Howard Hughes Medical Institute
80% goes to programs $0 to raise $100 Strong reserves
Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, registered in 1957, with $2,004,784,057 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 80% of spending to programs.
4000 Jones Bridge Rd, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815 EIN 59-0735717 Since 1957
Revenue (FY2024)
$2.0B
▲ 13.9% vs prior year
Medical Research median: $217K
Expenses (FY2024)
$1.2B
Net assets
$27.6B
Employees
2,627
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
AProgram efficiency40% of the rating80% to programs · $0 to raise $100
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 Howard Hughes Medical Institute: 80% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating281 mo reserves · +41% margin
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 Howard Hughes Medical Institute: 281 mo reserves · +41% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
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 Howard Hughes Medical Institute: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
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 Howard Hughes Medical Institute: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The howard hughes medical institute is a biomedical research organization dedicated to conducting fundamental research in the life sciences, supporting science education throughout the united states, and advancing the public understanding of science.
What they do
Science education, fellowships, and media programs through its science education, fellowships, and media programs, hhmi invests in individuals, initiatives, and media that advance learning and promote success in science across educational and career stages. science education programs infy25,hhmirefocuseditsscience education effortsaround student-centeredinitiatives.during the 2024-2025 academic year, thescience education alliance (sea)programsupported7,779 students toparticipateinsea-phages, a two-semesterdiscovery basedcoursethatimmerses students in hands-onscientificresearch.biointeractive, a multimedia resource for high school and college-level introductory biology,continued to provide high-quality educational materialsand professional development workshopsat no chargeto biology instructors throughout the country, reachingmore than 70% of high school and college biology classrooms.hhmialsoannounceda new program calledsuccess in science,whichprovides grantsto12institutionsfor implementingprogramsdesigned toincrease undergraduate persistence in science. fellowship programs founded in 2004, the gilliam fellows program supportsexceptionalbiomedical phd students and their advisorsto advancecutting-edgeresearchand foster the development of inclusive scientific training environments. in fy25, 30 graduate students were selected,representing23 different institutions across the us.since 2017,the hanna h. gray fellows programhassupportedoutstandingpostdocs as they transition into their first faculty position.the institutewelcomed25postdocsin fy25 as members of the newestcohort.in may,hhmitemporarilypausedcompetitionsforbothprogramsin order todevoteadditionalresources to current hhmi scientists. tangled bank studios tangledbank studios, llc, captures compelling stories across all branches of scientific discovery. in fy25, tangled bank released 23 documentary features and shorts, which received a range of awards, including the 2025 science & technology documentary emmy award for the "hunt for the oldest dna," five giant screen cinema association awards for "blue whales: return of the giants, the grand teton award at the jackson wild media awards for "turtle walker." the studio also launched thescience@mylibraryimpact initiative, which brings local science stories and activities to more than 250 public libraries around the country.
Contact & location
- Address
- 4000 Jones Bridge Rd, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815
- City
- Chevy Chase
- State
- Maryland
- Category
- Medical Research
- Subcategory
- Medical Specialty Research
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue held steady from $2.0B (FY2013) to $2.0B (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $1.9BNet assets $27.6B
Operating margin
41.2%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$29.5B
Total liabilities
$1.9B
Net assets
$27.6B
Salaries & benefits
$490.6M
42% of expenses
Board members
12
12 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,004,784,057▲13.9% | $1,178,202,544▲2.2% | $27,618,269,570▲8.0% | $29,497,763,012▲8.1% | 990 |
| 2023 | $1,760,221,928▲135% | $1,152,447,870▲0.5% | $25,560,992,002▲5.7% | $27,296,895,597▲5.4% | 990 |
| 2022 | $749,022,788▼64.6% | $1,147,090,579▲16.3% | $24,177,090,209▲0.6% | $25,892,499,538▲0.1% | 990 |
| 2021 | $2,117,477,557▲1.0% | $986,289,955▲3.3% | $24,039,668,984▼11.3% | $25,877,392,654▼11.8% | 990 |
| 2020 | $2,096,794,078▲42.9% | $954,764,083▲0.8% | $27,098,934,612▲27.6% | $29,343,107,763▲23.1% | 990 |
| 2019 | $1,467,289,681▲4.0% | $947,377,660▼12.4% | $21,231,900,185▲5.4% | $23,840,455,852▲5.7% | 990 |
| 2018 | $1,411,381,183▼7.6% | $1,081,673,510▲16.8% | $20,139,285,949▼1.1% | $22,544,411,510▼5.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $1,527,324,317▼1.5% | $925,718,713▼11.3% | $20,369,359,231▲5.5% | $23,816,259,445▲5.4% | 990 |
| 2016 | $1,550,547,891▲29.2% | $1,043,453,921▼7.9% | $19,309,198,025▲8.6% | $22,594,415,758▲7.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $1,200,320,873▼39.5% | $1,133,477,188▲11.8% | $17,775,559,553▼2.2% | $21,082,502,290▼2.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $1,982,566,539▼1.0% | $1,013,599,225▼12.9% | $18,171,235,116▼2.3% | $21,693,736,438▼0.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $2,003,505,012 | $1,163,065,944▲10.3% | $18,593,606,666▲10.0% | $21,860,329,641▲11.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $1,053,985,963▼2.8% | $16,901,006,477▲7.1% | $19,677,721,527▲8.6% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $1,084,168,259▲10.2% | $15,781,109,296▲0.3% | $18,117,543,067▼0.7% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $983,647,611▼8.4% | $15,739,866,136▲9.1% | $18,237,793,953▲8.5% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $1,074,155,073 | $14,429,545,537 | $16,803,128,883 | 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.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Donald Koch — $1,928,020 (0.16% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Koch | Vp & Chief Investment Officer | 40 | $1,928,020 |
| Erin K O'shea Phd | President | 40 | $1,652,120 |
| Mark Sproles | Managing Director, Private Markets | 40 | $1,207,419 |
| Karen Eifler | Managing Director, Public Markets | 40 | $1,160,055 |
| Glen Zwicker | Managing Director & Head of Investment Operations | 40 | $1,043,689 |
| Heidi E Henning Esq | Vp & General Counsel & Secretary | 40 | $831,890 |
| Richard Axel Md | Investigator | 40 | $806,661 |
| Blanton Tolbert Phd | Vp Science Leadership and Culture (thru 05/25)/lab Head | 40 | $778,489 |
| Leslie B Vosshall Phd | Vp & Chief Scientific Officer | 40 | $772,292 |
| Ronald Vale Phd | Senior Group Leader/former Vp & Exec. Dir., Jrc | 40 | $769,522 |
| Nelson Spruston Phd | Vp & Exec Dir, Janelia Research Campus | 40 | $643,812 |
| Gerald M Rubin Phd | Senior Group Leader/former Vp & Exec. Dir., Jrc | 40 | $599,415 |
| Sean B Carroll Phd | Investigator/former Vp Sci. & Ed. Media Group | 40 | $593,698 |
| David E Clapham Phd | Senior Group Leader/former Vp & Chief Scientific Officer | 40 | $590,291 |
| Seth Grossman Esq | Vp, Chief Operating Officer & Senior Advisor To the President | 40 | $541,218 |
| Lynne Lochte | Chief Financial Officer & Treasurer | 40 | $481,161 |
| Bodo Stern Phd | Chief of Strategic Initiatives | 40 | $446,695 |
| Kristina Heiberger Esq | Deputy General Counsel & Assistant Secretary | 40 | $425,011 |
| Natasha Neises | Senior Director, Financial Planning & Analysis | 40 | $294,592 |
| Jeremy Compton | Controller | 40 | $265,218 |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Aramark Services Incoporated | Conference Center Management | $8,495,550 |
| Jones Lang Lasalle Americas Inc | Facilities Management | $3,503,353 |
| Cohen & Steers | Investment Management | $3,395,583 |
| Whitehawk Capital Partners | Investment Management | $2,840,656 |
| Accel | Investment Management | $2,500,241 |
Grants made · $8.8M in FY2024
31 grants totaling $8.8M in FY2024 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Howard Hughes Medical Institute →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of California San Francisco | Medical research | $3,062,953 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Medical research | $2,113,215 |
| Yale University | Medical research | $1,286,366 |
| The Loudoun Education Foundation | Support of k-12 science education activities | $1,000,000 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | Medical research | $502,742 |
| North Carolina Central University | Science education alliance | $370,465 |
| Helen Hay Whitney Foundation | Medical research | $73,500 |
| University of Oklahoma | Biointeractive | $39,600 |
| New Mexico State University | Driving change | $25,000 |
| North Carolina A & T State University | Driving change | $25,000 |
| American Society For Cell Biology | Support for the san francisco declaration on research assessment (dora) | $25,000 |
| The University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement | Driving change | $25,000 |
| University of California Merced | Driving change | $25,000 |
| Elizabeth City State University | Science education alliance | $20,000 |
| Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research | Medical research | $20,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Howard Hughes Medical Institute a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Howard Hughes Medical Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 59-0735717, based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Howard Hughes Medical Institute's EIN?
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 59-0735717.
- How much revenue does Howard Hughes Medical Institute report?
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute reported $2,004,784,057 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Howard Hughes Medical Institute's spending goes to programs?
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute spends about 80% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Howard Hughes Medical Institute have?
- CharityIndex grades Howard Hughes Medical Institute A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Howard Hughes Medical Institute's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Howard Hughes Medical Institute's latest Form 990 is $1,928,020, paid to Donald Koch (Vp & Chief Investment Officer).
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Data for Howard Hughes Medical Institute (EIN 59-0735717) 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.