Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Francisco, California, registered in 1992, with $1,114,389,675 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A+, and it directs about 100% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$1.1B
▲ 4.4% vs prior year
Expenses (FY2023)
$1.1B
Net assets
$1.9B
Employees
6,618
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization: 100% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization: 20 mo reserves · -0% margin earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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We deliver innovative solutions for industry, society and the environment through great science.
Revenue grew from $1.0B (FY2016) to $1.1B (FY2023) across 8 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
-0.5%
Spent more than it raised in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$2.4B
Total liabilities
$486.5M
Net assets
$1.9B
Salaries & benefits
$644.4M
58% of expenses
Board members
8
7 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $1,114,389,675▲4.4% | $1,119,535,683▲1.4% | $1,902,482,485▲6.4% | $2,388,986,347▲2.8% | 990 |
| 2022 | $1,067,896,728▲0.1% | $1,103,855,060▲9.6% | $1,787,823,407▲0.8% | $2,324,325,699▲1.7% | 990 |
| 2021 | $1,067,242,529▼0.5% | $1,006,952,420▼2.2% | $1,774,305,922▲3.4% | $2,284,667,877▲3.3% | 990 |
| 2020 | $1,072,398,569▲13.8% | $1,029,833,466▲5.4% | $1,716,785,733▲15.8% | $2,210,702,659▲13.6% | 990 |
| 2019 | $942,337,007▼8.1% | $977,330,777▼6.9% | $1,482,923,019▼8.4% | $1,946,650,501▼4.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $1,024,947,833▼3.4% | $1,049,546,324▼5.4% | $1,618,659,711▼7.1% | $2,033,338,820▼5.8% | 990 |
| 2017 | $1,060,962,998▲6.0% | $1,109,448,930▲9.1% | $1,742,405,188▲6.1% | $2,157,411,435▲6.4% | 990 |
| 2016 | $1,000,913,885 | $1,017,264,855 | $1,642,382,558 | $2,027,019,800 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Jonathan Law — $468,390 (0.04% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Law | Executive Dir. (term 03/28/24) | 36.75 | $468,390 |
| Kirsten Rose | Deputy Chief Executive Officer | 36.75 | $443,834 |
| Peter Mayfield | Executive Director | 36.75 | $416,815 |
| Doug Hilton | Ceo (as of 09/29/23) | 36.75 | $392,779 |
| Jonathan Wittle | Research Unit Leader | 36.75 | $369,419 |
| Elanor Huntington | Executive Director | 36.75 | $366,369 |
| Bronwyn Fox | Chief Scientist | 36.75 | $324,163 |
| Michael Robertson | Acting Executive Director (et) | 36.75 | $298,841 |
| Daniel Metcalfe | Research Unit Leader | 36.75 | $297,633 |
| Thomas Munyard | Chief Operating Officer | 36.75 | $295,896 |
| Dietmar Tourbier | Research Unit Leader | 36.75 | $294,273 |
| Vladana Solar | Dir., National Ai Centre (term 06/30/24) | 36.75 | $280,395 |
| Anthea White | Acting Executive Ht | 36.75 | $248,649 |
| Stewart Walters | Chief Finance Officer | 36.75 | $219,966 |
| Kathryn Fagg | Chair of the Board | 8 | $117,468 |
| Ian Macfarlane | Board Member | 5 | $71,713 |
| Michele Allan | Board Member (term 05/04/24) | 5 | $60,227 |
| Alex Brown | Board Member | 2 | $58,723 |
| Emma Johnston | Board Member (as of 08/22/23) | 3 | $47,559 |
| Roy Green | Board Member (as of 12/07/23) | 2 | $35,751 |
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Data for Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (EIN 98-0119947) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.