The Innocence Project
The Innocence Project reported $37.3 million in revenue and $31.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $72.25 went to program services, $14.99 to management and general costs and $12.76 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 89.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $492,700 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR). 56 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 75% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $32MFor context, the median across 3,614 covered human services charities: $88.27 programs, $11.52 management, $0.21 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $37M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$88.35 $33M
- Program service revenue$1.05 $395K
- Investment income$10.60 $4.0M
Other revenue was negative: −$292K. The bar shows the positive sources only.
The 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 72.2% | 87.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 15.0% | 11.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 12.8% | 0.2% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.12 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 89.0% | 20.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 2.4% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.1% | 70.8% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $492,700 | $274,992 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.56% | 1.18% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 56 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 41.4 | 6.9 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 17 of 17 | 100.0% |
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 expenseLegal services (includes legal, intake, and social work): the Innocence Project leverages the fact-finding science of dna testing to expose errors in the criminal justice system and to exonerate people in prison or on death row for crimes they did not commit. To determine which cases we can accept, our steadfast intake team reviewed 1781 letters in the fiscal year 2025 from incarcerated people requesting an investigation into their innocence claims. The team then conducts an in-depth evaluation of the cases to determine whether dna testing can prove innocence and presents them to our legal…
Policy: the Innocence Project works with congress, state legislatures and courts, executive agencies, local leaders, and law enforcement to pass laws, policies, and rules to reveal, correct, and prevent wrongful convictions. The Innocence Project uses its federal capacity to advocate for legislative appropriations that support post-conviction dna testing and the review of potential wrongful convictions while closely monitoring and providing analysis of white house executive orders that may affect our areas of interest. Our policy priorities reflect the lessons learned from dna exonerations…
Strategic litigation: court decisions can lead to wide-ranging reform, spurring better practices by police and prosecutors. The Innocence Project's strategic litigation department works through the courts and the legal system to address the leading causes of wrongful conviction and to make judges, attorneys, and policymakers aware of the factors that contribute to wrongful conviction. Our strategic litigation attorneys use multiple strategies to change the law around the use of unvalidated forensic techniques, unreliable eyewitness identifications, and false confessions. They engage in direct…
Highest 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $448,414 | $0 | $44,286 | $492,700 |
| CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $254,985 | $0 | $52,115 | $307,100 |
| CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $270,591 | $0 | $35,310 | $305,901 |
| CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFIC Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $277,520 | $0 | $16,854 | $294,374 |
| CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $252,928 | $0 | $40,999 | $293,927 |
| CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $244,575 | $0 | $16,915 | $261,490 |
| DIRECTOR OF INTAKE AND CASE EVAL Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $178,166 | $0 | $49,842 | $228,008 |
56 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Innocence Project (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $2.7M (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–1b17 · 17 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 2No
- 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 26No
- 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 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5146
- Volunteers Part I, line 617
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| STRIVE MESSAGING INC Sms text messaging firm | $500,957 |
| IMAGIS LLC Managed service provider | $250,002 |
| SLOWEY MCMANUS COMMUNICATIONS LLC Communications consultant | $198,394 |
| MADEO USA LLC Website consultant | $195,749 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 5 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
215 private foundations reported grants to The Innocence Project totaling $6.7M 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 The Innocence Project's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for The Innocence Project, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 The Innocence Project spent in FY2025, $72.25 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Community Resources Staten IslandStaten Island, NY · revenue $37M · programs 87.1% · FY2025
- Accessible SpaceSt Paul, MN · revenue $37M · programs 90.4% · 2025
- Passavant Retirement and Health CenterCranberry Township, PA · revenue $37M · programs 73.5% · FY2025
- EliseoTacoma, WA · revenue $37M · programs 92.2% · 2025
- Northern Manor Multicare CenterNanuet, NY · revenue $37M · programs 87.9% · 2024
All human services charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of The Innocence Project's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, The Innocence Project reported that 72.2% of its $31.5 million in expenses went to program services, 15.0% to management and general and 12.8% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Innocence Project pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Innocence Project reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $492,700, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Innocence Project get its money?
Of $37.3 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 89.0% came from contributions and grants and 1.1% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Innocence Project a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 32-0077563 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 June 30, 2025, object 202630939349301418 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202521259349302022 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202431359349310378 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202321359349306502 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202210979349301326 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202121329349302147 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 32-0077563: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.