The Becket Fund
The Becket Fund reported $17.5 million in revenue and $13.5 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $86.36 went to program services, $6.10 to management and general costs and $7.54 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 84.9% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $428,106 (President & CEO). 30 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 135% 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 $13MFor context, the median across 54 covered social science charities: $84.80 programs, $13.80 management, $1.40 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 $18M- Contributions & grants (non-government)$83.04 $15M
- Program service revenue$13.11 $2.4M
- Investment income$3.85 $690K
Other revenue was negative: −$385K. 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) | 86.4% | 81.3% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 6.1% | 13.2% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 7.5% | 1.3% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.07 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 84.9% | 81.3% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 13.4% | 4.4% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $428,106 | $467,896 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 3.17% | 2.13% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 30 | 19 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 25.7 | 16.5 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 14 of 16 | 96.5% |
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 expensePublic interest legal activities: Our mission is to protect the free expression of all faiths. We exist to vindicate a simple but frequently neglected principle that because the religious impulse is natural to human beings, religious expression is natural to human culture. See attached for case litigation list
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President & CEO Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $366,875 | $0 | $61,231 | $428,106 |
| VP & Senior Counsel Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $297,500 | $0 | $78,974 | $376,474 |
| VP & Senior Counsel Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $297,500 | $0 | $58,711 | $356,211 |
| VP & Senior Counsel Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $297,500 | $0 | $55,311 | $352,811 |
| VP & Senior Counsel Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $292,500 | $0 | $53,861 | $346,361 |
| VP & Senior Counsel Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $292,500 | $0 | $47,650 | $340,150 |
| Chief Financial Officer Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $222,500 | $0 | $35,825 | $258,325 |
| Board Chair Director/trustee, 2.00 hrs/week | $0 | $0 | $44,287 | $44,287 |
30 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from The Becket Fund (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $779K (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–1b16 · 14 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 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 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 579
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses onlyIndividuals listed as contractors are left out. 2 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
31 private foundations reported grants to The Becket Fund totaling $1.3M 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 Becket Fund'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 Becket Fund, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 The Becket Fund spent in FY2025, $86.36 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Economic Policy InstituteWashington, DC · revenue $17M · programs 80.9% · 2025
- Peter G Peterson Institute for International EconomicsWashington, DC · revenue $18M · programs 71.5% · FY2025
- Population ConnectionWashington, DC · revenue $17M · programs 77.1% · 2024
- Global Fund for a New EconomyAlameda, CA · revenue $18M · programs 75.2% · 2025
- Salzburg Global SeminarWashington, DC · revenue $16M · programs 81.6% · 2024
All social science charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of The Becket Fund's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, The Becket Fund reported that 86.4% of its $13.5 million in expenses went to program services, 6.1% to management and general and 7.5% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does The Becket Fund pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation The Becket Fund reported for one person in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025 was $428,106, for the role of President & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does The Becket Fund get its money?
Of $17.5 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025, 84.9% came from contributions and grants and 13.4% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is The Becket Fund a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 52-1858532 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 202620849349301047 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, object 202500359349300920 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, object 202410339349300801 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022 (amended), object 202300339349300505 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, object 202240219349300184 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, object 202140299349301029 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 52-1858532: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.