National Opinion Research Center is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Chicago, Illinois, registered in 1943, with $397,190,163 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 67% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$397.2M
▲ 13.8% vs prior year
Social Science median: $380K
Expenses (FY2024)
$387.2M
Net assets
$109.5M
Employees
3,758
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 National Opinion Research Center: 67% to programs · $0 to raise $100 earns a B 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 National Opinion Research Center: 3 mo reserves · +3% 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 National Opinion Research Center: 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 National Opinion Research Center: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Conduct research and data science on critical societal issues to (continued in schedule o)guide decision-making and the development of programs and public policy.
Revenue grew from $154.7M (FY2013) to $397.2M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
2.5%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$225.0M
Total liabilities
$115.5M
Net assets
$109.5M
Salaries & benefits
$202.8M
52% of expenses
Board members
14
7 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $397,190,163▲13.8% | $387,206,567▲13.6% | $109,481,436▲12.5% | $225,002,289▲5.7% | 990 |
| 2023 | $348,969,128▲7.2% | $340,972,747▲7.1% | $97,313,844▲15.6% | $212,859,751▲9.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $325,575,511▲10.8% | $318,230,751▲11.5% | $84,160,476▼1.0% | $195,266,219▲13.9% | 990 |
| 2021 | $293,760,106▲9.3% | $285,366,079▲14.0% | $85,006,160▲12.4% | $171,487,860▲11.2% | 990 |
| 2020 | $268,782,107▲13.0% | $250,214,895▲7.3% | $75,619,904▲39.6% | $154,208,152▲25.0% | 990 |
| 2019 | $237,788,687▲21.3% | $233,278,123▲21.1% | $54,179,269▲14.8% | $123,379,661▲15.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $196,076,938▲4.4% | $192,693,351▲5.9% | $47,205,690▲4.1% | $106,696,332▲11.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $187,777,473▼0.3% | $181,937,462▼2.8% | $45,340,585▲18.3% | $95,932,808▲7.3% | 990 |
| 2016 | $188,369,189▲4.7% | $187,220,184▲6.6% | $38,339,585▲3.8% | $89,420,912▲12.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $179,842,798▲4.6% | $175,634,946▲4.9% | $36,920,562▲10.3% | $79,705,246▲3.5% | 990 |
| 2014 | $171,881,222▲11.1% | $167,442,086▲10.8% | $33,485,975▲14.8% | $77,009,345▲15.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $154,660,397 | $151,088,903▲10.6% | $29,157,827▲14.0% | $66,482,149▲20.7% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $136,582,933▼4.4% | $25,586,333▲1.7% | $55,073,373▼8.8% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $142,857,496▼3.7% | $25,157,032▲17.1% | $60,404,363▲10.5% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $148,272,198 | $21,476,856 | $54,673,304 | 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: Daniel Gaylin — $1,290,091 (0.33% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Gaylin | President | 40 | $1,290,091 |
| Ellen Beatty | Cfo/evp/treasurer (thru 06/2025) | 40 | $711,235 |
| Michele Nachbar | Cso/evp/secretary | 40 | $709,783 |
| Ron Jurek | Cio/evp | 40 | $651,074 |
| Michael Davern | Executive Vice President | 40 | $587,913 |
| Susan Paddock | Executive Vice President | 40 | $534,786 |
| Krishna Kumar | Executive Vp | 40 | $489,060 |
| Angela Debello | Senior Vice President | 40 | $459,642 |
| Stephen Smith | Senior Vice President | 40 | $415,572 |
| Ed Mulrow | Senior Vice President | 40 | $411,599 |
| John Dennis | Senior Vice President | 40 | $411,300 |
| Caitlin Oppenheimer | Senior Vice President | 40 | $397,064 |
| Tenia Davis - Svp and | Chief People Office (thru 06/2025) | 40 | $395,121 |
| Greg Lanier | Senior Vice President | 40 | $392,563 |
| Michelle Strollo | Senior Vice President | 40 | $348,614 |
| Kirk Wolter | Distinguished Senior Fellow | 40 | $264,594 |
| Amanda Woodward | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David Apatoff | Trustee | 1 | — |
| David Nirenberg | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Diane Lauderdale | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Press America Inc | Printing and Mailout | $16,492,740 |
| Virtual Incentives LLC | Respondent Incentive Vendor | $4,010,458 |
| Carahsoft Technology Corp | Information Technology | $3,008,854 |
| Tango Card Inc | Respondent Incentive Vendor | $2,455,351 |
| Levi Ray & Shoup Inc | Information Technology | $1,082,755 |
144 grants to National Opinion Research Center totaling $49.4M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | Education | 2024 | $735,214 |
| AARP | Grant to support the aapi panel on differences among aapi ethnic groups | 2024 | $200,000 |
| California Healthcare Foundation | 2023-25 health policy polls | 2024 | $153,000 |
| Michael J Fox Foundation For Parkinsons Research | Parkinson's research | 2024 | $146,833 |
| Urban Institute | Grant sub-award | 2024 | $143,360 |
| American Endowment Foundation | General operating support | 2024 | $59,971 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Sub-award | 2023 | $2,906,959 |
| University of Chicago | Subaward | 2023 | $2,205,239 |
| California Healthcare Foundation | Telehealth experience interviews; 2023-25 health policy polls | 2023 | $454,116 |
| Northwestern University | Support of research activities | 2023 | $445,646 |
| Pan American Development Foundation Inc | Advance security & rule of law | 2023 | $395,393 |
| Lucile Packard Foundation For Childrens Health | A national study on the oral health and dental care needs and experiences of children with special health care needs | 2023 | $382,405 |
| Brandeis University | Research | 2023 | $373,753 |
| Michael J Fox Foundation For Parkinsons Research | Parkinson's research | 2023 | $250,341 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $222,818 |
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Data for National Opinion Research Center (EIN 36-2167808) 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.