Seti Institute
69% goes to programs $1 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
Seti Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Mountain View, California, registered in 1985, with $55,182,076 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 69% of spending to programs.
339 Bernardo Ave Ste 200, Mountain View, CA, 94043 EIN 94-2951356 Since 1985
Revenue (FY2023)
$55.2M
▼ 73.7% vs prior year
Science & Tech median: $288K
Expenses (FY2023)
$28.8M
Net assets
$228.6M
Employees
147
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
BProgram efficiency40% of the rating69% to programs · $1 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 Seti Institute: 69% to programs · $1 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating95 mo reserves · +48% 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 Seti Institute: 95 mo reserves · +48% 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 Seti 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 Seti Institute: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
To explore, understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe and the evolution of intelligence.
What they do
The center for education has impacted more than a half million students and develops stem resources that teach, excite and inspire children, young adults and educators. these programs foster future leaders and include: girl scout stars, which develops space science badges for girl scouts, provides training for adult volunteers and facilitates hands-on astronomy activities; girls go to mars activities that teach stem by focusing on mars exploration; airborne astronomy ambassadors provides professional development for high school, middle school and community college science educators and includes an immersive experience onboard nasa's stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy; and research experience for undergraduates, an 8-week summer internship that pairs students with scientist mentors.
The center for outreach believes that understanding our work places humanity in a greater context. we share research and learning with the public through digital, real world and broadcast activities. these include big picture science, a radio show and podcast carried by more than 150 radio stations; seti talks, a monthly lecture series showcasing our science and shared across multiple digital channels; seti air, which fosters an exchange of ideas between artists and scientists; seti live, a weekly livestreamed discussion featuring seti institute researchers and scientists engaged in similar work; public talks at schools, museums, libraries and other events and organizations; explorer, an annual magazine, journey, an e-newsletter; and the seti.org website.
Contact & location
- Address
- 339 Bernardo Ave Ste 200, Mountain View, CA, 94043
- City
- Mountain View
- State
- California
- Category
- Science & Technology
- Subcategory
- Physical & Earth Sciences
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $15.9M (FY2013) to $55.2M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $8.4MNet assets $228.6M
Operating margin
47.7%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$237.0M
Total liabilities
$8.4M
Net assets
$228.6M
Salaries & benefits
$17.2M
60% of expenses
Board members
20
19 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $55,182,076▼73.7% | $28,838,314▲15.1% | $228,634,756▲13.1% | $237,032,764▲12.5% | 990 |
| 2022 | $209,908,662▲648% | $25,047,459▲2.2% | $202,222,269▲1070% | $210,749,653▲689% | 990 |
| 2021 | $28,045,270▲8.2% | $24,508,635▲11.7% | $17,291,252▲33.2% | $26,724,400▲64.6% | 990 |
| 2020 | $25,926,114▲14.3% | $21,934,929▼5.2% | $12,979,906▲44.9% | $16,235,939▲11.7% | 990 |
| 2019 | $22,680,216▼9.0% | $23,138,089▲4.0% | $8,959,587▼5.3% | $14,536,591▲9.5% | 990 |
| 2018 | $24,921,264▲23.9% | $22,256,048▲11.4% | $9,456,198▲39.2% | $13,272,127▲26.2% | 990 |
| 2017 | $20,108,757▼1.2% | $19,984,987▼3.0% | $6,793,190▲1.9% | $10,514,710▲3.4% | 990 |
| 2016 | $20,349,472▲7.2% | $20,609,248▲6.5% | $6,664,142▼3.2% | $10,164,990▼4.2% | 990 |
| 2015 | $18,976,195▲9.3% | $19,358,070▲9.2% | $6,887,506▼8.0% | $10,613,091▲2.9% | 990 |
| 2014 | $17,357,611▲9.2% | $17,724,247▲9.9% | $7,485,177▼6.0% | $10,310,070▼9.0% | 990 |
| 2013 | $15,895,739 | $16,121,428 | $7,959,650 | $11,333,156 | 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 (FY2023)
Highest-paid: Bill Diamond — $334,364 (1.16% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Diamond | Secretary, President & Ceo | 40 | $334,364 |
| Janice Bishop | Senior Scientist | 40 | $234,635 |
| Joseph Twicken | Senior Scientific Programmer | 40 | $213,870 |
| Peter Tenenbaum | Data Scientist | 40 | $208,311 |
| James Andy Spry | Senior Scientist | 40 | $204,013 |
| Margaret Turnbull | Research Scientist | 40 | $192,000 |
| Bruce Campbell | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $186,294 |
| Stephen Bourdow | Deputy Director, Operations | 40 | $168,166 |
| Andrew Fraknoi | Director | 1 | $7,088 |
| Amaresh Kollipara | Director | 1 | — |
| Avery Wang | Director | 1 | — |
| Dane Glasgow | Vice Chariman of the Board | 1 | — |
| Dan Lankford | Chairman of the Board | 1 | — |
| Dava Newman | Director | 1 | — |
| Elizebeth Varghese | Director | 1 | — |
| Erik Charlton | Director | 1 | — |
| Fritz Demopoulos | Director | 1 | — |
| Helmy Eltoukhy | Director | 1 | — |
| Jill Tarter | Director | 1 | — |
| John Giannadrea | Director | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2018)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Kelsey Hoffman | Scientific Research | $111,208 |
Grants received · $11.7M total
69 grants to Seti Institute totaling $11.7M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
Grants made · $2.0M in FY2023
29 grants totaling $2.0M in FY2023 — showing the 15 largest. All grants made by Seti Institute →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Honeybee Robotics Ltd | Research | $356,363 |
| West Ed | Research | $221,265 |
| University of Massachusetts - Amherst | Research | $117,084 |
| Baja Technology LLC | Research | $110,500 |
| Other Orb LLC | Research | $108,400 |
| Trustees of Purdue University | Research | $99,534 |
| Planetary Science Institute | Research | $91,527 |
| Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC | Research | $91,040 |
| University of Florida | Research | $90,611 |
| S&b Precision Machines Consulting LLC | Research | $78,200 |
| San Diego State University Foundation | Research | $72,552 |
| The University of Arizona | Research | $57,589 |
| Regents of the University of California At Riverside | Research | $55,432 |
| Universities Space Research Association | Research | $43,687 |
| Million Concepts LLC | Research | $43,138 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Seti Institute a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. Seti Institute is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 94-2951356, based in Mountain View, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is Seti Institute's EIN?
- Seti Institute's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 94-2951356.
- How much revenue does Seti Institute report?
- Seti Institute reported $55,182,076 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of Seti Institute's spending goes to programs?
- Seti Institute spends about 69% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does Seti Institute have?
- CharityIndex grades Seti Institute B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does Seti Institute's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on Seti Institute's latest Form 990 is $334,364, paid to Bill Diamond (Secretary, President & Ceo).
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Explore more
Data for Seti Institute (EIN 94-2951356) 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.