Future of Life Institute
Future of Life Institute reported $21.3 million in revenue and $17.4 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $91.07 went to program services, $8.93 to management and general costs and $0.00 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $513,622 (EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/BOARD SECRETARY). 12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 793% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $17MFor 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
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $21MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 91.1% | 83.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 8.9% | 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 | 99.4% | 51.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 19.2% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $513,622 | $513,729 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.95% | 1.72% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 12 | 27 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 3.5 | 14.7 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 2 of 5 | 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseGrantmaking and prizes in support of mitigating risks and increasing benefits of transformative technologies
Highest reported compensation
2024 · 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/BOARD SECRETARY Director/trustee, officer, 38.00 hrs/week | $474,839 | $0 | $38,783 | $513,622 |
| PRESIDENT Director/trustee, officer, 16.00 hrs/week | $0 | $457,840 | $0 | $457,840 |
| DIRECTOR, FUTURES PROGRAM Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $260,134 | $0 | $12,038 | $272,172 |
| DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $222,253 | $0 | $14,656 | $236,909 |
| DIRECTOR OF POLICY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $182,853 | $0 | $20,773 | $203,626 |
| DIRECTOR OF US POLICY Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $186,436 | $0 | $16,353 | $202,789 |
| DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $201,500 | $0 | $0 | $201,500 |
12 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Future of Life Institute (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $514K (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
2024 · 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–1b5 · 2 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 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 529
- Volunteers Part I, line 62
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| MITHRIL SECURITY Compute security r&d | $1,452,708 |
| BRYSON GILLETTE LLC Communications services | $1,124,927 |
| DENTONS US LLP Strategic and lobbying consulting | $439,130 |
| WORLDVIEW STUDIO Design and multimedia production | $425,750 |
| TRIANGULAR GROUP INTELLIGENCE Programatic consulting | $367,903 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 14 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
2 private foundations reported grants to Future of Life Institute totaling $2,899 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 Future of Life 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 Future of Life Institute, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Future of Life Institute spent in 2024, $91.07 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All science & technology charities · Largest charities in Pennsylvania
Questions people ask
How much of Future of Life Institute's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Future of Life Institute reported that 91.1% of its $17.4 million in expenses went to program services, 8.9% to management and general and 0.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Future of Life Institute pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Future of Life Institute reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $513,622, for the role of EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/BOARD SECRETARY (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Future of Life Institute get its money?
Of $21.3 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 99.4% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Future of Life Institute a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 47-1052538 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
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202523119349303667 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202521139349301937 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202510309349301606 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202400669349300240 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202123199349312107 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202043219349312049 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 47-1052538: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.