The Rockefeller University (the University) is a world renowned center for research (see schedule O) and graduate education in the biomedical sciences, chemistry, bioinformatics, and physics. The University's 82 laboratories conduct both clinical and basic research and study a diverse range of biological and biomedical problems with the mission of improving the understanding of life for the benefit of humanity. Laboratories are loosely clustered in nine research areas covering a wide spectrum of disciplines in the life sciences, including neuroscience, immunology, genetics, structural biology and bioinformatics. The University does not charge tuition. Its revenues are derived primarily from investment income, government grants and contracts, and private gifts and grants.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
74¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$11.4M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

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FY2023 · Form 990-TIndependent: 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
FY2025
latest Form 990-T
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
0 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average deficit $55.4M a year · 11% of revenue · last 6 filings
Concern: a surplus in 0 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 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
$11.4M
to officers and key staff · 2% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 2% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
<1 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $2.53B in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Fine: 0.7 months of spending in cash, plus $2.53B in investments.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
6
named funders · $327K
Looks good: 6 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$1.4B
35% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 35% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
43
of 44 voting members
Looks good: 43 of 44 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$514.6M
-4% vs prior year
Spent
$521.2M
To programs
74%
Net assets
$2.6B
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$514.6M
FY2023▼ -4%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$455.4M
FY2021$530.3M
FY2022$535.3M
FY2023$514.6M
FY2024$501.0M
FY2025$458.4M
Expenses
$521.2M
FY2023▼ -13%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$549.3M
FY2021$585.0M
FY2022$596.1M
FY2023$521.2M
FY2024$571.3M
FY2025$504.4M
Net assets
$2.6B
FY2023▼ -5%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$2.5B
FY2021$3.0B
FY2022$2.7B
FY2023$2.6B
FY2024$2.5B
FY2025$2.6B

From the FY2023 Form 990 (year ending June 2023) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2023 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in May 1938.

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% · $383.5M Management & general 25% · $128.1M Fundraising 2% · $9.6M

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

65 people listed on the 990-T; $11.4M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2022); the FY2023 filing did not itemize Part VII
Chief Investment Officer
$1,630,953Pt VII · Sec A
$1,221,729Pt VII · Sec A
SVP, Development
$736,718Pt VII · Sec A
VP, Academic Affairs
$717,403Pt VII · Sec A
VP & Physician-In-Chief
$685,527Pt VII · Sec A
Executive Vice President
$660,474Pt VII · Sec A
Professor, Head of Laboratory
$609,509Pt VII · Sec A
Professor, Head of Laboratory
$588,374Pt VII · Sec A

Paula Volent’s $1.9M as Chief Investment Officer is at the 89th percentile of top reported officer pay among 674 $100M+ education 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 · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022FY2021FY2020
Paula Volent$1,928,555$1,806,255$1,630,953$396,604——
Amy Falls———$200,194—$1,452,137
Amy Falls Till 42021————$1,439,048—
Richard P Lifton MD PHD$1,308,593$1,271,737$1,221,729$1,231,319$1,170,198$1,165,464
Betty Y Chen - Managing$926,322—————
Thomas Lenehan—————$913,988
Thomas Lenehan Till 122020————$911,783—
Maren Imhoff$803,309$731,411$736,718$720,446$689,310$725,957

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.

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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 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
  • Loans to or from officersSch L · Pt II11 listed

Programs and updates

Conducts advanced biomedical and scientific research while providing tuition-free graduate education to improve human health and understand life sciences.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $345.9M · in their own filed words · FY2022
01

Research Education

69 laboratories (and 16 emeritus laboratories) including 79 faculty members, 223 post-doctoral scholars, 262 graduate students and weill medical college of cornell university medical students.

$325.8Mprogram expense
02

Hospital

Consists of 40 beds and serves as a clinical research center for outpatients and inpatients. The rockefeller university hospital exists solely to conduct clinical research. The specialized personnel and other resources available at the hospital facilitate clinical research for both the investigator and the research participant.

$17.2Mprogram expense
03

Library contains 648,403 volumes (of which 370,028 are on-line) and 8,383 on-line subscriptions and is maintained on an open stock policy. The library strives to advance knowledge by supporting our university's world class research community with technology, innovation, and collaboration in the field of science information and…

$2.9Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

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

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 6 funders →
Grants paid · 6 grants · $37.3M · 2019–2024
Unitemized GrantFY2024$10,585,013
Unitemized GrantFY2024$3,506,984
Unitemized GrantFY2020$7,635,503
Unitemized GrantFY2020$3,914,355
Unitemized GrantFY2019$7,128,097
Unitemized GrantFY2019$4,553,147

By the numbers

The FY2023 990-T, line by line.

1The main four
Money in
$514.6M
Gifts and grants$265.7M
Investment income$185.6M
Fees for services$31.9M
Money out
$521.2M
Programs$383.5M
Management$128.1M
Fundraising$9.6M
Owns and owes
$2.6B
net assets
Cash and savings$31.1M
Total assets$4.0B
Liabilities$1.4B
People
65
listed
Paid20
Voting board44
Independent43
2In more detail
Revenue in detail
Gifts and grants$265.7M
Government grants$101.5M
Fees for services$31.9M
Investment income$185.6M
Other income$31.3M
Total revenue$514.6M
Assets in detailEnd of year
Cash and savings together$31.1M
Total assets$4.0B
Liabilities$1.4B
Net assets$2.6B
Operations
Employees1,717
Volunteers0
Fiscal year endsJune
Conflict-of-interest policyYes
Whistleblower policyYes
Records policyYes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $458.4M$504.4M−$46.0M$2.6B 990 PDF
FY2024 $501.0M$571.3M−$70.3M$2.5B 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $514.6M$521.2M−$6.6M$2.6B 990 PDF
FY2022 $535.3M$596.1M−$60.7M$2.7B 990 PDF
FY2021 $530.3M$585.0M−$54.7M$3.0B 990 PDF
FY2020 $455.4M$549.3M−$93.9M$2.5B 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2023 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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