Edge Institute Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
See Form 990, Part I, Line 1.
- Income
- $1.8 million
- Spending
- $999,013
- Spent on programs
- 93%
- Reserves
- 9.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 76%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 40
- Highest pay
- $44,000, secretary
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: 87 out of 100. Higher than 70% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.6 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 19% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 45% of income.
Spending floor
15 of 1593% 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: 78 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (science, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
18 of 252 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
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, 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 (3)
- $933,223 spent. Pop Up Villages. In 2024, the organization operated three major popup villages across three continents that served over 9,000 participants, including Edge Esmeralda in California, Edge City Lanna in Thailand, and helped incubate Crecimiento in Argentina. These popup villages created immersive 1- to 2- month living and working environments focused on accelerating innovation and human flourishing by convening people working at the frontiers of technology, science, and society. The organization provided comprehensive infrastructure including coworking spaces, accommodation coordination, healthy meals, wellness activities, and educational programming that facilitated collaborations between technologists, scientists, researchers, and builders. Through these popup village programs, the organization served as a society incubator and lab for experimentation, collaboration, and innovation, fostering the development of new ideas, technologies, cultural practices, and organizations.
- Innovation & Research Support. In 2024, the organization supported over 150 builders and scholars to participate in popup village programs, providing grants and resources for experimental projects exploring solutions for societal challenges. The organization supported the development of new technologies and research projects across fields like cryptography, biotech, AI safety, and governance through specialized residencies and workshops for researchers and builders. By creating testing environments for new tools and systems related to community organization, the organization served as a lab for experimentation and innovation, fostering the development of new ideas, technologies, and organizations to accelerate human flourishing at the frontiers of technology, science, and society.
- Community Development Programs. In 2024, the organization built partnerships with local governments and institutions in host locations, integrating popup villages with local communities through shared events and economic activity. The organization developed open source tools and resources for community organizing and created frameworks for healthy, multi-generational community living. By documenting and sharing learnings through research papers and case studies, the organization fostered collaboration and innovation while serving as a society incubator that advances new cultural practices and organizational models to accelerate human flourishing at the frontiers of technology, science, and society.
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 September 2024.
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.
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.