Project Ceti INC FY2023 filing

Tax-deductible

New York, NY501(c)(3)Since 2020Science & TechnologyEIN 84-4630660Revenue $6.2M in FY2023

On file with the IRSprojectceti.org302 E 19th St Apt 2c, 10003-2896 · New York, NYTax-exempt since Mar 2020Publicly supported charity — 170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

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Project Ceti (cetacean translation initiative) is a nonprofit organization that is applying advanced machine learning and non-invasive robotics to listen to and translate the communication of whales.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
78¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$312K 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

FY2023 · 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
4 of 6
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $1.7M a year · 28% of revenue · last 6 filings
Fine: a surplus in 4 of the last 6 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 6 filings
Spent on programs
78%
of spending
Looks good: 78% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$312K
to officers and key staff · 5% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 5% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
Cash reserves
15 mo
of spending, in cash
Looks good: 15.4 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
1
named funder · $200K
Fine: 1 funder names it on their filings; under 3.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$284K
2% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 2% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
2
of 3 voting members
Looks good: 2 of 3 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$6.2M
-23% vs prior year
Spent
$6.8M
To programs
78%
Net assets
$12.6M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$6.2M
FY2023▼ -23%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$6.8M
FY2021$8.0M
FY2022$8.1M
FY2023$6.2M
FY2024$6.0M
FY2025$1.8M
Expenses
$6.8M
FY2023▲ +29%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$6K
FY2021$4.5M
FY2022$5.2M
FY2023$6.8M
FY2024$5.0M
FY2025$5.2M
Net assets
$12.6M
FY2023▼ -4%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$6.8M
FY2021$10.3M
FY2022$13.1M
FY2023$12.6M
FY2024$13.6M
FY2025$10.3M

From the FY2023 Form 990 · 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 Mar 2020.

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

Where the money goes

78 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 78% · $5.3M Management & general 20% · $1.3M Fundraising 2% · $120K

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

4 people listed on the 990; $312K paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation
Chief Strategy Officer
$161,500Pt VII · Sec A
$150,000Pt VII · Sec A
Secretary
$0Pt VII · Sec A
$0Pt VII · Sec A

David Gruber’s $185K as CEO is at the 52nd percentile of top reported officer pay among 363 $1–10M science & technology 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 · 3 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2023FY2022
David Gruber$185,400$179,552$150,000$98,077
Fiona Korwin-Pawlowski$172,500$168,467$161,500—
Ashley Zafaranlou$136,294$117,223——

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 2No
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aNo

Programs and updates

Listens to and translates whale communication using advanced technology.

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Provided by the organization

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1 program · $5.3M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Project ceti was founded in 2020, and the organization's mission includes developing the technology needed for whale communication research and examining an initial data set from ceti's research location dominica.

$5.3Mprogram 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
Total grants receivedfrom 1 funder$200K
Grants paid · 3 grants · $1.5M · 2021–2021
MITMA · FY2021$835,000

By the numbers

The FY2023 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$6.2M
Ln 12
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.9M
Investment incomeLn 3$294K
Money outPt IX
$6.8M
Ln 25
Programscol B$5.3M
Managementcol C$1.3M
Fundraisingcol D$120K
Owns and owesPt X
$12.6M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$8.7M
Total assetsLn 16$12.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$284K
PeoplePt VI, VII
4
listed · VII A
PaidVII A2
Voting boardVI 1a3
IndependentVI 1b2
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$5.9M
Investment incomeLn 3$294K
Gains on assetsLn 7$80K
Total revenueLn 12$6.2M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
CashLn 1$145K
SavingsLn 2$8.5M
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$8.7M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$3.8M
Total assetsLn 16$12.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$284K
Net assetsLn 32$12.6M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 54
VolunteersI 62
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 FY23End FY23
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$8.0M$8.7M
Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c$4.4M$3.8M
Total assetsLn 16$13.2M$12.9M
LiabilitiesLn 26$69K$284K
Net assetsLn 32$13.1M$12.6M
4Every line
Statement of functional expensesPt IX · every line
LineTotalProgramsManagementFundraising
Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5$335K$50K$251K$33K
Other salaries and wagesLn 7$33K$33K
Other employee benefitsLn 9$73$17$50$6
Payroll taxesLn 10$27K$6K$18K$2K
Legal feesLn 11b$3K$2K$1K
Accounting feesLn 11c$110K$110K
Other fees for servicesLn 11g$4.6M$4.4M$193K
Office expensesLn 13$7K$7K
OccupancyLn 16$58K$58K
TravelLn 17$97K$55K$42K
Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22$919K$208K$628K$83K
InsuranceLn 23$220K$210K$8K$1K
Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24$316K$230K$86K
All other expensesLn 24e$17K$14K$3K
Total functional expensesLn 25$6.8M$5.3M$1.3M$120K

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $1.8M$5.2M−$3.3M$10.3M 990 PDF
FY2024 $6.0M$5.0M$1.0M$13.6M 990 PDF
FY2023 Viewing $6.2M$6.8M−$533K$12.6M 990 PDF
FY2022 $8.1M$5.2M$2.8M$13.1M 990 PDF
FY2021 $8.0M$4.5M$3.5M$10.3M 990 PDF
FY2020 $6.8M$6K$6.8M$6.8M 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 FY2023 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $6,229,724 revenue, 12 lines filed
I-8 Contributions and grantsPrior year $8,031,857$5,935,679
I-9 Program service revenuePrior year $0$0
I-10 Investment incomePrior year $1,233$294,045
I-11 Other revenuePrior year $40,242$0
I-12 Total revenuePrior year $8,073,332$6,229,724
I-13 Grants and similar amounts paidPrior year $0$0
I-14 Benefits paid to membersPrior year $0$0
I-15 Salaries and benefitsPrior year $183,410$394,661
I-16a Professional fundraising feesPrior year $0$0
I-17 Other expensesPrior year $5,050,447$6,368,168
I-18 Total expensesPrior year $5,233,857$6,762,829
I-19 Revenue less expensesPrior year $2,839,475−$533,105
Part VI · Governance 2 of 3 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body3
VI-1b Independent voting members2
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 $6,229,724 across 5 lines filed
VIII-1f All other contributions, gifts and grants$5,935,679
VIII-1h Total contributions, gifts and grants$5,935,679
VIII-3 Investment incomeExcluded from tax $214,441$214,441
VIII-7 Net gain or loss on sales of assetsExcluded from tax $79,604$79,604
VIII-12 Total revenueRelated to mission $0 · Unrelated business $0 · Excluded from tax $294,045$6,229,724
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $6,762,829 across 14 lines filed
IX-5 Pay of current officers, directors and key staffPrograms $50,440 · Management $251,263 · Fundraising $33,252$334,955
IX-7 Other salaries and wagesPrograms $32,677$32,677
IX-9 Other employee benefitsPrograms $17 · Management $50 · Fundraising $6$73
IX-10 Payroll taxesPrograms $6,095 · Management $18,423 · Fundraising $2,438$26,956
IX-11b Legal feesPrograms $1,655 · Management $1,015$2,670
IX-11c Accounting feesManagement $110,033$110,033
IX-11g Other fees for servicesPrograms $4,428,742 · Management $193,049$4,621,791
IX-13 Office expensesManagement $6,972$6,972
IX-16 OccupancyPrograms $57,958$57,958
IX-17 TravelPrograms $55,343 · Management $41,586$96,929
IX-22 Depreciation, depletion and amortizationPrograms $207,858 · Management $628,345 · Fundraising $83,151$919,354
IX-23 InsurancePrograms $210,355 · Management $8,495 · Fundraising $1,125$219,975
IX-24 Other expenses (24a–d)Programs $229,505 · Management $86,368$315,873
IX-24e All other expensesPrograms $13,919 · Management $2,694$16,613
IX-25 Total functional expensesPrograms $5,294,564 · Management $1,348,293 · Fundraising $119,972$6,762,829
Part X · Balance sheet $12,882,609 assets, 11 lines filed
X-1 Cash, non-interest-bearingStart of year $207,305$144,656
X-2 Savings and temporary cash investmentsStart of year $7,834,789$8,523,392
X-3 Pledges and grants receivableStart of year $736,666$406,484
X-10c Land, buildings and equipment, netStart of year $4,422,049$3,808,077
X-16 Total assetsStart of year $13,200,809$12,882,609
X-17 Accounts payable and accrued expensesStart of year $69,158$284,063
X-26 Total liabilitiesStart of year $69,158$284,063
X-27 Net assets without donor restrictionsStart of year $12,314,941$12,161,589
X-28 Net assets with donor restrictionsStart of year $816,710$436,957
X-32 Total net assets or fund balancesStart of year $13,131,651$12,598,546
X-33 Total liabilities and net assetsStart of year $13,200,809$12,882,609
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $12,598,546 net assets at year end
XI-1 Total revenue$6,229,724
XI-2 Total expenses$6,762,829
XI-3 Revenue less expenses−$533,105
XI-4 Net assets at start of year$13,131,651
XI-9 Other changes in net assets$0
XI-10 Net assets at end of year$12,598,546

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

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