Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, registered in 2018, with $164,876,615 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 85% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2023)
$164.9M
▲ 37.2% vs prior year
Medical Research median: $217K
Expenses (FY2023)
$145.7M
Net assets
$762.9M
Employees
360
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 Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research: 85% to programs · $5 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 Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research: 63 mo reserves · +12% margin earns a B+ 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 Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research: 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 Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Whitehead institute is a biological research institute dedicated to making paradigm shifting insights into the fundamental principles of life.
Revenue grew from $70.2M (FY2013) to $164.9M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
11.6%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$903.4M
Total liabilities
$140.5M
Net assets
$762.9M
Salaries & benefits
$39.4M
27% of expenses
Board members
21
20 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $164,876,615▲37.2% | $145,733,750▲18.6% | $762,926,607▲7.6% | $903,412,304▲7.2% | 990 |
| 2022 | $120,192,597▲8.4% | $122,899,801▲11.5% | $708,887,599▲4.8% | $842,417,084▲4.4% | 990 |
| 2021 | $110,885,074▲13.6% | $110,235,410▲14.0% | $676,356,621▼12.0% | $806,821,986▼10.0% | 990 |
| 2020 | $97,603,749▲34.9% | $96,726,988▲25.5% | $768,200,561▲37.4% | $896,132,656▲25.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $72,327,232▼13.9% | $77,087,871▲5.6% | $558,979,542▼1.2% | $712,253,042▲9.6% | 990 |
| 2018 | $83,985,006▲19.6% | $72,969,532▲1.2% | $565,589,994▲4.9% | $650,160,818▲3.6% | 990 |
| 2017 | $70,193,474▼27.1% | $72,071,760▼6.6% | $539,229,106▲4.3% | $627,527,372▲3.0% | 990 |
| 2016 | $96,307,678▲72.3% | $77,179,552▼1.7% | $516,932,974▲9.4% | $609,489,405▲6.9% | 990 |
| 2015 | $55,886,798▼24.4% | $78,487,727▲3.5% | $472,666,786▼6.9% | $570,313,583▼0.4% | 990 |
| 2014 | $73,964,154▲5.4% | $75,854,133▲0.5% | $507,888,936▼3.0% | $572,707,579▼0.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $70,200,667 | $75,477,118▲3.6% | $523,442,215▲10.4% | $577,610,883▲9.1% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $72,838,428▲3.1% | $474,050,448▲6.1% | $529,281,783▲4.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $70,673,639▲1.9% | $446,786,420▼8.9% | $506,336,838▼6.1% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $69,328,486▼9.6% | $490,378,559▲15.3% | $539,050,931▲12.8% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $76,732,724 | $425,466,960 | $477,787,129 | 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: Dr Ruth Lehmann — $1,007,583 (0.69% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Ruth Lehmann | Director/president | 40 | $1,007,583 |
| Mr Martin Mullins | Vice President | 40 | $533,715 |
| Ms Sharon Stanczak | Vice President & Secretary | 40 | $422,093 |
| Dr Rudolf Jaenisch | Member (faculty) | 40 | $383,687 |
| Dr Robert Weinberg | Member (faculty) | 40 | $357,083 |
| Dr Richard Young | Member (faculty) | 40 | $352,222 |
| Dr Mary Gehring | Member (faculty) | 40 | $329,293 |
| Dr Iain Cheeseman | Member (faculty) | 40 | $324,315 |
| Ms Laura Sander | Cfo & Treasurer | 40 | $193,664 |
| Ms Monica Gerber | Secretary (former) | 20 | $121,089 |
| Ms Monique Taylor | Asst Secretary | 40 | $88,485 |
| Dr Deborah Dunsire | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Dennis Langer | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Kevin Churchwell | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Mark Lapman | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Paul Joskow | Director/board Vice Chair | 2 | — |
| Dr Phillip Sharp | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Robert Satcher | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Sally Kornbluth | Director | 2 | — |
| Dr Susan Hockfield | Director | 2 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| The Investment Fund For Foundations | Investment Manager | $2,486,718 |
| Sei Boston LLC | Consulting Services | $959,086 |
| Nx2 Services LLC | Cleaning | $799,371 |
| Morse Barnes-brown Pendleton PC | Legal Firm | $650,302 |
| Wolf Greenfield Sacks PC | Legal | $330,714 |
141 grants to Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research totaling $34.9M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novo Nordisk Fonden | Nat-tech | 2024 | $1,015,155 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2024 | $916,787 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Medical / public services | 2024 | $110,000 |
| Jewish Communal Fund | In furtherance of grantee's tax-exempt purpose | 2024 | $100,000 |
| Pew Charitable Trusts | Policy | 2024 | $75,000 |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | Medical research | 2024 | $20,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $20,000 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Medical / public services | 2023 | $2,170,000 |
| Broad Institute Inc | Research | 2023 | $828,898 |
| Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Education | 2023 | $764,500 |
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute | H. gray scholars - grant | 2023 | $414,690 |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | Sponsored research sub-award | 2023 | $409,113 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $285,100 |
| Breast Cancer Research Foundation Inc | Medical research | 2023 | $225,000 |
| Pew Charitable Trusts | Policy | 2023 | $225,000 |
10 grants totaling $2.4M in FY2023. All grants made by Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Broad Institute | Research subaward | $556,071 |
| Northeastern University | — | $477,986 |
| Princeton University | Research subaward | $344,927 |
| Dana-farber Cancer Institute | Research subaward | $343,825 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated | Research subaward | $256,764 |
| Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania | Research subawards | $154,188 |
| Childrens Hospital Corporation | — | $99,848 |
| Memorial Sloan-kettering Cancer Center | Research subawards | $76,533 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Research subawards | $60,745 |
| University System of New Hampshire | Research subawards | $31,141 |
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Data for Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research (EIN 06-1043412) 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.