Totals
- Total revenue
- $5,069,912
- Total expenses
- $5,783,654
- Contributions and grants received
- $4,610,976
- Grants paid
- $0
- Program service revenue
- $244,090
- Investment income
- $188,047
- Other revenue
- $26,799
- Total assets, end of year
- $5,985,021
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $1,586,069
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- $4,398,952
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $4,819,068
- Management and general expenses
- $738,626
- Fundraising expenses
- $225,960
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $4,819,068
Program services were 83.3% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.
Line items
Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.
Revenue
Part VIII, the statement of revenue.
-
1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants
$4,610,976
-
2a · Program service revenue: Program service fees
total $244,090 · related or exempt $244,090
-
3 · Investment income
total $188,047 · excluded $188,047
-
4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds
total $0
-
5 · Royalties
total $0
-
6a · Gross rents
real property $26,799
-
6c · Rental income or loss
real property $26,799
-
6d · Net rental income or loss
total $26,799 · excluded $26,799
-
7d · Net gain or loss
total $0
-
8c · Net income from fundraising events
total $0
-
9c · Net income from gaming
total $0
-
10c · Net income from sales of inventory
total $0
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$0
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $0
-
2 · Grants to domestic individuals
total $0
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $0
-
4 · Benefits paid to or for members
total $0
-
5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
total $1,450,465 · program services $1,240,146 · management and general $157,698 · fundraising $52,621
-
6 · Compensation of disqualified persons
total $0
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $1,765,878 · program services $1,500,669 · management and general $179,199 · fundraising $86,010
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $56,878 · program services $44,840 · management and general $9,652 · fundraising $2,386
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $199,277 · program services $165,705 · management and general $26,958 · fundraising $6,614
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $240,594 · program services $207,642 · management and general $24,495 · fundraising $8,457
-
11a · Fees: management
total $0
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $124,522 · program services $85,737 · management and general $38,785
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $85,734 · management and general $85,734
-
11d · Fees: lobbying
total $0
-
11e · Fees: professional fundraising services
total $0
-
11f · Fees: investment management
total $0
-
11g · Fees: other
total $339,252 · program services $186,126 · management and general $117,126 · fundraising $36,000
-
12 · Advertising and promotion
total $9,601 · program services $9,601
-
13 · Office expenses
total $57,127 · program services $5,838 · management and general $42,845 · fundraising $8,444
-
14 · Information technology
total $84,723 · program services $18,539 · management and general $66,184
-
15 · Royalties
total $0
-
16 · Occupancy
total $356,891 · program services $44,725 · management and general $310,061 · fundraising $2,105
-
17 · Travel
total $0
-
18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials
total $0
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $87,155 · program services $36,719 · management and general $48,278 · fundraising $2,158
-
20 · Interest
total $0
-
21 · Payments to affiliates
total $0
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $53,993 · management and general $53,993
-
23 · Insurance
total $15,023 · management and general $15,023
-
24a · Other expenses: Forums & program events
total $806,507 · program services $784,918 · management and general $21,589
-
24b · Other expenses: Equipment
total $34,041 · program services $180 · management and general $33,861
-
24c · Other expenses: Professional Dev/Recruitment
total $15,993 · program services $12,406 · management and general $3,587
-
24d · Other expenses: Allocation of shared costs
total $0 · program services $475,277 · management and general -$496,442 · fundraising $21,165
-
24e · All other expenses
total $0
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $924,100 · end of year $1,117,512
-
2 · Savings and temporary cash investments
end of year $0
-
3 · Pledges and grants receivable
beginning of year $1,558,855 · end of year $519,904
-
4 · Accounts receivable
beginning of year $91 · end of year $0
-
5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people
end of year $0
-
6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons
end of year $0
-
7 · Other notes and loans receivable
end of year $0
-
8 · Inventories for sale or use
end of year $0
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $128,692 · end of year $159,017
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$367,475
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$263,100
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $98,029 · end of year $104,375
-
11 · Investments: publicly traded securities
beginning of year $2,951,893 · end of year $3,089,940
-
12 · Investments: other securities
end of year $0
-
13 · Investments: program-related
end of year $0
-
14 · Intangible assets
end of year $0
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $828,419 · end of year $994,273
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $396,711 · end of year $384,812
-
19 · Deferred revenue
beginning of year $54,010
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $926,664 · end of year $1,201,257
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year $2,660,292 · end of year $3,406,305
-
28 · Net assets with donor restrictions
beginning of year $2,452,402 · end of year $992,647
Mission and programs · 2025
Mission
The Breakthrough Institute is a research center that identifies and promotes technological solutions to environmental and human development challenges.
-
Research Programs: Breakthrough's Research Programs consist of our Climate and Energyprogram, which focuses on policies and technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissionsand increase social resilience to a changing climate; our Nuclear Energy Innovation program, which oversees all engagement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and publishes cutting-edge analysis on nuclear technology; our Food and Agriculture program, which advances an innovation-and-productivity framework for enabling abundant andlow-impact food production; our Energy and Development program, which focuses onenergy and infrastructural equity and resilience in emerging economies; and our Environmental Regulatory Reform program, which develops and promotes credible and politically durable policy reforms that support the timely, lawful, and equitable deployment of critical infrastructure.
Expenses $3,369,938 · Revenue $75,000
-
Events: Network building is one of the principal ways that Breakthrough makes change in the world, and one way we execute on this is through our events. For over a decade, Breakthrough hosted two popular annual events the Breakthrough Dialogue in California and Ecomodernism in Virginia which convened and advanced ecomodernism, pro-nuclear, and other pragmatic environmental ideas and policy agendas. For the last three years, Breakthrough has been one of the leading organizers of the annual Abundance conference in Washington, DC. We also host numerous workshops, focused policy briefings, and other high-level meetings.
Expenses $1,055,846 · Revenue $162,920
-
Communications: Our communications program consists of regular publication of research, policy analysis, and argumentative essays on our website, and multiple weekly publications on our flagship Sub-stack, The Ecomodernist. We promote our research, writing, and staff on social media, and augment our institutional publications through speaking engagements at conferences and public events; as well as through essays and analysis for external outlets, including academic, peer-reviewed journals and high-leverage publications such as the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.
Expenses $393,284 · Revenue $6,170
As filed on the 2025 return.
Listed in Part VII
-
Ronald Nordhaus
Executive Dir.
- Total calculated
- $370,737
- From this org
- $320,000
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $50,737
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $280,000
- Bonus
- $40,000
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $9,600
- Nontaxable benefits
- $41,137
- Filer's total
- $370,737
-
David Hong
Washington Dir.
- Total calculated
- $237,970
- From this org
- $213,675
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $24,295
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $213,675
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $6,410
- Nontaxable benefits
- $17,885
- Filer's total
- $237,970
-
Alex Trembath
Deputy Dir.
- Total calculated
- $229,669
- From this org
- $211,150
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $18,519
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $211,150
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $6,335
- Nontaxable benefits
- $12,184
- Filer's total
- $229,669
-
Adam Stein
Dir. Nuclear Energy Innovation
- Total calculated
- $213,710
- From this org
- $169,950
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $43,760
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $169,950
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $5,099
- Nontaxable benefits
- $38,661
- Filer's total
- $213,710
-
Seaver Wang
Dir. of Climate & Energy
- Total calculated
- $205,675
- From this org
- $190,550
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $15,125
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $190,550
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $5,717
- Nontaxable benefits
- $9,408
- Filer's total
- $205,675
-
Daniel Blaustein-Rejto
Dir. Food & Agriculture
- Total calculated
- $192,702
- From this org
- $171,466
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $21,236
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $171,466
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $5,144
- Nontaxable benefits
- $16,092
- Filer's total
- $192,702
-
Emily Bass
Dir. Fed Policy
- Total calculated
- $169,823
- From this org
- $157,646
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $12,177
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $157,646
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $4,729
- Nontaxable benefits
- $7,448
- Filer's total
- $169,823
-
Ephstathia Bonadies
Dir. Events & Special Projects
- Total calculated
- $168,179
- From this org
- $154,525
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $13,654
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $144,525
- Bonus
- $10,000
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $4,636
- Nontaxable benefits
- $9,018
- Filer's total
- $168,179
-
Ann Wang
Dir. of Ops
- Total calculated
- $158,467
- From this org
- $124,424
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $34,043
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $124,424
- Bonus
- not reported
- Other
- not reported
- Deferred
- $3,733
- Nontaxable benefits
- $30,310
- Filer's total
- $158,467
-
Alexander Smith
Editorial Dir.
- Total calculated
- $146,940
- From this org
- $133,250
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $13,690
- Hours/week
- 40
-
William Tillson
Sr. Nuc Ener Analy
- Total calculated
- $126,388
- From this org
- $104,481
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $21,907
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Peter Seel
Radl Health Analys
- Total calculated
- $117,539
- From this org
- $103,090
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $14,449
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Emma Kovak
Sr. Food/Ag Analys
- Total calculated
- $110,283
- From this org
- $105,825
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $4,458
- Hours/week
- 40
-
Tisha Schuller
Board Chair
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Thomas Riley
Sec./Treasury
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Matthew Winkler
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Rachel Pritzker
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Ross Koningstein
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Ray Rothrock
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Jennifer Hernandez
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Chris Foreman
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
Bill Budinger
Board Member
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.
Schedule J
Answered yes
- 3 · Compensation committee
- 3 · Independent compensation consultant
- 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
- 3 · Written employment contract
- 3 · Compensation survey or study
- 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
Answered no
- 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
- 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
- 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
- 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
- 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
- 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
- 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
- 7 · Other non-fixed payments
- 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception
Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.
Grants on this return
No itemized grants to organizations on this return.
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2025
- Filed
- 26 May 2026
- IRS schema version
- 2025v4.1
- Source object
- 202631469349301333
Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.
The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.