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Internet Society
Internet Society reported $48.0 million in revenue and $43.6 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $71.21 went to program services, $28.47 to management and general costs and $0.32 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 89.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $771,861 (President and Chief Executive Officer (Thru 08/24)). 80 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue fell 8% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $44MFor context, the median across 469 covered international, foreign affairs & national security charities: $89.04 programs, $8.28 management, $2.68 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 $48MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 71.2% | 86.1% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 28.5% | 8.0% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.3% | 2.6% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.03 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 89.4% | 96.6% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 6.8% | 0.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $771,861 | $341,362 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 1.77% | 1.06% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 80 | 10 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 17.6 | 7.5 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 13 of 13 | 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
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseEmpowering people to take action: represents isoc's efforts to collaborate, outreach, and train other communities of interest, partners, and allies to ensure the internet thrives and meets the needs of all people. Also represented are isoc's community engagement work with organizational members, individual members, isoc chapters, and special interest groups
Technology and standards development: represents ietf administration llc's work including ietf meetings to support ietf, the internet architecture board (iab), and the internet research task force (irtf), the standards setting and research arms of the internet community
Growing the internet: represents isoc's efforts to decrease the internet's digital divide by bringing people and technology together. Includes isoc's work to improve and build community networks which are local complementary access solutions to bridge the connectivity gap by allowing access to the internet with the right tools and support; work to support increasing and enhancing new internet exchange points and efforts to provide a measurement tool to observe the health and evolution of the internet
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| President and Chief Executive Officer (Thru 08/24) Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $546,137 | $182,046 | $43,678 | $771,861 |
| President and Chief Executive Officer (As of 09/24) Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $399,090 | $36,281 | $95,958 | $531,329 |
| Senior Vice President and General Counsel Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $208,522 | $117,293 | $89,279 | $415,094 |
| Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Officer, 40.0 hrs/week | $196,309 | $110,424 | $93,921 | $400,654 |
| Regional Vice President - Africa Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $323,715 | $0 | $42,186 | $365,901 |
| Distinguished Technologist, Strong Internet Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $277,612 | $0 | $76,292 | $353,904 |
| Vice President, External and Community Engagement Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $341,598 | $0 | $0 | $341,598 |
| Senior Vice President, People & Culture Highest compensated employee, 40.0 hrs/week | $247,809 | $0 | $59,934 | $307,743 |
80 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Internet Society (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.6M (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–1b13 · 13 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 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 559
- Volunteers Part I, line 621,866
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| Association Management Solutions LLC Association management services | $4,952,416 |
| LINESPEED EVENTS LLC Network Operations Center lead services | $655,609 |
| Painless Security LLC Software tools development | $423,039 |
| Brunswick Group LLC Communications Advice and Strategic Support | $370,000 |
| Firm Advice Business Consulting Services | $299,108 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 25 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
1 private foundation reported grants to Internet Society totaling $50 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 Internet 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 Internet Society, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Internet Society spent in 2024, $71.21 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All international, foreign affairs & national security charities · Largest charities in Virginia
Questions people ask
How much of Internet Society's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Internet Society reported that 71.2% of its $43.6 million in expenses went to program services, 28.5% to management and general and 0.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Internet Society pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Internet Society reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $771,861, for the role of President and Chief Executive Officer (Thru 08/24) (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Internet Society get its money?
Of $48.0 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 89.4% came from contributions and grants (including 0.0% from government grants) and 6.8% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Internet Society a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 54-1650477 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 202513209349301571 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202413209349323301 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202303199349317965 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202213089349302431 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202123139349301432 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202033169349300303 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 54-1650477: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.