Defensewerx
Defensewerx reported $195.8 million in revenue and $195.7 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $99.55 went to program services, $0.45 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 100.0% of the total. Government grants made up 99.9%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $427,648 (FORMER CHIEF TECH. OFFICER). 9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 318% 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 $196MFor context, the median across 192 covered science & technology charities: $84.33 programs, $15.67 management, $0.00 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 $196MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 99.6% | 83.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 0.4% | 15.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 100.0% | 51.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 99.9% | 3.2% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 19.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $427,648 | $513,729 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.22% | 1.72% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 9 | 27 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | -0.0 | 14.7 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 7 of 7 | 94.3% |
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 expensePia - partnership intermediary agreement that includes innovation and collaboration, technology transfer, workforce development, and neutral facilitation. For innovation and collaboration services the organization creates and maintains innovation and colloboration environments that enable customers to effectively expand their scientific research project's performance. For technology transfer the organization works with government, industry and academia to explore innovative strategies for effectively transferring government laboratory scientific research technologies to the commercial…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORMER CHIEF TECH. OFFICER Former, 40.00 hrs/week | $427,648 | $0 | $0 | $427,648 |
| CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $382,561 | $0 | $0 | $382,561 |
| DIR. HSWERX Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $258,086 | $0 | $0 | $258,086 |
| CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $254,234 | $0 | $0 | $254,234 |
| DIR. SOFWERX Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $240,197 | $0 | $0 | $240,197 |
| HUB CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $238,775 | $0 | $0 | $238,775 |
| DEP. DIR. SOFWERX Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $228,418 | $0 | $0 | $228,418 |
| DIR. ERDCWERX Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $222,193 | $0 | $0 | $222,193 |
9 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Defensewerx (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.2M (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–1b7 · 7 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13No
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
- 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 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 5131
- Volunteers Part I, line 6196
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Defensewerx totaling $16 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 Defensewerx's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Defensewerx, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Defensewerx spent in FY2025, $99.55 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Defensewerx's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, Defensewerx reported that 99.6% of its $195.7 million in expenses went to program services, 0.4% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Defensewerx pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Defensewerx reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $427,648, for the role of FORMER CHIEF TECH. OFFICER (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Defensewerx get its money?
Of $195.8 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 100.0% came from contributions and grants (including 99.9% from government grants) and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Defensewerx a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 46-0684933 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 202612309349300116 · read the filing
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202531829349300818 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202530319349300903 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, object 202312279349304176 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202212279349304016 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202142289349301969 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 46-0684933: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.