National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society reported $340.5 million in revenue and $222.6 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $82.57 went to program services, $12.47 to management and general costs and $4.96 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 55.7% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $1,571,576 (CEO). 326 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 225% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $223MFor context, the median across 5,499 covered education charities: $85.56 programs, $13.59 management, $0.85 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 $341MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 82.6% | 84.4% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 12.5% | 13.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 5.0% | 0.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.06 | $0.04 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 55.7% | 19.1% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 1.5% | 69.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $1,571,576 | $331,578 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.71% | 1.28% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 326 | 8 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 111.7 | 13.3 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 24 of 25 | 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 expenseThe storytelling team oversees the society's grant making efforts in photography, journalism, film, immersive media, podcasts and other media. Its programs also support capacity building, ambitious media projects for impact and efforts to amplify voices in the media. Storytelling and outreach program descriptions continued on sch. O
The Science & Innovation team oversees the Society's grantmaking efforts in science, conservation and technology, develops and manages major programs, and establishes programmatic partnerships with like-minded non-governmental organizations (NGOs). SCIENCE & INNOVATION PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED ON SCH. O
For more than 40 years, National Geographic's Education and Community Engagement division has extended the work of Explorers and educators into classrooms and communities around the world, inspiring meaningful and lasting change. We support educators, researchers and learners of all ages by expanding access to knowledge, developing learning resources and GIS modules, and creating opportunities for live engagement with National Geographic Explorers. Together, these efforts nurture creativity, curiosity, and resilience while helping people connect global challenges to local action. EDUCATION…
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 Director/trustee, officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $1,531,988 | $0 | $39,588 | $1,571,576 |
| CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER Highest compensated employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $1,307,860 | $0 | $38,862 | $1,346,722 |
| CFO & COO Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $665,546 | $0 | $14,166 | $679,712 |
| CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $639,317 | $0 | $37,466 | $676,783 |
| CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER Officer, 45.0 hrs/week | $631,612 | $0 | $38,728 | $670,340 |
| DIRECTOR, INVESTMENTS Highest compensated employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $637,308 | $0 | $13,514 | $650,822 |
| CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $593,153 | $0 | $1,597 | $594,750 |
| CHIEF SCIENCE & INNOVATION OFFICER Key employee, 45.0 hrs/week | $559,333 | $0 | $31,689 | $591,022 |
326 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from National Geographic Society (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $8.4M (Part IX, line 5).
7 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linked| Filing | Revenue | Expenses | Programs | Net assets | Top pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 ⓘ | $341M | $223M | 82.6% | $2.07B | $1,571,576 |
| 2024 ⓘ | $209M | $221M | 77.2% | $1.70B | $2,078,124 |
| 2023 ⓘ | $232M | $213M | 75.9% | $1.55B | $1,496,456 |
| 2022 ⓘ | $158M | $189M | 75.4% | $1.47B | $1,361,625 |
| 2021 ⓘ | $204M | $141M | 68.7% | $1.72B | $1,126,373 |
| 2020 ⓘ | $70M | $145M | 72.4% | $1.57B | $788,290 |
| 2019 ⓘ | $105M | $178M | 76.3% | $1.50B | $836,706 |
Governance 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–1b25 · 24 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 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 5753
- Volunteers Part I, line 624
Largest outside contractors
2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| HITT CONTRACTING INC Construction | $91,702,678 |
| EOS LIGHTMEDIA USA INC It hardware/software | $15,143,627 |
| THE PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT GROUP LTD Marketing/advertising | $5,954,532 |
| WINMAR CONSTRUCTION INC Construction/landscaping | $5,123,774 |
| EPAM SYSTEMS INC Consulting | $5,102,204 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 190 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
142 private foundations reported grants to National Geographic Society totaling $9.5M 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 National Geographic Society's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for National Geographic Society, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 National Geographic Society spent in 2025, $82.57 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Health Science Center at Brooklyn FoundationBrooklyn, NY · revenue $340M · programs 98.8% · FY2025
- Johnson & Wales UniversityProvidence, RI · revenue $342M · programs 90.7% · FY2025
- Emerson CollegeBoston, MA · revenue $340M · programs 84.4% · FY2025
- International Leadership of TexasRichardson, TX · revenue $342M · programs 87.4% · FY2025
- The University of TulsaTulsa, OK · revenue $339M · programs 91.6% · FY2025
All education charities · Largest charities in District of Columbia
Questions people ask
How much of National Geographic Society's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, National Geographic Society reported that 82.6% of its $222.6 million in expenses went to program services, 12.5% to management and general and 5.0% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does National Geographic Society pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation National Geographic Society reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $1,571,576, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does National Geographic Society get its money?
Of $340.5 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 55.7% came from contributions and grants and 1.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is National Geographic Society a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 53-0193519 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), 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 202622039349300962 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202512739349301916 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202431319349302053 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202331359349311078 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202241329349304159 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202141359349301214 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202001929349301205 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 53-0193519: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.