Social science charities, by the numbers.
520 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $3.3B between them.
- 520
- charities filing a full Form 990, 216 spending $1M+
- $3.3B
- spent in their latest year, with $2.3B coming in as gifts and grants
- 53%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
The biggest 215 social science charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral SciencesOur file Arlington, VA · Other · FY 2024 | $403.8M | 81% | 26¢ | 27 mo | $1.63M |
| 2 | National Opinion Research Center Chicago, IL · Other · FY 2024 | $387.2M | 67% | 0¢ | 3 mo | $1.29M |
| 3 | The Aspen InstituteOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $234.3M | 79% | 1¢ | 33 mo | $803K |
| 4 | The Urban InstituteOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $148.5M | 79% | 5¢ | 19 mo | $971K |
| 5 | American Psychological Association Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $145.4M | 76% | 0¢ | 4 mo | $917K |
| 6 | Ithaka Harbors New York, NY · Other · FY 2024 | $112.2M | 91% | 7¢ | 21 mo | $583K |
| 7 | The Brookings InstitutionOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2025 | $107.7M | 83% | 11¢ | 57 mo | $1.33M |
| 8 | American Enterprise Institute for Public Washington, DC · Other · FY 2025 | $73.5M | 79% | 12¢ | 60 mo | $1.21M |
| 9 | Buck Institute for Research on Aging Novato, CA · Other · FY 2025 | $62.9M | 75% | 3¢ | 1 mo | $803K |
| 10 | Rsf Social Finance San Francisco, CA · Other · FY 2024 | $62.3M | 99% | 0¢ | 13 mo | $483K |
| 11 | Human Resources Research Organization Alexandria, VA · Other · FY 2025 | $60.0M | 81% | 0¢ | 17 mo | $535K |
| 12 | Innovations for Poverty Action a Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $57.9M | 77% | 3¢ | 1 mo | $249K |
| 13 | The Center for Employment Security Washington, DC · Other · FY 2025 | $49.6M | 96% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $258K |
| 14 | Pew Research Center Washington, DC · Other · FY 2025 | $48.2M | 92% | 1¢ | 12 mo | $510K |
| 15 | Global Poverty Project New York, NY · Other · FY 2024 | $48.1M | 86% | 6¢ | 2 mo | $613K |
| 16 | Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation New York, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $47.6M | 84% | 7¢ | 64 mo | $682K |
| 17 | Civil-Military Innovation Morgantown, WV · Other · FY 2025 | $46.8M | 78% | 0¢ | 6 mo | $506K |
| 18 | Mercatus Center Arlington, VA · Other · FY 2025 | $40.9M | 90% | 4¢ | 12 mo | $354K |
| 19 | African Population & Health Baltimore, MD · Other · FY 2024 | $39.1M | 86% | 0¢ | 11 mo | $250K |
| 20 | National Bureau of Economic Cambridge, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $38.9M | 70% | 0¢ | 56 mo | $887K |
| 21 | Woodrow Wilson International Center Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $37.3M | 58% | 18¢ | 22 mo | $426K |
| 22 | Atlas Economic Research Foundation Arlington, VA · Other · FY 2025 | $31.6M | 86% | 8¢ | 7 mo | $417K |
| 23 | Esalen Institute San Francisco, CA · Other · FY 2024 | $22.0M | 68% | 21¢ | 16 mo | $457K |
| 24 | Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Houston, TX · Other · FY 2025 | $21.0M | 90% | 0¢ | 7 mo | $5.44M |
| 25 | Cpwr the Center for Construction Silver Spring, MD · Other · FY 2025 | $18.3M | 98% | 0¢ | 6 mo | $225K |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for social science.
Medians across 216 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 80%
- median program share, as reported
- 4¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 12 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 133 | $162K | 80% |
| $5–25M | 61 | $298K | 80% |
| $25–100M | 15 | $506K | 84% |
| $100M+ | 7 | $971K | 79% |
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of social science charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Every social science charity we cover.
Questions about social science charities.
What is the largest social science charity?
By spending, American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences (VA), at $403.8M in its fiscal year ending 2024, per its Form 990.
How much do social science charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a social science charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $162K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $971K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to social science charities goes to programs?
The median social science charity spending $1M or more reported 80% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many social science charities are there?
520 social science organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 216 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Social science charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/social-science/