Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reported $3.92 billion in revenue and $3.83 billion in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $90.69 went to program services, $7.85 to management and general costs and $1.46 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was program service revenue such as fees, sales and contracts: 77.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $2,679,650 (President & CEO Emerita). 2,997 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 95% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $3.83BFor context, the median across 169 covered medical research charities: $87.02 programs, $12.87 management, $0.11 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $3.92BThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 90.7% | 83.9% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 7.8% | 12.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 1.5% | 0.1% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 19.8% | 72.7% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 4.8% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 77.4% | 5.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $2,679,650 | $628,890 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.07% | 1.94% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 2,997 | 18 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 14.1 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 65 of 66 | 93.8% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseHighest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President & CEO Emerita Highest compensated employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $2,313,019 | $0 | $366,631 | $2,679,650 |
| COO & EVP Officer, 49.0 hrs/week | $1,453,272 | $0 | $52,093 | $1,505,365 |
| CFO & Assistant Treasurer Officer, 46.0 hrs/week | $1,217,752 | $0 | $52,171 | $1,269,923 |
| SVP & Chief Philanthropy Officer Key employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $1,154,110 | $0 | $71,100 | $1,225,210 |
| Chief Medical Officer Key employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $1,066,683 | $0 | $89,863 | $1,156,546 |
| Asst Secretary & General Counsel Officer, 50.0 hrs/week | $872,309 | $0 | $85,729 | $958,038 |
| Chief Clinical Program Officer Highest compensated employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $882,186 | $0 | $71,734 | $953,920 |
| Chair of Pediatric Oncology Highest compensated employee, 50.0 hrs/week | $843,326 | $0 | $84,542 | $927,868 |
2,997 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $10M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b66 · 65 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26Yes
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 59,731
- Volunteers Part I, line 6500
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL Medical services | $232,320,543 |
| CARDINAL HEALTH Medical services | $68,336,278 |
| South Shore Hospital Medical Services | $37,936,394 |
| Advanced Accelerator Applications USA Inc Radiotherapy | $28,320,273 |
| WALSH BROTHERS INC Building contractor | $17,494,540 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 686 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
466 private foundations reported grants to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute totaling $48M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute spent in FY2025, $90.69 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and MalariaSwitzerland, · revenue $3.54B · programs 99.1% · 2024
- Sutter Bay Medical FoundationSacramento, CA · revenue $4.06B · programs 91.3% · 2024
- Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy Chase, MD · revenue $2.00B · programs 80.2% · FY2025
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- The Broad InstituteCambridge, MA · revenue $846M · programs 78.8% · FY2025
All medical research charities · Largest charities in Massachusetts
Questions people ask
How much of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reported that 90.7% of its $3.83 billion in expenses went to program services, 7.8% to management and general and 1.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Dana-Farber Cancer Institute pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $2,679,650, for the role of President & CEO Emerita (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Dana-Farber Cancer Institute get its money?
Of $3.92 billion in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 19.8% came from contributions and grants (including 4.8% from government grants) and 77.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Dana-Farber Cancer Institute a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 04-2263040 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, object 202602099349300935 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202532239349300228 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202432139349301023 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202322169349300907 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202202109349301730 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202132189349300523 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 04-2263040: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.