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Nonprofiteer
← MARATHON INITIATIVE

Form 990 for tax year 2024

Filed by MARATHON INITIATIVE.

Totals

Total revenue
$842,245
Total expenses
$1,103,669
Contributions and grants received
$842,245
Grants paid
$0
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$0
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$166,369
Total liabilities, end of year
$116,638
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$49,731
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$769,475
Management and general expenses
$242,002
Fundraising expenses
$92,192
Program service expenses (Part III)
$769,475

Program services were 69.7% 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.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $2,245

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $840,000

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $836,367 · program services $662,373 · management and general $91,197 · fundraising $82,797

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $31,417 · program services $25,134 · management and general $3,141 · fundraising $3,142

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $11,020 · management and general $11,020

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $58,092 · management and general $58,092

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $41,786 · program services $8,551 · management and general $32,166 · fundraising $1,069

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $5,288 · management and general $5,288

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $6,738 · management and general $6,738

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $25,824 · program services $20,660 · management and general $2,582 · fundraising $2,582

  • 17 · Travel

    total $1,974 · program services $218 · management and general $870 · fundraising $886

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $6,536 · program services $31 · management and general $5,169 · fundraising $1,336

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $2,302 · program services $1,842 · management and general $230 · fundraising $230

  • 24a · Other expenses: OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR SERV

    total $76,325 · program services $50,666 · management and general $25,509 · fundraising $150

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $346,097 · end of year $67,940

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    end of year $85,000

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $24,271

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $10,842

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $15,731 · end of year $13,429

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $50,673 · end of year $116,638

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $140,246 · end of year $36,596

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $170,909 · end of year $13,135

Mission and programs · 2024

Mission

THE MISSION OF THE MARATHON INITIATIVE IS TO DEVELOP THE DIPLOMATIC, MILITARY, AND ECONOMIC STRATEGIES THAT THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO NAVIGATE PROTRACTED COMPETITIONS WITH GREAT POWER RIVALS. MOTIVATED BY THE CONVICTION THAT STRATEGY IS POSSIBLE AND NECESSARY, MARATHON'S FOCUS IS ON DEVELOPING SUCH STRATEGIES THROUGH DEEP, RIGOROUS, AND INDEPENDENT RESEARCH, INFORMED BY HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND SCHOLARSHIP. MARATHON'S GOAL IS TO EQUIP AMERICA AND ITS LEADERS WITH STRATEGIES FOR THE HARDEST PROBLEMS OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION, STRATEGIES THAT ARE OF THE UTMOST RIGOR BUT AT THE SAME TIME RELEVANT, REALISTIC, AND VIABLE.

  • IN THE AREA OF DEFENSE AND GEOPOLITICS, THE MARATHON INITIATIVE FOCUSES ON ADAPTING U.S. DEFENSE AND MILITARY STRATEGY FOR THE ERA OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED CONTINUED DISSEMINATION OF THE ARGUMENTS OF A MAJOR 2021 BOOK ON U.S. DEFENSE STRATEGY; PUBLISHING ANALYSES ON EXPANDING U.S. DEFENSE-INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY AND OPTIMIZING ALLIANCE BURDEN-SHARING; AND ARTICULATING A VISION AND IDEAS FOR A REVISED DEFENSE STRATEGY THROUGH A VARIETY OF PUBLICATIONS, MEDIA APPEARANCES, PUBLIC EVENTS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT.

    Expenses $237,381 · Revenue $2,245

  • IN THE AREA OF DIPLOMACY AND GEOPOLITICS, THE MARATHON INITIATIVE FOCUSES ON ADAPTING U.S. DIPLOMATIC AND ALLIANCE STRATEGY FOR THE ERA OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED RESEARCH AND MANUSCRIPT DEVELOPMENT FOR A MAJOR BOOK ON U.S. DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY; AND PUBLISHING STUDIES ON THE EVOLUTION OF U.S. DIPLOMACY IN RESPONSE TO CHINA'S NEW DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY AND LEVERAGING U.S. ALLIES IN CRITICAL REGIONS TO MITIGATE THE RISK OF MULTI-FRONT GLOBAL CONFLICT.

    Expenses $248,443

  • IN THE AREA OF GRAND STRATEGY, THE MARATHON INITIATIVE DEVELOPS STRATEGIES THAT INTEGRATE U.S. ECONOMIC, MILITARY, AND DIPLOMATIC POWER FOR THE ERA OF GREAT POWER COMPETITION. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED MANUSCRIPT DEVELOPMENT FOR A MAJOR BOOK ON CHINA'S LAND NEIGHBORS TO INFORM U.S. GRAND STRATEGY; PUBLISHING ANALYTICAL STUDIES ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND COMPETITION AND CONSTRAINTS IN U.S. SECURITY STRATEGY; AND PUBLISHING ARTICLES, CONDUCTING MEDIA INTERVIEWS, AND PARTICIPATING IN PUBLIC EVENTS ON U.S. GRAND STRATEGY.

    Expenses $283,651

As filed on the 2024 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Laurence E Hirsch

    CHAIRMAN

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    0.5

  • A Wess Mitchell

    DIRECTOR AND TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $381,847
    From this org
    $362,444
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,403
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $362,444
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $19,403
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $381,847

  • Elbridge A Colby

    DIRECTOR AND SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $381,847
    From this org
    $362,444
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,403
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $362,444
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $19,403
    Nontaxable benefits
    $0
    Filer's total
    $381,847

  • Ilona Teleki

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $5,650
    From this org
    $5,650
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    3

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 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 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

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 3
COMPENSATION FOR OFFICERS AND SENIOR EMPLOYEES IS DETERMINED BY THE CHAIRMAN ON THE BASIS OF PERFORMANCE AND COMPARISONS TO EMPLOYEES WITH SIMILAR RESPONSIBILITIES AT COMPARABLE ORGANIZATIONS IN THE SAME GEOGRAPHIC AREA TO ENSURE COMPENSTATION REFLECTS MARKET STANDARDS.

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.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2024
Filed
13 November 2025
IRS schema version
2024v5.2
Source object
202513179349310356

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