To discover and expose environmental threats to people and wildlife through innovative science and to engage in global partnerships to improve human and ecological health. The Institute produces scientific research that drives change and inspires solutions to pressing environmental health issues.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$13K paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2020 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2024
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2024, 2 tax years back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
2 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $31K a year · 7% of revenue · last 5 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 2 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
74%
of spending
Fine: 74% of spending went to programs; 65% to 75%.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$13K
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
5 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 4.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
4
named funders · $418K
Looks good: 4 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$101K
18% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 18% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 7 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 7 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$267K
Spent
$298K
To programs
74%
Net assets
$458K
By yearFY2020–FY2024
Revenue
$267K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$267K
FY2021$287K
FY2022$517K
FY2023$667K
FY2024$539K
Expenses
$298K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$298K
FY2021$352K
FY2022$411K
FY2023$477K
FY2024$584K
Net assets
$458K
FY2020
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$458K
FY2021$393K
FY2022$498K
FY2023$689K
FY2024$644K

From the FY2020 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2020 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2024) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2024. IRS ruling in Sep 1991.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 74% · $220K Management & general 17% · $50K Fundraising 9% · $27K

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

7 people listed on the 990; $13K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
$13,000Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Director
$0Pt VII · Sec A
Vice Preside
$0Pt VII · Sec A

Charles Rolsky’s $120K as Executive Di is at the 90th percentile of top reported officer pay among 1989 $100K–1M environment nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 2 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Charles Rolsky$119,716$113,173$67,964——
Susan D Shaw Dr Ph———$13,500$13,000

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Shaw Institute executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Exposes environmental threats through science, partnering globally to improve health for people and wildlife.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $220K · in their own filed words · FY2020
01

Research

The institute continues to expand its research programs locally and globally. Focus areas include: human exposure, plastics & microplastics, climate change in the gulf of maine, and chemical threats to health and environment.

$136Kprogram expense
02

Outreach

Shaw institute scientists effectively translated and disseminated research findings to state and national policymakers and the public in support of legislative initiatives to protect the environment and public health.

$71Kprogram expense
03

Education

Increase public awareness and understanding of the impacts of harmful exposures to plastics, microplastics and toxic chemicals; human and ecoligic impacts of climate change, with emphasis on positive actions and solutions.

$14Kprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · funders on record
Grants received · FY2024
Total grants receivedfrom 4 funders$418K
See all 4 funders →

By the numbers

The FY2020 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$267K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$267K
Investment incomeLn 3$53
Money outPt IX
$298K
Ln 25
Programscol B$220K
Managementcol C$50K
Fundraisingcol D$27K
Owns and owesPt X
$458K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$114K
Total assetsLn 16$558K
LiabilitiesLn 26$101K
PeoplePt VI, VII
7
listed · VII A
PaidVII A1
Voting boardVI 1a7
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$267K
Government grantsLn 1e$44K
Investment incomeLn 3$53
Total revenueLn 12$267K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$80K
SavingsLn 2$34K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$114K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$443K
Total assetsLn 16$558K
LiabilitiesLn 26$101K
Net assetsLn 32$458K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 512
VolunteersI 610
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY20End FY20
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$143K$114K
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$450K$443K
Total assetsLn 16$594K$558K
LiabilitiesLn 26$104K$101K
Net assetsLn 32$489K$458K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$13K$9K$2K$2K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$134K$115K$4K$14K
Payroll taxesLn 10$12K$10K$1K$521
Legal feesLn 11b$5K$5K
Accounting feesLn 11c$10K$10K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$11K$9K$2K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$175$175
Office expensesLn 13$14K$9K$4K$1K
OccupancyLn 16$27K$19K$4K$4K
TravelLn 17$2K$1K$38$121
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$205$205
InterestLn 20$5K$5K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$6K$4K$953$953
InsuranceLn 23$17K$5K$11K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$40K$36K$860$4K
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$2K$1K$502
Total functional expensesLn 25$298K$220K$50K$27K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2024 Latest $539K$584K−$44K$644K 990 PDF
FY2023 $667K$477K$190K$689K 990 PDF
FY2022 $517K$411K$106K$498K 990 PDF
FY2021 $287K$352K−$65K$393K 990 PDF
FY2020 Viewing $267K$298K−$32K$458K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons I · Grants A · Public support O · Explanations
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $266,650 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $380,889$266,597
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $200$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $173$53
I-11 Other revenue$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $381,262$266,650
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $27,381$0
I-14 Benefits paid to members$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $223,562$158,947
I-16a Professional fundraising fees$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $172,116$139,274
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $423,059$298,221
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$41,797−$31,571
Part VI · Governance 7 of 7 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body7
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $266,650 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1e Government grants$44,400
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$222,197
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$266,597
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $53$53
VIII-12 Total revenueExcluded from tax $53$266,650
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $298,221 across 16 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $9,100 · Management $1,950 · Fundraising $1,950$13,000
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $115,283 · Management $4,484 · Fundraising $14,408$134,175
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $10,030 · Management $1,221 · Fundraising $521$11,772
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $4,683$4,683
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $9,627$9,627
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $8,790 · Management $1,768$10,558
IX-12 Advertising and promotionPrograms $175$175
IX-13 Office expensesPrograms $9,295 · Management $3,696 · Fundraising $1,174$14,165
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $18,996 · Management $4,070 · Fundraising $4,070$27,136
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,450 · Management $38 · Fundraising $121$1,609
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $205$205
IX-20 InterestManagement $4,641$4,641
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $4,449 · Management $953 · Fundraising $953$6,355
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $5,244 · Management $11,389$16,633
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $35,624 · Management $860 · Fundraising $3,549$40,033
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $1,852 · Management $1,100 · Fundraising $502$3,454
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $220,493 · Management $50,480 · Fundraising $27,248$298,221
Part X · Balance sheet $558,492 assets, 10 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $110,266$80,066
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $32,757$34,277
X-9 Prepaid expenses and deferred chargesStart of year $941$941
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $449,564$443,208
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $593,528$558,492
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $1,240$3,464
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $104,232$100,745
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $489,296$457,747
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $489,296$457,747
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $593,528$558,492
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $457,747 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$266,650
XI-2 Total expenses$298,221
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$31,571
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$489,296
XI-5 Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments$15
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$7
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$457,747

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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