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Earthquake Engineering Research Institute Inc

EIN 94-6082215 · Oakland, CA

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

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood75 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

EERI IS A MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO UNDERSTANDING EARTHQUAKE RISK AND INCREASING EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE IN COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE. EERI'S DIVERSE MULTIDISCIPLINARY MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES RESEARCHERS, PRACTITIONERS, AND STUDENTS IN ENGINEERING, GEOSCIENCE, SOCIAL SCIENCE, ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, GOVERNMENT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND POLICY MAKING. EERI'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE MEMBERS WITH THE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY SKILLS, COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS, AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY CONTEXT TO ACHIEVE EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE.

Income
$1.9 million
Spending
$2.2 million
Spent on programs
72%
Reserves
24.6 months of spending
Largest source of income
fees for its services, 59%
Employees
7
Volunteers
48
Highest pay
$164,939, director of operations

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

Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 24.6 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 7% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.

  • Income trend

    5 of 15

    Income fell 12% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    72% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 6 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

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 68% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    11 of 11 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

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • 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 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 (4)
  1. $395,760 spent. EERI ANNUAL MEETINGS AND NATIONAL CONFERENCES HOST 400-1,200 PARTICIPANTS FROM DIVERSE FIELDS INCLUDING ENGINEERING, GEOSCIENCE, SOCIAL SCIENCE, ARCHITECTURE, PLANNING, GOVERNMENT, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND POLICY MAKING EACH YEAR. THE MEETINGS CONNECT AND ENGAGE MEMBERS TO BUILD THEIR MULTIDISCIPLINARY NETWORKS, ENHANCE THEIR LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY SKILLS, PROVIDE MENTORING AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, AND GROW THEIR TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE.
  2. $210,149 spent. EERI'S ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE SEISMIC DESIGN COMPETITION HOSTS MORE THAN 450 STUDENTS FROM 40 UNIVERSITIES AND 10 COUNTRIES WHO PARTICIPATE IN A HANDS-ON COMPETITION DESIGNED TO EXPOSE STUDENTS TO CONCEPTS IN EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING. THE COMPETITION, RUN BY 20 GRADUATE STUDENT MEMBERS OF THE EERI STUDENT LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, PROVIDES A UNIQUE AND MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO PRACTICE AND ENHANCE THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
  3. $68,867 spent. EARTHQUAKE SPECTRA, EERI'S PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL JOURNAL, SERVES AS THE PUBLICATION OF RECORD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGINEERING PRACTICES, EARTHQUAKE CODES AND REGULATIONS, PUBLIC POLICY AND INVESTIGATION REPORTS. OVER 100 PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS ARE PUBLISHED ANNUALLY IN 4-ISSUE VOLUMES THAT SHOWCASE OUTCOMES FROM CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH STUDIES AND ENGINEERING PROJECTS. WITH A STRONG IMPACT FACTOR, EARTHQUAKE SPECTRA MAINTAINS ITS POSITION AS A HIGH-QUALITY JOURNAL THAT BROADLY DISSEMINATES THE LATEST ADVANCEMENTS IN EARTHQUAKE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE.
  4. $922,916 spent. OTHER PROGRAMS, INCLUDING: FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, EERI'S LEARNING FROM EARTHQUAKES (LFE) PROGRAM HAS LED FIELD INVESTIGATION STUDIES OF MAJOR EARTHQUAKES AROUND THE WORLD. MULTIDISCIPLINARY EERI RECONNAISSANCE TEAMS TRAVEL TO AFFECTED AREAS TO DOCUMENT THE IMPACTS ON PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS. THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THESE INVESTIGATIONS HELP GUIDE COMMUNITIES SEEKING TO INCREASE THEIR RESILIENCE TO EARTHQUAKES AND OTHER DISASTERS. FINDINGS ARE WIDELY SHARED THROUGH WEBINARS, CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, AND TECHNICAL PAPERS.

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

  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 December 2024.

    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 October 1962.

    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.