Discovery Institute
Discovery Institute reported $16.5 million in revenue and $13.7 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $92.42 went to program services, $1.29 to management and general costs and $6.29 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 95.0% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $311,369 (EMPLOYEE). 24 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 116% between 2019 and 2025. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $14MFor 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 $17MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 92.4% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 1.3% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 6.3% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.05 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 95.0% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 3.0% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $311,369 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 2.27% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 24 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 10.9 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 16 of 18 | 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 center for science and culture promotes research, education, and discussion relating to the scientific theory of intelligent design. The center's activities include the sponsorship of scientific research and writing; the production of books, articles, reports, and curricula; the organizing of seminars and conferences; and the development and operation of educational websites, podcasts, and videos
The center on wealth and poverty connects the practical truths of economics with the perennial truths of ethics. The program - home to leading scholars in philosophy and economics - is building sustained and accessible defense of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and stewardship in the moral categories consonant with most americans
The ai program (walter bradley center for natural and artificial intelligence at Discovery Institute) explores the benefits as well as the challenges raised by artificial intelligence (ai) in light of the enduring truth of human exceptionalism. People know at a fundamental level that they are not machines. But faulty thinking can cause people to assent to views that in their heart of hearts they know to be untrue. The bradley center seeks to help individuals - and our society at large - to realize that we are not machines while at the same time helping to put machines (especially computers…
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMPLOYEE Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $300,000 | $0 | $11,369 | $311,369 |
| PRESIDENT Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $300,330 | $0 | $7,813 | $308,143 |
| EMPLOYEE Highest compensated employee | $233,661 | $0 | $10,318 | $243,979 |
| VICE PRES/PR Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $215,000 | $0 | $8,976 | $223,976 |
| EMPLOYEE Highest compensated employee | $171,091 | $0 | $11,159 | $182,250 |
| EMPLOYEE Highest compensated employee | $135,250 | $0 | $31,730 | $166,980 |
| EMPLOYEE Highest compensated employee | $152,000 | $0 | $9,837 | $161,837 |
| DIR FIN & OP Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $141,500 | $0 | $11,666 | $153,166 |
24 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Discovery Institute (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.1M (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–1b18 · 16 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 15aNo
- 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 543
- Volunteers Part I, line 61,521
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Discovery 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 Discovery Institute, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
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Of every $100 Discovery Institute spent in 2025, $92.42 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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All unclassified charities · Largest charities in Washington
Questions people ask
How much of Discovery Institute's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Discovery Institute reported that 92.4% of its $13.7 million in expenses went to program services, 1.3% to management and general and 6.3% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Discovery Institute pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Discovery Institute reported for one person in calendar year 2025 was $311,369, for the role of EMPLOYEE (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Discovery Institute get its money?
Of $16.5 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 95.0% came from contributions and grants and 3.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Discovery Institute a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 91-1521697 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 202622479349301462 · read the filing
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024 (amended), object 202512809349301966 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202442129349301764 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022, object 202323189349308607 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202203189349318480 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202143199349320959 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202033219349318228 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 91-1521697: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.