Bill of Rights Institute
Bill of Rights Institute reported $15.8 million in revenue and $11.3 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $64.17 went to program services, $17.75 to management and general costs and $18.08 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 97.3% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $478,009 (CEO and President). 17 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 175% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $11MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $16MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 64.2% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 17.8% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 18.1% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.13 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 97.3% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.4% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $478,009 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 4.24% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 17 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 9.0 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 5 of 5 | 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
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseEducator Programs and Outreach The Bill of Rights Institute delivers rigorous professional development to educators nationwide through conference presentations, independent programs, and partnerships with local schools and districts. These programs offer educators the opportunity to learn teaching strategies and how to deploy BRI resources effectively in their classrooms. In 2025, the Institute continued to expand its network of over 91,000 educators-nearly one in two middle and high school educators in history and civics-and engaged more than 6,500 educators through 315 in-person trainings…
Digital Resource Development and Distribution Established in 1999, the Bill of Rights Institute is the proven market leader in the publication of open educational resources (OER) that teach U.S. history and civics. BRI provides classroom resources to educators and students free of charge, primarily through digital distribution. These resources are designed to help teachers and students explore America's story, its core civic principles, and the skills of citizenship, preparing the next generation to positively shape our nation's future. In 2025, BRI served over 2.9M users with 6.3M page views…
Student Programs The Bill of Rights Institute engages students directly through intensive study, debate, and civic entrepreneurship programs. These programs cultivate skills in leadership, principled thinking, and deliberation and give students knowledge and practice in citizenship. The BRI Student Fellowship is a selective six-month educational program that helps high school students develop as civic leaders in their communities. MyImpact Challenge is a national contest where students develop service projects inspired by constitutional principles. The Debate and Leadership Institute is a…
Highest reported compensation
2025 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO and President Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $423,637 | $0 | $54,372 | $478,009 |
| COO and Treasurer Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $257,997 | $0 | $60,013 | $318,010 |
| Chief Program Officer Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $241,819 | $0 | $59,177 | $300,996 |
| VP, Human Resources Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $173,515 | $0 | $41,396 | $214,911 |
| VP, Development Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $177,282 | $0 | $22,415 | $199,697 |
| VP, Content Highest compensated employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $144,770 | $0 | $52,498 | $197,268 |
| DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $143,641 | $0 | $21,843 | $165,484 |
| DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $134,179 | $0 | $19,157 | $153,336 |
17 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Bill of Rights Institute (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.7M (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · 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 · 5 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 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 554
- Volunteers Part I, line 65
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| IDEO LP dba IDEO LLC Digital product design | $425,732 |
| Salesforcecom Inc Sales & service misc. Tech & licenses | $284,733 |
| Polsinelli Shughart PC Comprehensive legal services | $211,677 |
| Red Edge LLC Digital advertising & strategy | $144,430 |
| Insperity Peo service | $142,950 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 6 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
34 private foundations reported grants to Bill of Rights Institute totaling $2.6M 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 Bill of Rights 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 Bill of Rights Institute, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Bill of Rights Institute spent in 2025, $64.17 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
Embed on your site
Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Catholic Charities of the Diocese of WorcesterWest Boylston, MA · revenue $16M · programs 82.6% · FY2025
- Community Drug Board Inc. Dba ChcAkron, OH · revenue $16M · programs 79.6% · FY2025
- Achievement Centers for ChildrenHighland Hills, OH · revenue $16M · programs 79.8% · FY2025
- Saint Anne InstituteAlbany, NY · revenue $16M · programs 83.3% · FY2025
- Legal Aid Service of Broward CountyPlantation, FL · revenue $16M · programs 85.3% · 2025
Questions people ask
How much of Bill of Rights Institute's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Bill of Rights Institute reported that 64.2% of its $11.3 million in expenses went to program services, 17.8% to management and general and 18.1% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Bill of Rights Institute pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Bill of Rights Institute reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $478,009, for the role of CEO and President (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Bill of Rights Institute get its money?
Of $15.8 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 97.3% came from contributions and grants and 1.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Bill of Rights Institute a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 48-0891418 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, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202611429349301201 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202521689349301507 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202421449349300517 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202321449349300222 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202241389349300519 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202112469349301006 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202032489349301403 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 48-0891418: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.