Totals
- Total revenue
- $11,425,472
- Total expenses
- $4,886,388
- Contributions and grants received
- $11,425,418
- Grants paid
- $1,950,000
- Program service revenue
- $0
- Investment income
- $0
- Other revenue
- $54
- Total assets, end of year
- $4,869,327
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $19,565,968
- Net assets or fund balances, end of year
- -$14,696,641
- Program services expenses (Part IX)
- $4,199,697
- Management and general expenses
- $686,691
- Fundraising expenses
- $0
- Program service expenses (Part III)
- $4,199,697
Program services were 85.9% 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
$11,425,418
-
11a · Other revenue: OTHER REVENUE
total $54 · excluded $54
-
11e · Other revenue, total
$54
Functional expenses
Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.
-
1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments
total $1,905,000 · program services $1,905,000
-
3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals
total $45,000 · program services $45,000
-
7 · Other salaries and wages
total $1,145,850 · program services $1,002,469 · management and general $143,381
-
8 · Pension plan contributions
total $16,025 · program services $14,020 · management and general $2,005
-
9 · Other employee benefits
total $109,012 · program services $95,371 · management and general $13,641
-
10 · Payroll taxes
total $50,145 · program services $43,870 · management and general $6,275
-
11b · Fees: legal
total $22,380 · program services $18,447 · management and general $3,933
-
11c · Fees: accounting
total $137,713 · program services $113,510 · management and general $24,203
-
11g · Fees: other
total $839,688 · program services $692,112 · management and general $147,576
-
13 · Office expenses
total $5,324 · program services $2,141 · management and general $3,183
-
16 · Occupancy
total $45,879 · program services $40,138 · management and general $5,741
-
17 · Travel
total $168,503 · program services $168,503
-
19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings
total $11,002 · program services $9,182 · management and general $1,820
-
22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization
total $9,841 · program services $8,610 · management and general $1,231
-
23 · Insurance
total $4,524 · program services $1,820 · management and general $2,704
-
24a · Other expenses: GRANT LIAB. DISCOUNTS
total $318,351 · management and general $318,351
-
24b · Other expenses: PAYROLL PROCESSING FEES
total $37,652 · program services $32,941 · management and general $4,711
-
24c · Other expenses: SUBS & LICENSES
total $9,978 · program services $4,013 · management and general $5,965
-
24d · Other expenses: TRAINING
total $2,283 · program services $1,997 · management and general $286
-
24e · All other expenses
total $2,238 · program services $553 · management and general $1,685
Balance sheet
Part X, book values.
-
1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing
beginning of year $430,399 · end of year $312,207
-
9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges
beginning of year $88,923 · end of year $129,263
-
10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis
$35,107
-
10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation
$34,750
-
10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net
beginning of year $10,198 · end of year $357
-
15 · Other assets
beginning of year $6,944,831 · end of year $4,427,500
-
17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses
beginning of year $379,746 · end of year $189,619
-
18 · Grants payable
beginning of year $21,387,998 · end of year $14,951,349
-
25 · Other liabilities
beginning of year $4,437,363 · end of year $4,425,000
-
27 · Net assets without donor restrictions
beginning of year -$18,730,756 · end of year -$14,696,641
Mission and programs · 2025
Mission
TO CREATE A NEW CIVIC ARCHITECTURE FOR THE DIGITAL WORLD THAT RETURNS THE OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL OF PERSONAL DATA TO INDIVIDUALS, EMBEDS ETHICAL VALUES INTO TECHNOLOGY, AND EXPANDS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WEB USERS AND DEVELOPERS ALIKE.
Activities or mission (Part I)
SEE PART III, LINE 1.
-
PROJECT LIBERTY INSTITUTE CONDUCTS AND PROVIDES FUNDING FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS THAT FURTHER THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC AND THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON SOCIETY, INCLUDING AN ENHANCED UNDERSTANDING OF, AND ADVANCEMENT OF, DATA PRIVACY, ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS, AND NEW DIGITAL GOVERNANCE AND DIGITAL SHARED ECONOMIC MODELS.
Expenses $3,274,944 · Grants $1,570,000
-
PROJECT LIBERTY INSTITUTE ORGANIZES AND PARTICIPATES IN REGULAR EVENTS, CONVENINGS AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS OF TECHNOLOGISTS, ETHICISTS, LEGAL EXPERTS, ENTREPRENEURS, SOCIAL INNOVATORS AND OTHER EXPERTS IN THE UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, AND ELSEWHERE TO FOSTER DIALOGUE AND DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO EXPLORE AND ADVANCE BETTER MODELS OF DIGITAL ECOSYSTEMS.
Expenses $924,753 · Grants $380,000
As filed on the 2025 return.
Listed in Part VII
-
Frank McCourtFRANK MCCOURT
CHAIR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 2
-
Maria CancianMARIA CANCIAN
SECRETARY
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 0.05
-
Tomicah TillemannTOMICAH TILLEMANN
DIRECTOR, (SEE SCH O)
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 4
-
Alberto BeeckALBERTO BEECK
DIRECTOR
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 0.25
-
Sheila WarrenSHEILA WARREN
PRESIDENT & CEO, (SEE SCH O)
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 20
-
Kila EnglebrookKILA ENGLEBROOK
OFFICER, (SEE SCH O)
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 10
-
Joseph RileyJOSEPH RILEY
TREASURER
- Total calculated
- $0
- Hours/week
- 1
-
James BellJAMES BELL
HEAD OF STRATEGIC INSIGHTS
- Total calculated
- $415,564
- From this org
- $360,599
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $54,965
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $288,099
- Bonus
- $72,500
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $10,500
- Nontaxable benefits
- $44,465
- Filer's total
- $415,564
-
Jessica TheoduleJESSICA THEODULE
RESEARCH MNGR OF STRATEGIC INSIGHTS
- Total calculated
- $168,539
- From this org
- $134,622
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $33,917
- Hours/week
- 40
Schedule J breakdown matched by us
- Base
- $112,122
- Bonus
- $22,500
- Other
- $0
- Deferred
- $4,152
- Nontaxable benefits
- $29,765
- Filer's total
- $168,539
-
Sara WekselblattSARA WEKSELBLATT
FINANCE & HR SENIOR MANAGER
- Total calculated
- $148,068
- From this org
- $126,295
- From related orgs
- $0
- Other
- $21,773
- Hours/week
- 40
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 · Approval by the board or compensation committee
- 7 · Other non-fixed payments
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
- 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception
The filer's explanations (Part III)
- PART I, LINE 7
- ALL BONUSES ARE MERIT BASED. SEE PART II FOR BONUSES.
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
-
$1,000,000
SUPPORTS THE ROBUST OPEN ONLINE SAFETY TOOLS TRUST AND SAFETY HUB INITIATIVE.
-
ETH ZURICH FOUNDATION (USA) INC
$200,000
SUPPORTS RESEARCH ON EVALUATING THE ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT, DESIGN AND DEPLOYMENT OF AI, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL FOR AI GOVERNANCE TOOLS TO ENHANCE HUMAN RIGHTS AND INDIVIDUAL AGENCY.
-
BERKELEY EXISTENTIAL RISK INITIATIVE
$150,000
SUPPORTS THE GREENEARTH RESEARCH PROJECT TO EVALUATE THE APPEAL AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF AN AI-DRIVEN, PROSOCIAL RECOMMENDER BY BUILDING THE REQUIRED INFRASTRUCTURE AND TESTING ITS APPLICATION AMONG ACTIVE USERS AND COMMUNITIES ON AN OPEN SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.
-
SUPPORTS ADVANCED NETWORK ARCHITECTURE GROUP'S RESEARCH TO DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW INTERNET APPLICATIONS WITH A STRUCTURE BASED ON DECENTRALIZED CONTROL CAN BE VIABLE IN A MARKET PLACE DOMINATED BY LARGE ACTORS THAT HOLD CENTRALIZED CONTROL OVER THEIR SYSTEM.
-
SUPPORTS A TRANSATLANTIC TECH EXCHANGE WHICH ANALYZES THE SPECIFIC DRIVERS OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND COMPETITIVENESS IN AI AND DATA, INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE, INVESTMENT, POLICY FRAMEWORKS, AND INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS.
-
SUPPORTS THE INITIATIVE FOR DIGITAL PUBLIC INTERESTS PROJECT LIBERTY INSTITUTE GLOBAL FELLOWS PROGRAM TO STRENGTHEN DIGITAL PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE.
-
$50,000
SUPPORTS THE MAPPING, CREATION AND ADOPTION OF STANDARDS AND PROTOCOLS NECESSARY TO FOSTER AGENTIC AI SYSTEMS THAT ARE BENEFICIAL AND LOYAL TO CONSUMERS BY DESIGN.
-
$50,000
SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A USER-FRIENDLY, OPEN-SOURCE DATA INTEGRITY & GOVERNANCE TOOLKIT.
-
$50,000
SUPPORTS THE EXPLORATION OF LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORKS FOR USER DATA CONTROL AND DECENTRALIZED AGENTIC AI AS FUNDAMENTAL FREE EXPRESSION INFRASTRUCTURE.
-
SUPPORTS THE ADVANCEMENT OF DISPUTE PROTOCOLS TO ENABLE CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS AND INNOVATIVE PRACTICES IN ONLINE COMMUNITIES.
The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.
Taxable family on this return
Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.
Disregarded entities
Part I: entities that legally are the filer and file no return of their own.
-
STEWARD THE DECENTRALIZED SOCIAL NETWORKING PROTOCOL ("DSNP") · DE · income $0 · assets $0
Directly controlled by PROJECT LIBERTY INSTITUTE
-
ENSURE FUTURE PRIORITIZATION OF DIGITAL GOVERNANCE OVER THE · DE · income $0 · assets $0
Directly controlled by PROJECT LIBERTY INSTITUTE
Related corporations and trusts
Part IV: related organizations taxable as a corporation or trust.
-
PROJECT LIBERTY UK SERVICES LIMITED
C · PROVIDES ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES · UK · 100% owned · controlled entity
Directly controlled by PROJECT LIBERTY INSTITUTE
Provenance
- Return type
- form_990
- Tax year
- 2025
- Filed
- 4 September 2026
- IRS schema version
- 2025v4.2
- Source object
- 202632479349300508
Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.
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