cancer biology. We build CRISPR epigenetic editing tools to turn genes on and off and to perturb gene regulatory elements. We are developing CRISPR functional genomics approaches to map individual genes or sets of genes that regulate phenotypes of interest in vitro and in vivo. We are focused on utilizing our expertise to tackle big problems in deadly human cancers such as metastasis and drug resistance. The Hsu Lab works at the intersection of synthetic biology and genomics to invent new biotechnologies for improving human health. The Konermann lab develops and applies next-generation functional genomics to understand the cellular and molecular pathways underlying the neuronal system and neurodegenerative disease, with the long-term goal of developing rationally targeted therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders. The Li Lab combines chemistry, biochemistry, immunology, and physiology to uncover basic mechanisms in innate immunity and, in parallel, develop therapeutic hypotheses and lead molecules. Innate immune pathways as the first line of defense against pathogens present many exciting opportunities for scientists from many disciplines. These pathways are a rich source of novel chemistry: they involve diverse molecular patterns in pathogens, little-explored second messengers, and drugs with poorly understood mechanism. Activation of innate immunity is a proven therapeutic strategy for vaccination, viral infection, and cancer, while inhibition is a strategy for treating autoimmune diseases and neurodegeneration. To date, however, most modulators of innate immunity are broad, non-specific, and poorly characterized, such as killed bacteria, alum crystals, and steroids. The Li lab seeks to improve understanding of these pathways and facilitate the development of more precise drugs for preventing or treating specific diseases. The Horns Lab creates and uses new technologies to understand and manipulate cells. We aim to discover the fundamental principles governing how cells and tissues operate, and to harness these insights to improve human health. Our work unites molecular engineering, synthetic biology, and genomics to answer questions and solve problems in immunology, neuroscience, cancer, and aging. The Goodarzi Lab combines modern experimental and computational technologies to understand complex human diseases at a molecular level. We are predominantly focused on metastatic progression in multiple cancers and neurodegenerative diseases as the biggest challenges to human health in the 21st century. - Technology Development Centers As biomedical research has become more advanced, it has become more dependent on complicated tooling that is difficult or impossible for any single lab to pursue today. Arc Technology Centers are focused on advancing and distributing key biomedical technologies within the institute that require high capital scale, targeted expertise, and systematic innovation. Our Technology Centers provide long-term career options for Arc scientists beyond their training period. By enabling competitive compensation relative to the biotech and tech industries (such as for research scientists and computer programmers), our goal is to expand the ecosystem of available career paths in research and maintain continuity in critical technical know-how. We have 5 staffed Technology Centers focused on 1. Cellular Models 2. Genome Engineering 3. Mammalian Models 4. Multi-omics 5. Computational biology - Translational Programs Making an impact on complex diseases requires new fundamental biological insights into disease mechanisms and new technologies that can target rational therapeutic pathways at the right place and time in the body. In addition to curiosity-driven knowledge building, producing medically useful discoveries is a core mission of Arc. Arc will build translational infrastructure to support the distribution of new biological insights and biotechnologies into the clinical environment. This branch of the institute will be dedicated to reducing the friction of transferring academic research into for-profit spin-outs. This includes a streamlined IP licensing process, funding support, and an advisory network of drug development and domain experts. We will also create focused, entrepreneurial teams dedicated to testing specific ideas, such as a new gene target or effector molecule, within the institute. Our goal is to empower Arc scientists, engineers, and inventors to accelerate their work into impact on patients.
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 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 2024.
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 January 2022.
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.