Public Invention FY2024 filing

Tax-deductible

Austin, TX501(c)(3)Science & TechnologyEIN 83-4036254Revenue $407K in FY2024

On file with the IRSpubinv.org1709 Norris Dr, 78704-2807 · Austin, TXTax-exempt since Oct 2019Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Public Invention seeks to alleviate poverty and educate by creating a movement for open-source hardware invention. We "Invent in the public, for the Public". Our work centers on humanitarian inventions, specifically in the biomedical space. We are working on a ceramic oxygen concentrator for NASA, a global distributed tracking system for medical supplies, a general purpose alarm device, a more efficient cooking stove for wood-based fires, and are developing a ferrofluid check valve.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
89¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX

Before you give

FY2024 · 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
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
1 of 2
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $50K a year · 21% of revenue · last 2 filings
Worth a look: a surplus in 1 of the last 2 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 2 filings
Spent on programs
89%
of spending
Looks good: 89% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Cash reserves
24 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 23.6 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $225K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$0
0% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 0% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
9
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 9 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$407K
+144% vs prior year
Spent
$135K
To programs
89%
Net assets
$265K
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$407K
FY2024▲ +144%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$89K
FY2021$29K
FY2022$94K
FY2023$167K
FY2024$407K
FY2025$59K
Expenses
$135K
FY2024
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020Not on file
FY2021Not on file
FY2022Not on file
FY2023Not on file
FY2024$135K
FY2025$231K
Net assets
$265K
FY2024▲ ×21
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$44K
FY2021$20K
FY2022$16K
FY2023$13K
FY2024$265K
FY2025$85K

From the FY2024 Form 990 · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 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 Oct 2019.

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

Where the money goes

89 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 89% · $120K Management & general 10% · $14K Fundraising 1% · $1K

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

1 person listed on the 990.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
President
$0Pt VII · Sec A
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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 15aYes

Programs and updates

Creates open-source humanitarian inventions, like a ceramic oxygen concentrator and efficient cooking stove, to fight poverty and educate.

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Provided by the organization

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3 programs · $113K · in their own filed words · FY2024
01

We had a contract with NASA to develop and deliver a digital control system to drive a solid-state oxygen generator. This device is just beginning commercialization and technology transfer (to another firm) by NASA.

$80Kprogram expense
02

The Global Distributed Tracking (GDT) project of the Global Open Source Quality Assurance System (which we lead) addresses the problem of substandard and falsified medical devices in the global supply chain.

$29Kprogram expense
03

EcoPot is an attempt to design more efficient cooking pot specifically for the one billion people on Earth who still cook on an open wood fire. This is very inefficient. It requires a great deal of fuel to be gathered or cut, keeping the poorest in poverty. It produces unhealthy smoke, and adds (slightly) to global warming.

$4Kprogram 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 · FY2023
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$225K

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$407K
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$407K
Money outPt IX
$135K
Ln 25
Programscol B$120K
Managementcol C$14K
Fundraisingcol D$1K
Owns and owesPt X
$265K
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$265K
Total assetsLn 16$265K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
PeoplePt VI, VII
1
listed · VII A
PaidVII A0
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b9
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$407K
Government grantsLn 1e$119K
Noncash giftsLn 1g$0
Total revenueLn 12$407K
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$115K
SavingsLn 2$150K
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$265K
Total assetsLn 16$265K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0
Net assetsLn 32$265K
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 50
VolunteersI 625
Fiscal year endsHeaderDecember
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13No
Records policyVI 14No
3Year over year
Balance sheet, start vs end of yearPt X · col A, B
LineStart FY24End FY24
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$13K$265K
Total assetsLn 16$13K$265K
LiabilitiesLn 26$0$0
Net assetsLn 32$13K$265K
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Management feesLn 11a$5K$5K
Legal feesLn 11b$2K$2K
Advertising and promotionLn 12$3K$1K$1K
Office expensesLn 13$2K$2K
TravelLn 17$2K$2K
Conferences, conventions and meetingsLn 19$0$0
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$118K$118K
All other expensesLn 24e$3K$0$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$135K$120K$14K$1K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $59K$231K−$172K$85K 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $407K$135K$272K$265K 990 PDF
FY2023 $167K$13K 990 PDF
FY2022 $94K$16K 990 PDF
FY2021 $29K$20K 990 PDF
FY2020 $89K$44K 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs I · Grants R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support F · Foreign M · Noncash
See the full FY2024 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $406,897 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $66,471$406,897
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $100,484$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $26$0
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $0$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $166,981$406,897
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $173$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $0$0
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $131,687$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $38,147$134,931
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $170,007$134,931
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year −$3,026$271,966
Part VI · Governance 9 of 9 board members independent, 2 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members9
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyNo
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyNo
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsNo
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $406,897 across 7 lines filed
VIII-1a Federated campaigns$0
VIII-1b Membership dues$0
VIII-1e Government grants$118,830
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$282,055
VIII-1g Noncash contributions (included above)$0
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$406,897
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $0$406,897
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $134,931 across 8 lines filed
IX-11a Management feesManagement $5,329$5,329
IX-11b Legal feesManagement $1,859$1,859
IX-12 Advertising and promotionManagement $1,326 · Fundraising $1,309$2,635
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $2,097$2,097
IX-17 TravelPrograms $1,627$1,627
IX-19 Conferences, conventions and meetingsPrograms $0$0
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $118,418$118,418
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $0 · Management $2,966$2,966
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $120,045 · Management $13,577 · Fundraising $1,309$134,931
Part X · Balance sheet $265,409 assets, 6 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $12,504$115,409
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investments$150,000
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $12,504$265,409
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $0$0
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $12,504$265,409
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $12,504$265,409
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $265,409 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$406,897
XI-2 Total expenses$134,931
XI-3 Revenue less expenses$271,966
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$12,504
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$265,409

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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